Let’s pause for a moment of nostalgia.
Marrakech – Remember when we all thought we were pop stars for 15 seconds?
That sweet, sweet moment when you could believe you had the voice of Ariana Grande or the dance moves of Beyonce? Ah, yes, the golden era of Musical.ly.
Before TikTok captured our hearts (and our entire free time), there was Musical.ly – the app that made lip-syncing to your favorite songs feel like a whole new level of fame.
Launched in 2014 by Alex Zhu and Luyu Yang, Musical.ly allowed us to record, edit, and share quick videos, usually set to music, and it took over our feeds faster than a viral challenge.
You could even add a dash of creativity with effects, text overlays, and funky filters.
It was the ultimate platform for the “Look at me, I’m famous!” moments.
But above all, Musical.ly really was a playground. A place where you could post your performance of “Shake It Off,” a dance to “Despacito,” or just showcase a few seconds of your lip-syncing genius.
Those little videos allowed teens and pre-teens to get creative, with some even scoring a social media following that, dare I say, made them mini-celebrities.
For a while, it was the app that made us feel cool, even though we weren’t exactly doing anything too revolutionary.
Then came TikTok, and just like that, Musical.ly was swept off its stage.
ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, acquired Musical.ly in 2017. And just like a magician’s sleight of hand, Musical.ly disappeared in 2018 and was replaced by TikTok.
Read also: Could RedNote be the New TikTok?
The new app took everything that worked on Musical.ly – the short, catchy videos, the music – and supercharged it with more features, like the infamous “For You” page and way more customization options.
TikTok was ready to take over the world, and Musical.ly, while fun, was left in its wake.
But here’s the real kicker: TikTok, which we’ve come to love (maybe even a little too much), is now facing the possibility of a breakup.
With the potential TikTok ban in the US (thanks to privacy concerns and other political matters), a new contender, RedNote, has begun to emerge.
Could RedNote be the new “it app” for viral dances and lip-syncing?
Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: if TikTok does go the way of Musical.ly, we’ll be stuck trying to figure out if RedNote’s algorithm can help us nail the next viral trend.
Back when we were just Musical.ly-ing, life was simpler. No world-changing algorithms, no TikTok influencers – just pure, unadulterated fun.
So as we hold on tight to our TikTok accounts (for now), let’s raise a glass to the app that paved the way, Musical.ly.
May you forever be remembered in the annals of viral history!
Who knows? Maybe we’ll be lip-syncing to “Bye Bye TikTok” in the next big app – but until then, stay tuned. The next viral sensation is just around the corner.
