Made for Us: On the Performance of Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Muni Long’s Latest Music Trend

Photo by Zachary Nelson on Unsplash

Yesterday, I wrote about how songs have disappeared from TikTok due to failed contract negotiations between TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG). But, as the elders say, “One monkey don’t stop no show,” and dance and music trends are still thriving on the platform despite this setback. Although some users may find the constant repetition of the same sounds annoying, I love getting the latest TikTok sounds stuck in my head, and I am obsessed with the newest trend using the R&B song “Made for Me” by Muni Long.

Muni Long’s music has dominated the TikTok charts for several months, with songs like “Time Machine” and “Hrs and Hrs” starting similar dance and music trends. However, the song “Made for Me” gained popularity this time due to a particular user. A user who goes by the name Praises Allen, colloquially known as blue pajamas in the comment sections, started the trend of miming and vibing to the song’s lyrics while walking through a TJMaxx wearing a pair of blue plaid pajamas at the beginning of the year.