Corn Kid's Impromptu Sweet Corn Song Goes Insanely Viral on TikTok

The Story Behind the Anthem 2 Sweet Corn Sensation

In September 2022, a video went viral on TikTok of a young boy in the backseat of a car singing an impromptu song about the sweet corn his family had just picked. With his enthusiastic off-key singing and wide smile full of missing teeth, the boy known online as "Corn Kid" became an overnight sensation.

Corn Kid's Catchy Ode to Sweet Corn

As his family drives down a rural road after visiting their local farm to pick fresh sweet corn, Corn Kid clutches an ear of corn and breaks into song. His lyrics are simple but catchy: "It's corn!... a big lump with knobs, it has the juice." As silly as it sounds, the pure joy with which he sings about his favorite vegetable is contagious.

The video, posted by @schmahmann, quickly garnered over 14 million views and kickstarted the so-called "Corn Kid" phenomenon. Almost immediately, fans began creating their own remixes and versions of what became unofficially known as the sweet corn "anthem."

#CornTok Goes Viral

It wasn't long before the hashtags #CornTok and #CornKid were trending on TikTok. More and more remixes and response videos flooded the app. Fans gushed over how wholesome and joyful Corn Kid was. Popular TikTok creators like artist Tessa Violet jumped in on the trend, using Corn Kid's song as the basis for their own music.

Bands like the Holderness Family and Eve 6 created full music video productions around the corn anthem. Non-musical content creators opted to feature Corn Kid's song in their own videos, driving up the view count even further. Hashtags related to Corn Kid and his corn song have now amassed over 8 billion (and counting) combined views on TikTok so far.

The Unexpected Rise to Fame

Shortly after the video went mega-viral, the identity of Corn Kid was revealed. He is Tariq, a young boy from Utah with an infectious enthusiasm for corn that came through in his off-the-cuff singing.

Celebrity Status for Corn Kid

Tariq and his family were caught off guard when his corn video led to appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and at New York Fashion Week. Brand sponsorships and licensing deals also came flooding in. But even as Corn Kid takes meetings with brands like Frito-Lay, part of his fame remains those pure, unselfconscious 15 seconds of glory he had singing in the backseat of his mom's car.

Why Corn Kid Resonates

What is it about Corn Kid that makes him so instantly memorable and lovable? His fame isn't manufactured or manicured in any way - it's completely organic and borne out of innocent joy. Fans have praised Corn Kid for promoting positivity online and for being unapologetically enthusiastic about something as simple as corn.

There's also the fact that literally anyone can participate in the Corn Kid trend by remixing or reinterpreting that original backseat corn song. It's equal parts silly and wholesome fun. While Corn Kid himself may remain ambivalent to his sudden celebrity, he has clearly struck a chord with millions of fans.

The Lasting Influence of Corn Kid

As unexpected viral sensations tend to do, Corn Kid's online fame will eventually fade. But for most fans, he has left behind more than just funny memes and catchy songs. He has become an icon of joyful innocence - a welcome antidote to much of the snark and cynicism found online today.

Sweet Memories from Unlikely Places

Indeed, people will look back fondly on that original Corn Kid video as a reminder of how something as simple as a vegetable can spark spontaneous delight. For many of his fans, the Corn Kid phenomenon recalls the summers and backseat car rides of their own childhoods.

In celebrating Corn Kid, people are also celebrating the simple joy of taking your family to pick sweet corn on a late summer day - pulling back the green husks to uncover those "knobs" underneath before taking a juicy bite of seasonal goodness.

The Lasting Power of Corn Kid

Corn Kid himself will inevitably fade from the spotlight, while Tariq goes back to just being a normal kid. But the ability of a boy and an ear of corn to spark so much collective joy online will remain part of TikTok lore. We can only hope future viral hits capture even a fraction of the wholesomeness that Corn Kid has come to represent.

FAQs

Who is Corn Kid?

Corn Kid is the nickname given to Tariq, a young boy who went viral on TikTok for enthusiastically singing about corn in a video filmed by his family. His real name is Tariq but he's better known by his viral moniker Corn Kid.

What's the Corn Kid song?

The Corn Kid song refers to the impromptu tune Tariq sang in the backseat of his family's car about the sweet corn they had just picked. The lyrics consist of simple phrases like "It's corn! A big lump with knobs, it has the juice." The off-key and innocent nature of his singing helped make it go viral.

Where did the Corn Kid video take place?

The original Corn Kid TikTok video was filmed by Tariq's family while driving home after visiting a farm to pick fresh sweet corn ears. They live in Utah but the specific farm location was not publicly identified.

How did Corn Kid get famous?

Corn Kid went viral because countless TikTok users were enthralled by his wholesome enthusiasm and the silly nature of his improvised corn song. The hashtags #CornTok and #CornKid trended heavily as remixes and response videos using his song flooded the app. Brand sponsorships, TV appearances, licensing deals soon followed.