Each month on B&T, Fabulate’s product and marketing director, Lucy Ronald, breaks down what’s trending on TikTok – and more importantly, why it matters.
Boyfriends are dancing, mums are questioning the money they spent on our education, and new partners are being introduced one unidentified limb at a time. Meanwhile, everyone’s auditioning for Victoria’s Secret, Nicole Kidman is participating in her own trend, and Halloween costumes are getting the cinematic reveals they deserve.
Here’s what’s been keeping the feed busy.
My boyfriend’s always dancing
If your camera roll is full of videos of your boyfriend dancing when nobody asked him to, there’s finally an audio for that! All thanks to our new favourite TikTok DJ.
This catchy sound has people sharing their partners’ most committed dance moves, from kitchen performances to questionable choreography that somehow makes an appearance at every social occasion. There’s something very endearing about watching even the toughest looking people, shaking their booty to a catchy tune.
It’s an easy format to join because the footage probably already exists in your camera roll. Your partner has been preparing for this moment for years!
Asking my mum if she was in the room when I was born
People have been calling their mums to ask whether they were in the room when they were born, which is a fairly efficient way to make a parent question where, exactly, they went wrong.
The challenge is delivering the question sincerely and keeping a straight face while your mum works out whether you’re joking or whether she needs to be seriously concerned. Some try to explain the fairly significant role they played in proceedings, while others move straight to outrage.
It’s such a stupid question, but watching someone’s mum attempt to answer it reasonably before losing her patience is what makes it so good. As usual, the person who didn’t agree to make content ends up being the best part of it.
The rumours are terrible and cruel
The relationship soft launch has found its soundtrack in Taylor Swift’s New Romantics.
People are filming themselves walking with a partner’s arm around their shoulders, carefully keeping the owner of said arm out of frame. Enough evidence to confirm there’s someone on the scene but absolutely nowhere near enough to identify them.
The song does the announcing while the framing keeps everyone guessing and naturally, the comments become an investigation.
For anyone who wants to share their happiness while also creating a small administrative task for their followers, this is your format.
Victoria’s Secret, meet everyone’s camera roll
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has given the feed plenty to work with this month, including a fresh wave of videos set to JADE’s Angel of My Dreams.
There are the committed catwalk recreations, complete with poses and turns, alongside the less glamorous interpretations from people whose invitation appears to have been lost in the mail.
That’s where a lot of the fun lives: the runway gives everyone a recognisable reference, then creators bring their own walk, setting or spectacular lack of modelling credentials.
Wings optional and commitment essential.
Nicole Kidman, featuring Nicole Kidman
Having a viral song named after you is one thing, joining the trend yourself is an excellent follow-up.
ADÉLA’s Nicole Kidman has been circulating across the feed, but the standout came courtesy of Chanel. Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal and Dua Lipa took turns lip-syncing before the camera revealed Nicole herself for the payoff. It’s a fairly unbeatable casting decision.
We can only assume Nicole is feeling pretty chuffed about having her own theme song, especially one that now has the rest of us aspiring to feel like her.
Ramalama: the Halloween hard launch
While new partners are being kept carefully out of frame, Halloween costumes are getting the full reveal treatment with the return of Róisín Murphy’s Ramalama (Bang Bang).
The format starts with the camera focused on someone’s feet as they walk, moving upwards with the beat until their entire costume comes into view. You get a few seconds to guess where the outfit is going before the reveal, which is particularly satisfying when someone has committed to a very specific character.
It’s a returning Halloween format, but a fresh batch of costumes gives people a reason to keep watching each year. And when you’ve spent weeks planning an outfit, you’re probably going to want something a little more theatrical than a mirror selfie.
After a couple of quiet months, it’s good to have a feed worth sending to the group chat again. If you need us, we’ll be investigating mystery boyfriends and waiting to see what everyone’s wearing for Halloween.
