I’m always one to advocate for celebrating the small victories and finding joy in the small things — whether you got a good grade on a math exam you were studying for all week or even made your bed this morning, it’s all worth acknowledging. These past couple of years have been rough, bestie, and you owe it to yourself! And that’s what the new “I Win” TikTok trend is all about — celebrating your wins, even if they seem small or insignificant.
Or is it?
Like many TikTok trends, the “I Win” TikTok trend is a bit deceiving. While at first glance, it may appear that creators are celebrating their wins, like getting into a new and exciting romantic relationship or making plans to hang out with their bestie, they are actually simultaneously recognizing their losses — their new relationship is actually long distance, and their BFF ends up flaking on them because of “work commitments” (I’m now learning that maintaining post-grad friendships takes work).
In essence, the “I Win” TikTok trend is a reminder to us all that perhaps everything is not what it seems (if you get this reference, I love you). Here is where the popular trend came from and how to try it out yourself.
The new TikTok trend comes from a barbie show.
I recently watched the 2004 movie Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper (don’t ask why), and I have to say, it was one of the most meme-worthy films I’ve ever seen. But the “I Win” TikTok trend comes from another meme-ridden piece of the Barbie franchise, being the Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse animated television show that was originally released on Nickelodeon in 2012.
The trending soundbite comes from one of the show’s most iconic and beloved characters, Raquel. While Raquel has many memorable lines and moments from the show, her running across the beach screaming “I win!” and then falling into a hole is, by far, her most iconic scene that should have won her an Emmy — and this is where the trend takes its inspiration.
User @crazy_storys_slimes posted the soundbite to TikTok on May 18, and the trend took off from there.
In the “I Win” TikTok trend, creators celebrate their wins and losses.
Whether you want to celebrate your “perfect genetics” and then admit to having no toenails or share that you and your sister finally have a good relationship but then get into a fight over stealing each other’s clothes, the “I Win” TikTok trend is perfect for celebrating both your wins and losses. Like, if you want to acknowledge that time you studied all week but then bombed your final exam, or maybe that time you finally finished decorating your trendy, minimalist apartment and then maximalism came back in style. It’s okay not to win all the time, bestie — and, most importantly, it’s good to laugh at yourself sometimes.
An honorable mention: User @iamvasili absolutely dominates this trend, and all of their videos recreating the trend are definitely worth checking out.
Recreating the “I Win” TikTok trend is easy.
Part of what made this trend so popular is that it is so easy (and fun!) to recreate. To start, think of a scenario where something good happened to you, but it may not have been all it was cut out to be. Then, start recording and excitedly jump up and down as if you’re celebrating a win — then, when the sound drops, fall to the floor (carefully!) and type in the coinciding loss that happened alongside your win.
Some creators even like to change the speed settings when recreating this trend, making the video clips slo-mo to exaggerate their wins and losses. To do this, toggle the speed of your video, which is located on the right side of your screen. However, if you’re not the most tech savvy, don’t worry — this definitely isn’t necessary to recreate this trend. You got this, bestie — you win!