WAlthough 2021 has already seen plenty of miserable f-bombs, the best surprise of the past couple of weeks may be TikTok’s biggest new trend: sea shanties. As the world heads into 2021, sea shanties are turning into a safe haven for social media users looking to distract themselves from the day’s events with some (very) old-fashioned entertainment.
It all started when Scottish musician Nathan Evans recorded a song video A remarkably attractive display of the ‘Willerman’, a tin of New Zealand origin from the 19th century. It blew up online, garnering over four million views on TikTok alone. From there, it wasn’t long before other users capitalized on the trend by playing a whaling tune alongside Evans or debuting their own sea shanty shows. And thus #ShantiTalk was born.
Although the recent resurgence of sea shanties is due entirely to the Internet, their modern appeal is certainly due to their original purpose: to synchronize individual efforts toward a common goal.
In centuries past, the purpose of call-and-response work songs was, of course, to keep a ship’s crew focused on safely navigating often dangerous waters. Whether the task was rowing, hoisting sails, or hauling nets, the goal of the sea shanty beat was to help sailors keep time with each other.
But amid a global pandemic that has kept many people home and isolated for nearly a year, sea shanties can help foster a sense of community during a time when many are feeling lonely. As he expertly observed eagleCatherine van ArendonckSea shanties, in essence, are “unifying songs of survival, designed to transform a huge group of people into one collective body, all working together to keep the ship afloat.”
They’re also undeniable earworms.
Thanks to TikTok’s duets feature, which lets users build on the videos of fellow TikTokers with their own additions, Evans’ solo performance of “Wellerman” was transformed into a complex split-screen harmony, complete with multiple vocal parts and instrumental accompaniment. It’s a group project that everyone in the video worked on individually, which makes its success even more impressive.
Confirming that the traditional shanty format has a timeless quality, some people have begun transforming popular songs of the day, such as Smash Mouth’s “All Star” and Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s song. “Wap” Its sea huts per se.
A video of a reluctant sea shanty fan who discovered the appeal of these nautical anthems also went viral. All it takes is a car ride and an inspiring brother.
The 45-second clip perfectly shows how shanties have a way of drawing others into the fold, or as one commentator put it: “I guess it makes sense when you think [about how] This art form originated as a way to provide pleasure, connection, and entertainment during periods of ongoing social isolation.
So, if you need a distraction amidst everything going on right now, #ShantyTok is here for you. Keep calm and huts on.