2 minute read
What are you Listening to?
The “What are you listening to?’ trend is back and better than ever.
“What are you Listening to?” Old Trend Jumps Back into the Spotlight on TikTok
by Liv Madkins
An old trend that dominated early 2010 YouTube has now resurfaced on TikTok with a flair. In 2011, YouTuber Ty Cullen uploaded a video to his channel that garnered over six million views, titled, “Hey you! What song are you listening to? New York.” In this viral video, he traveled around New York City, stopping locals to ask them what song they had playing on their iPods. The genres of music each passerby indulged were extremely diverse, ranging from disco with the Bee Gees to nu metal from the group Korn. The ages, races, and genders of those sampled varied just as much as the music genres they listened to did.
Viewers simply loved this video. There are layers as to why so many people found the idea of being asked what song they were listening to by a stranger so fascinating; firstly, for many, the music reflects a sizable part of their personality and can represent who they are. It may seem frivolous to some, but commentators on this original video expressed that being asked to share the kind of music they enjoyed made them feel like they could share a glimpse into their lives with someone. They felt that they knew some of the people sampled better after hearing what they liked to listen to. Secondly, which is especially helpful to busy people, the WAYLT videos provide people a quick and accessible way to discover new music that they may not have ever heard of if they hadn’t tuned in to the video. Many other YouTube videos with the same premises taking place in other cities, like Toronto and Los Angeles, were published in the same decade.
This trend has become increasingly popular on TikTok, an app made for sharing 30 second-to threeminute videos, emphasizing its variability tenfold by playing to the strengths of what made WAYLT so popular. Many TikTokers, like Shan Rizwan (@shan_rizwan), have dedicated their accounts to asking people around different cities, and in Rizwan’s case, a variety of college campuses, what they’re listening to. In one of Rizwan’s most popular videos, he travels across Harvard University’s campus and surveys students there. Viewers were once again fascinated with the variety of songs that these students were listening to, but this particular location of sampling, one of the most prestigious and applied to universities in the world, added another level of excitement to the video. The video garnered over 4.7 million views and 767,000 likes. This trend is hot, and it doesn’t seem like it will be going anywhere any time soon. Many more passersby will be asked what they are listening to... Who knows, maybe one of them will be you!
Have you ever wondered what your fellow Trailblazers are listening to? Do you have an album on repeat right now that you think everyone should know about? Now, you have the chance to share it with our community. Be on the lookout for a link in the Daily B for a form in which you can submit any number of songs that you’re enjoying. We will feature our findings in our next issue. Happy
listening!
