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Gen Zers on TikTok are mourning the loss of their favorite memories from their childhood, using a slideshow and “American Pie” by Don McLean as their main tools.
This virtual funeral has a simple set up, with a three-photo slideshow synced to the lyrics, “The day the music died” in the background. In the first two slides, TikTokers show photos of the item/person they loved when they were growing up. The third slide is to show how that event has changed and currently looks.
“American Pie” was released in 1971, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 list for four weeks. One of the most famous lines from the song — and the backbone of this trend — referred to Feb. 3, 1959 when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson died in a plane crash. That day is commonly referred to as “The day the music died,” which McLean referenced in his song.
The audio for this trend comes from @deacyism, who created an edit of famous singers who have died. Currently, the song has over 43,000 posts accredited to it.
TikTokers took this concept and applied it to every aspect of their lives, whether it be the careers of their favorite entertainers or changes in aesthetics.
In this example, @christ.mas.vibessss created a slideshow about how they miss traditional holiday decorations.
Here, @sterrtok posted about the end of the Impractical Jokers, when Joe Gatto announced he wouldn’t be apart of the show anymore.
This isn’t the first time TikTokers have yearned for things from their childhood, as recently users took a clip from Monsters, Inc. to reflect on some of their favorite moments growing up. Prior to that trend, TikTokers used a meme from Bratz to show their disgust for nostalgic items.
No matter the fashion, TikTokers are putting their nostalgia on front street and creating viral trends around it.
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