TikTok ‘group 7’ trend started as a musician’s experiment to get her music heard

A new viral Tik Tok trend, in which people proclaim themselves members of “group 7,” has a mysterious sounding tagline, but it began as an experiment conducted by musician Sophia James to get her music heard.

James said she wanted to test the unpredictable algorithm of the Internet, to see why some things go unnoticed while others blow up.

THE RAINBOW CONTINUES: Houstonians chalk a Heights rainbow crosswalk as Metro removes one in Montrose

‘Little science experiment’

In what she called her “little science experiment,” James began posting a series of videos on her Tik Tok account to gauge interest. James can either be seen singing along to her song, “So Unfair”, or simply playing the song and looking straight ahead while designating those viewers to that video.

In a second video, James says, “It always has been and always will be me versus the algorithm and today I’ve decided that I am winning.”

In the fifth video, she adds the caption: “If you’re seeing this, you’re part of ‘group 5’….I’m posting a bunch of videos to observe which one gets the most reach. This is post number 5.”

When she posted a seventh video, it unexpectedly went viral, amassing more than 4 million views.

“If you are watching this video, you are in group 7,” James said in the video. “I have posted seven videos tonight, and this is the seventh one. Just a little science experiment to see what kind of video gets the most reach.”

“I don’t know what that says about you, but you’re in group 7,” she added.

Group 7 goes viral; celebrities hop on the trend

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

The group 7 trend developed from posters on the video proudly and in jest declaring themselves members of this designated group that made James’ post and her profile a viral moment. One user wrote, “Putting ‘group 7′ on my resume” while another jokingly wrote, “Don’t mind me just looking down on the other groups, Group 7 btw.”

Even celebrities joined the fun, including tennis player Naomi Osaka, who went on her Tik Tok to declare her “group 7” status.

In another Tik Tok video, the singer songwriter noted in a caption that while the seventh video in the series had gone viral, her song had not.

Who is Sophia James

James, whose real name is  Sophia Wackerman, is a singer-songwriter and was also a contestant on Season 18 of “American Idol”, according to a UCLA student newspaper profile.

This article originally published at TikTok ‘group 7’ trend started as a musician’s experiment to get her music heard.