New year, (fairly) new sound.
For the first viral sound of 2024, we have a song from an indie musician that’s blown up on TikTok, and driven discourse about influencer privilege.
The sound
The line “I think I like this little life” is what seems to be most popular on TikTok.
In early November, people started using the sound to document sweet moments from their lives, a trend that continued into December. It was also used in videos looking back at 2023.
And people used the sound to parody when “this little life” doesn’t quite translate.
However, there was a shift around the sound when it started being used by influencers and celebrities to show off their “little life.”
Greer Grammer, daughter of Kelsey Grammer, apparently used the sound in a now-deleted Instagram video of what many people believed was her family’s private jet, which kicked off more nepo-baby discourse. People also used the line to comment on the irony of who is using this sound, furthering the discourse around wealth and class.
“wow everyone’s little lives feature lavish dinner parties in architectural digest approved mid century loft apartments,” wrote Maggie Zhou in a viral TikTok from late November. People also started parodying these kinds of aesthetically pleasing but “humble” videos.
Where’s it from?
It’s a line from the song “Little Life” by U.K. musician Cordelia O’Driscoll, who records under the name Cordelia. It’s been used in more than 260,000 TikToks since being released in October 2023. “Little Life” is off her EP Caramel, and it’s currently charting on TikTok’s Viral 50 list.
To her credit, O’Driscoll has been following the song’s ascension on TikTok, where she has more than 11,000 followers.
In early November, she remarked on how sweet the trend was. By late December, she dueted a TikTok where two women satirized how “the meanest girl you know” is using this sound, which became another “Little Life” trend.
Sound off
O’Driscoll is definitely leaning into some of the hate “Little Life” is receiving, while also making sure people know it’s her song.
She commented on “Little Life” fatigue earlier this week, saying how funny it is that a song about “learning to enjoy the little things in life” has given way to “tiktok teens literally baying for your blood in the comments.”
But the trend is still going. And it appears it’s swung back around to being sweet again.
Well, mostly.
Update 1/9 12pm CT: A source close to Grammer tells the Daily Dot that the deleted video did not feature a private jet. She was on a Jet Blue flight. The story has been updated to reflect this.
Now you can watch our That One Sound from TikTok column on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel and keep an eye out for new episodes every week:
