‘When He Sees Me,’ female rage, and the horror of being perceived

There are few things as testing in this world as having a crush. It can involve admitting vulnerability, putting ourselves out there, and what if they end up liking you back?! All terrifying stuff.

If TikTok has taught us anything, it’s that there’s no such thing as a unique experience— and there's no better way of exemplifying that than with a romantic musical theater song, with an ear-bleeding twist.

So, get ready to simultaneously swoon and pull your hair out with this painfully relatable, uber-viral, and heart-wrenching TikTok sound. I hope you like female rage.

The sound

To romantic, swelling music, a female sings, “Oh God, what if when he sees me/I like him and he knows it/What if he opens up a door/And I can't close it?”

Cute enough, right? That is, if you’re able to ignore the compilation of gutteral, high-pitched screams that punctuate this lovelorn tune. These screams occur simultaneously to this romantic lyricism, which perfectly encapsulates the excitement and sheer horror that comes with falling in love.

It’s this relatable inner conflict that has made this sound go viral, with TikTokers pairing it with scenarios like having a romantic dream about someone, when someone you like knows you like them, and when stalking your crush on social media goes a little too far.

Where’s it from?

"When He Sees Me" is a song from the first act of the Broadway musical Waitress. The song is by Dawn, a neurotic employee at the diner who wrestles with the prospect of online dating. While she wants love, she’s petrified of having to put herself out there and be vulnerable in the process. Most of all, she’s terrified of revealing her true self to a partner only to end up being rejected in return.

As for the screaming women, these are part of a "corecore" remix that features a supercut of screaming women across film and TV in depictions of "female rage." Examples include Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls, Jenna Ortega in Scream, Shelley Duvall in The Shining, Sheryl Lee in Twin Peaks, and Florence Pugh in Midsommar. 

The sound perfectly exemplifies the inner turmoil that comes with wanting love while fearing what it means give yourself away.

Sound off

At the time of writing, this sound scores 48,100 TikToks—which is ironic given that it’s meant to be a sound that elicits the fear of being perceived.

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