What is the TikTok open verse challenge?
The TikTok open verse challenge is a trend where TikTok creators make videos using popular songs, but leave out a section of the lyrics, inviting others to fill it in with their own words or version (Distractify). This “open verse” allows others to get creative and make their own cover of the song in a short video. Typically, the original video will have a line or section muted, signaling where participants can add their own lyrics or verse.
To take part, creators will duet or stitch the original open verse video, recording themselves filling in the blank lyrics section however they’d like. This often results in funny, clever, or creative interpretations of popular songs. The trend helps songs go viral on TikTok as more people participate and put their own spin on the lyrics (TikTok).
Origin and history
The open verse challenge originated on YouTube in 2017, where creators would post songs with an open verse and encourage others to create their own lyrics and recordings. However, the trend exploded in popularity when it migrated to TikTok in 2021.
On TikTok, the open verse challenge took off when users started duetting original open verse videos with their own lyrics and performances. Songs like “Jalebi Baby” by Tesher, “Just A Cloud Away” by Pharrell Williams, and “Follow Me” by Uncle Kracker became hugely popular open verse songs.
By mid-2021, the #openversechallenge hashtag had over 4 billion views on TikTok. The viral nature of the app allowed the trend to spread rapidly, with tons of users contributing their own creative verses.
TikTok’s duet feature was key, letting users easily film themselves singing alongside the original video. This interactivity helped fuel the challenge’s popularity. Overall, the open verse challenge represented a new form of musical collaboration and creativity unique to TikTok.
How the TikTok open verse challenge works
The mechanics of the TikTok open verse challenge are relatively simple. It starts with a popular song, typically a rap or hip hop song, that has an instrumental section or chorus part with no vocals. TikTok users then create videos of themselves free-styling or singing original lyrics over that open verse section of the song.
To participate, users choose an open verse song they want to use, record a video rapping or singing over that part of the song, and then upload and post the video publicly on TikTok with relevant hashtags. Often they use hashtags associated with the original song and also a hashtag like #openvibechallenge or #openvibe.
The open verse can occur on the chorus or a verse section of the song. Participants get creative with writing their own original lyrics and coming up with a rap, verse, or lyrics that fit the rhythm and vibe of the open instrumental break in the song. It allows them to put their own spin on popular songs.
TikTok creators have full creative freedom when participating in the open verse challenge. Their vocals can match the song’s tone or go in a totally new direction. The videos highlight user’s talents in freestyle rapping, songwriting, singing, and creativity.
The format lends itself to going viral, as open verse videos can blow up quickly when they showcase impressive talents or creative lyrics. Skilled rappers and lyricists often gain lots of views and followers from participating.
Popular open verse songs used
Some of the most popular songs that have been used in the TikTok open verse challenge include:
“Left and Right” by Charlie Puth – This upbeat pop song was one of the first popular songs used in the challenge.
“About Damn Time” by Lizzo – The funky hit song inspired many creative and humorous open verse videos.
“First Class” by Jack Harlow – The catchy rap track spawned many parody and comedic videos.
“Way 2 Sexy” by Drake – Drake’s hit collab with Future and Young Thug was ripe for open verse creativity.
“Industry Baby” by Lil Nas X – The provocative hip hop song resulted in some of the most viewed open verse videos.
“As It Was” by Harry Styles – The moody pop song was used for more emotional and poetic open verses.
“Heat Waves” by Glass Animals – The laidback indie track inspired chill and relaxing open verse videos.
Notable and viral open verse videos
The open verse challenge on TikTok has produced many popular and viral videos. Here are some of the most viewed and shared open verse videos:
- TikToker @420doggface208 went viral with an open verse video skateboarding and drinking cranberry juice to the song “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac. The video has over 50 million views.https://www.tiktok.com/@420doggface208/video/6877635078910758150
- @Znaybaby’s video using Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” received over 15 million views for her creative open verse dance.https://www.tiktok.com/discover/open-verse?lang=en
- TikToker @theeprincessss got over 5 million views for her comedic open verse take on Jack Harlow’s “WHATS POPPIN.”https://www.tiktok.com/discover/open-verse?lang=en
Many everyday TikTok users have gone viral with creative, funny, or talented open verse videos. The open verse challenge allows people to put their own spin on popular songs.
Impact on songs and music artists
The open verse challenge has had a significant impact on promoting songs and music artists on TikTok. As the Duet Your Joint Work article explains, the challenge allows fans to directly engage with an artist’s music by creating their own verses and versions of songs. This helps songs go viral on TikTok, greatly increasing their streams and downloads across platforms. According to Venice Music, by running an open verse challenge, artists encourage creativity from fans which can ultimately lead to increased awareness and popularity for their music.
Notable examples include Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby” blowing up on TikTok during an open verse challenge, garnering over 500,000 video creations. Singer Tai Verdes also went viral after asking fans to duet “A-O-K” on TikTok. The open verse videos exposed his song to millions of new listeners. Overall, the interactive nature of the challenge allows fans to put their own creative spin on songs, helping artists gain more exposure and promotion.
Creativity of open verse videos
One of the most entertaining aspects of the open verse challenge on TikTok is seeing the creativity and humor that people bring to their videos. With an open verse, the possibilities are endless for creating funny dubbed over lyrics, engaging video concepts, and showing off editing skills.
Many users poke fun at common open verse song choices like “Jiggle Jiggle” by Duke & Jones and Louis Theroux’s rap. They’ll create hilarious dubbed lyrics or act out an exaggerated scenario to go along with the track. Parody and satire are common creative approaches.
Other examples include cooking or craft videos where the creator pretends to give instructions in time with the open verse. Or users might edit the video to cut to different costumes and scenes with each line of the verse. Dance trends also emerge around popular open verse songs.
Overall the open verse challenge enables TikTokers to showcase their creativity through video concepts, editing, humor, performance and more. The possibilities are endless thanks to the open format, leading to very shareable and entertaining results.
Controversies
The open verse challenge has sparked some controversies due to offensive or inappropriate videos. Some TikTok users have created open verse videos with lyrics that include hate speech, threats of violence, or other harmful content (https://www.reddit.com/r/TikTokCringe/comments/vhgg3e/open_verse_challenge/). These types of videos violate TikTok’s community guidelines and can lead to accounts being banned. However, monitoring all open verse content is challenging given the scale and viral nature of the challenge.
There have been calls on Reddit threads and social media for better moderation of open verse videos to quickly remove ones with offensive lyrics (https://www.reddit.com/r/tipofmytongue/comments/121dmz3/tomt_video_tiktok_open_verse_challenge_and_the/). Some argue the challenge facilitates normalization of inappropriate behavior. Others counter that most participants create harmless videos, so banning the challenge itself is an overreaction.
Overall, the open verse challenge requires vigilance from TikTok and users to maintain a safe, inclusive atmosphere. While some controversial videos have emerged, most utilize the popular challenge creatively within community guidelines.
Participation from celebrities
The open verse challenge has seen many celebrities join in on the trend. For example, Lizzo posted an open verse video set to her song ‘About Damn Time’ that went viral with over 4 million likes (1). Other celebrities like Simone Biles, Charli D’Amelio, and Jason Derulo have also shared open verse videos showing off their creativity by lip-syncing and dancing to popular songs (2).
Fans enjoy seeing their favorite stars participate in viral TikTok challenges like the open verse. It allows them to showcase their personalities in a fun way. The videos often show a silly or humorous side to celebrities while still demonstrating their talents. Overall, celebrity participation has helped drive more users to try the open verse challenge themselves.
(1) https://www.tiktok.com/discover/open-verse-celebrity
(2) https://www.tiktok.com/discover/open-verse-challenge-famous
Conclusion
The TikTok open verse challenge has become a popular trend that allows users to put their creative spin on songs by adding their own lyrics and verses. Though it originated as a fun way for TikTokers to express themselves through music, the challenge has had a notable impact on the music industry and culture.
In summary, the open verse challenge demonstrates the influence TikTok can have on songs and artists, turning obscure album tracks into viral hits practically overnight. Musicians and record labels now track open verse videos as a way to identify rising trends and opportunities. However, the trend has also led to controversies around ownership, attribution, and compensation. While the challenge allows everyday users to participate in music creation, it raises concerns around copyright and intellectual property.
Overall, the open verse challenge has cemented TikTok’s role as a tastemaker in music discovery and promotion. Though the full impact is yet to be seen, it’s clear this viral trend has already left a significant mark on the industry and culture. The open verse format empowers users to put their own creative stamp on songs while spreading catchy tunes to mass audiences. While the future is uncertain, the open verse challenge has already demonstrated the influential power of TikTok and user-generated content.
Source: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/consequences-open-verse-challenge
