TikTok is a global social media app centered around video and music creativity. While scrolling through the app at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I noticed a lot of new songs and trends focusing on coronavirus, from memes and parodies to confused and scared storytimes. For this project, I chose to look at TikTok using frameworks from ethnomusicology, such as the tripartite model and semiotics. Rather than writing a paper, I chose to analyze the app on the app itself. The final result is a series of 16 TikToks that alternate between short videos recreating popular trends and longer videos with analysis and explanation.
So sit back, relax, and scroll!