Black Creators Behind Our Favorite Social Trends
Hola Bonitas!
In an exciting new Bonita Case Study, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite viral TikTok moments and highlighted the Black creators behind them. Since the surge of the TikTok app in 2020, we’ve seen trends come and go, yet the creators behind them never seem to get the credit they deserve, especially Black creators. One of the most notable TikTok trends was started by Keke Janajah who created the wildly popular “Savage” dance trend. Users from around the world did her dance yet they didn’t know that Keke was the creator, which then resulted in her copyrighting the dance (according to Buzzfeed News). Now, if the dance is used, Keke must receive proper credit. In addition to that, if it’s used in a film, video game, or another form of monetized media, Wilson will also be able to claim payment. We are happy to see these creators stepping up and gaining credit and recognition for the ideas they create
This case and many others moved us to create a case study that dived deeper into the origins of some of our favorite trends while educating our audience on steps they should take when participating in these trends and future ones. Through the power of the TikTok algorithm, these natural moments were given a platform and taken in by millions of viewers and potential fans alike.
The Trends:
1. Dancing Capcut Template
Darren aka IShowSpeed, a popular streamer and internet personality, went viral on TikTok through a CapCut template where a video of him singing and dancing was used as a green screen filter. Creators (like @la.mera.mera.mom, who used the template to talk about singer Bad Bunny) can select the template in the CapCut app and insert their own photos to personalize it to their content.
IShowSpeed is mostly known for streaming himself playing games such as Fortnite and FIFA on platforms like Twitch but now his template has been used over one million times. We are starting to see more of his content repurposed on the app from his streams and he should always be receiving credit!
This template has been used over one million times.
2. “This Boy Be In My DMs”
Tarriona "Tank" Ball from Tank and The Bangas, an American musical group, went viral after a live performance was reposted by @jessthegreat333 of the band’s song “Nice Things”. Creators loved the sound and began lip-syncing to it as it related to their content. The sound proved to be captivating and has even been recreated with a twist in other creators' content as well.
This sound has been used over 700,000 times.
3. “Hey, how y’all doing?”
Hope Drummond, one of the iconic Drummond twins appeared on the reality tv-show Little Women Atlanta and went viral after a clip of her from the show resurfaced on social media. The video originally aired on the show when Hope says, “hey, how y’all doin'?” in a scene. Since the sound went viral on TikTok, it has been used consistently on the app by creators for everything from skits, reactions videos, and more.
This sound has been used over 85,000 times.
4. Chicken Salad
Tanisha Godfrey was filmed trying a chicken salad from 81st deli in August 2022. Viewers loved her energy and were eager to lip-sync the video themselves including popstar Lizzo. The viral video eventually led Nisha to a Weight Watchers collaboration where she has her own salad known as the ‘Nisha Chicken Salad’ on the WW app!
This sound has been used over 200,000 times.
5. “Okay, I like it, Picasso”
@itsreefa found his voice after going viral when encountering an art piece in the street and saying “Okay, I like it, Picasso.” Since then, his sound has been used to promote other creators' small businesses and artistic projects, helping thousands of creators get their pursuits off the ground.
This sound has been used over 200,000 times.
6. Savage Dance
Keke Janajah, dancer and creator, created a dance to Megan Thee Stallion’s hit song “Savage” in April 2020, and it quickly went viral. Celebrities like Keke Palmer, Normani, and even Megan Thee Stallion herself have been seen doing her dance. Since the video went viral, Keke has copyrighted her dance and continues to highlight black creators while advocating for their content to be properly credited.
This dance has been done over 14.2 million times.
7. Up Dance
Myah Johnson, dancer, actress, and creator, created a dance to Cardi B’s song “Up” in February of 2021. Since then, the dance went viral, even resulting in Addison Rae doing the dance during a segment on the Jimmy Fallon show. The Jimmy Fallon segment resulted in many fans urging the media to give Myah credit for creating the dance.
This dance has been done over 1.5 million times.
8. “Everybody’s So Creative”
Tanara aka @tanaradoublechocolate came up with the saying “everybody’s so creative” by making reaction videos to crazy food videos on TikTok. The term caught on with her viewers loving her commentary for these shocking recipes. Since her leading first video, Tanara has gone on to react to many viral cooking videos across TikTok.
This sound has been used over 1,000 times.
How Can You Support These Trendsetters?
Always give credit: Be sure to mention/tag the original creator's username in your caption or video.
Use the original sound: If you're using a sound that was created by someone else, make sure to use the original sound and not a re-uploaded version.
Ask for permission: If you're not sure if it's okay to use someone else's idea or sound, reach out to them and ask for permission. Most creators are happy to share their work as long as they receive credit.
Don't claim credit for someone else's work: If you're using someone else's idea or sound, be clear in your caption that it's not your original work. Don't try to take credit for something that you didn't create.
Respect the creator's wishes: If the creator asks you to remove their content or stop using their sound, respect their wishes and comply with their request.
These viral trends are the moving parts of TikTok and our digital culture, and proper credit is vital. These moments bring us together and give us comedic relief, inspiration, and even a little dance break in our everyday life. Remember to always respect creators by giving them proper credit for their work!
Xo,
Bonita Team
