It’s been a long, strange year for TikTok. In September, President Donald Trump issued a ban on the Chinese video-sharing service, but even restricted U.S. access hasn’t affected its popularity; TikTok is bigger than ever, inspiring everything from design trends to cake-cutting methods.
To celebrate the ingenuity of TikTok’s users, Vogue has rounded up the 7 TikToks that gave us the most faith in humanity during this incredibly challenging year; see all of them, in no particular order, below.
1. The “Renegade” challenge.
While TikTok creator Charli D’Amelio initially received praise for this dance, the credit actually belongs to 14-year-old Jalaiah Harmon, who told Teen Vogue in April, “It’s good that I influence other people, but I just like to dance.”
2. “Dreams”/Cranberry juice.
The sight of TikTok user Nathan Apodaca swigging cranberry juice on a skateboard as he casually lip-synchs to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” struck a chord with the world, to the extent that the viral video’s success bumped the 1977 hit back onto the charts.
3. Jack Black dancing to “WAP.”
A perennially lovable actor dancing to the song of the year while being doused with water (and wearing a red Speedo)? We’re on board.
4. The “Say So” dance.
God bless Doja Cat, as well as the many TikTok innovators who took it upon themselves to learn a choreographed dance to her song “Say So.” How would we have gotten through early quarantine without practicing these moves?
5. The “mi pan, su su sum” dancing llama.
Yes, it’s an animated llama dancing to a misheard-lyrics version of a Russian commercial jingle for Miel Pops cereal. Any questions?
6. The Ratatouille musical.
A wide-ranging group of “theater kids and professionals” came together to make this socially distanced wonder of a musical, inspired by the 2007 animated rat-chef comedy.
7. The pug taking a “small bite.”
Why is it so fascinating to watch a pug being instructed to take a tiny bite of a treat, and then actually doing it? He’s so polite! So gentle! A breakout star of 2020!