Going Viral

You log onto TikTok, and your feed is full of adorable cat videos, clips of hit songs, and hilarious dance challenges. As you watch these videos of people hoping to become the next TikTok star like singer Lil Nas X or dancer Charli D’Amelio, it looks like it’s easy to become famous. But have you ever wondered who was behind some of these viral crazes? It turns out that it can be hard for some artists to get credit for one of their creations after it goes viral.

Last October, Jalaiah Harmon was scrolling through TikTok when she saw something familiar. D’Amelio had posted a dance to the song “Lottery” by K Camp. “I was like, ‘Hey, that’s my dance!’” says Jalaiah, now 15.

TikTok is full of adorable cat videos, hit songs, and hilarious dance challenges. Sometimes people who post videos there become viral stars, like singer Lil Nas X or dancer Charli D’Amelio. But the people who create popular TikTok videosT often aren’t famous. And it can be hard for some artists to get credit when one of their creations goes viral.

Jalaiah Harmon is 15. Last October, she was scrolling through TikTok. She saw something familiar. D’Amelio had posted a dance to the song “Lottery” by K Camp. “I was like, ‘Hey, that’s my dance!’” says Jalaiah.

Jalaiah had created the dance a few weeks earlier in her bedroom in Fayetteville, Georgia. But it was D’Amelio’s post that got more than 1.4 million likes. The dance came to be known as the Renegade. People assumed D’Amelio created the dance, although she never actually took credit for it. Soon celebrities like Lizzo, Millie Bobby Brown, and Kourtney Kardashian were performing their own versions.

“It was exciting that all of these people were learning my dance,” Jalaiah says. “But I was also frustrated. No one was giving me credit.” So Jalaiah spent the next few months posting comments on TikTok to get recognition for creating the dance.

A reporter for The New York Times saw her posts and wrote a story about Jalaiah in February. The article changed everything. Many people were mad that she hadn’t gotten credit. Jalaiah got shout-outs from Michelle Obama and Lizzo. Then she was invited to perform the dance at the NBA All-Star Game—where she got to meet D’Amelio.

Jalaiah had created the dance a few weeks earlier. She made it up in her bedroom in Fayetteville, Georgia. But it was D’Amelio’s post that got more than 1.4 million likes. The dance became known as the Renegade.

D’Amelio never took credit for creating the dance. But people assumed that she had. Soon celebrities like Lizzo, Millie Bobby Brown, and Kourtney Kardashian were performing their own versions.

“It was exciting that all of these people were learning my dance,” Jalaiah says. “But I was also frustrated. No one was giving me credit.”

Jalaiah spent the next few months posting comments on TikTok. She wanted to be recognized for creating the dance.

A reporter for The New York Times saw her posts. The newspaper published a story about Jalaiah in February. The article changed everything. Many people were mad that Jalaiah hadn’t gotten credit. Michelle Obama and Lizzo both gave shout-outs to Jalaiah. Then she was invited to perform the dance at the NBA All-Star Game. At the game, she got to meet D’Amelio.

These days, Jalaiah has more than 2 million followers on TikTok. But Jalaiah says she wants to be more than just a social media influencer. Her goal is to be a choreographer and to own a dance studio someday.

For now, Jalaiah is just happy she spoke up and that D’Amelio and other influencers listened. They’ve since been doing a better job giving credit to dance creators. Jalaiah hopes her story will inspire other young artists to stand up for their work.

These days, Jalaiah has more than 2 million followers on TikTok. But Jalaiah wants to be more than just a social media influencer. Her goal is to be a choreographer, or dance creator. She wants to own a dance studio someday.

For now, Jalaiah is just happy she spoke up and that D’Amelio and other influencers listened. They’ve since been doing a better job of saying who created dances. Jalaiah hopes her story will inspire other young artists to stand up for their work.