Columnists,Shavinya Illankoon,Main Slider l by Shavinya Illankoon l 17 Aug 2020     - 310

TikTok Takes Over Quarantine


TikTok is known to be one of the most famous mobile phone applications of all time! Previously known as “Musically”, this is commonly used by people who are interested in miming, acting, dubbing, etc. to show off their skill and talent out in the open.

A 'tiktoker' is someone who makes a living out of creating daily content and posts it on TikTok with loads of hashtags which enables them to grow a larger audience. This application has provided an opportunity to be and feel creative. However, with quarantine coming into our lives, TikTok became the most widely used app all around the world and has neared 2 billion installments within such a short period! During this time, it was needless to say that people were very bored and didn’t have much to do while staying at home; so finding an activity to keep yourself occupied at all times can be a little tough to fulfill. It was only then we saw so many people unlocking their phones, going on Google or Apple Play Store, and hitting that ‘Download’ button. Next thing you know, those girls who once claimed TikTok to be super cringe have turned out to be Ace TikTok Queens! They’ve taken over your “For You” page in, literally, minutes!

Let's talk about the trends which became popular throughout quarantine;  

1. Siren Beat Challenge

This trend became a very popular routined-dance which every TikToker made sure to do and upload onto their feeds. This, later on, got modified into a popular song named "Savage Love" which was produced by everyone's all-time favourite singer/dancer, Jason Derulo who was able to give this beat a bit of a twist and meaning to get the audience going! The ‘Siren Beat’ challenge was renewed and remade and many tiktokers recorded duets with ‘JD’ himself and posted on.  

2. Dalgona Coffee Challenge

Many of you would found yourselves whipping up a creamy coffee called 'Dalgona Coffee' at your homes! Not only was this recipe famous on TikTok, but this food-obsession went viral all-around other social media platforms, and eventually, people started making and serving it to their families for the beaming hype. By finishing up with a swirl on top, everyone started posting pictures and ‘how-to-make’ videos online and got their friends and loved ones to join in, in no time!

3. “I’m a Savage” Dance

Megan Thee Stallion’s hit single “Savage” was a very popular TikTok Streak and whenever you head on to the ‘For You’ page, you can see all the sisters and brothers in the ‘hood grooving to this sick beat with a lot of swag! After some time, there were even different sound clips of this song made mainly due to the hype, attraction and love it received. What really got people going were the lyrics; “Classy, bougie, ratchet (yeah). Sassy, moody, nasty (hey, hey, yeah)”

4. ‘Wipe It Down’ Challenge

This challenge arrived at the peak of quarantine when most of us have settled down to the whole TikTok culture and have gotten a hang of the artistic touch behind it. This was a usual outfit-change glam video which was done with the use of a mirror. When the ‘BLM’ (Black Lives Matter) Movement took place, this trend was used to send out an important message to society to spread awareness about the prevailing situation in US after the George Floyd incident took place.

5. BLM Challenge 1: “No Freedom Till We are Equal”

This is another artistic approach by tiktokers to support the ‘BLM’ Movement. Using the ‘duet-with-me’ mode, fellow supporters lip sync to the encouraging words of “Same Love” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and post it to the rest of their content, letting the jeopardized know that we are always here for them no matter what!  

6. BLM Challenge 2: “ This Is America”      

Yet another active trend during the months' May and June, Childish Gambino’s Grammy Award Winning song “This Is America” took a spin by making it back to the top of the UK & US charts when the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement enraged and started spreading across the globe like wildfire. Live footage of Black-American citizens stepping out of their houses and protesting on the streets was used by TikTok users who have compiled it into watchable content whilst having this dope beat play in the background so that awareness will be raised on the ongoing situation.

Ultimately, three-four months being stuck at home didn’t end up being such a blur after all! TikTok really did provide us entertainment quite largely while allowing us to express our creativity in a free-spirited, clear manner! Cheers to all those likes gained through the ‘For You’ Page!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shavinya Illankoon

I am an independent solo artist that debuted last October. I write lyrics, make my own music and collaborate with fresh and talented producers. I focus on themes such as Mental Health and psychological aspects of people in order to provide a voice to them and to let them know that we're all in this together and they are not alone.

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