Extremely Online

The “Bejeweled Strut” Is The Most Charming Viral TikTok Trend

Jazz hands are involved, of course.

TikTok users might dismiss the platform’s often misconstrued label of “a dancing app” but every so often a dance comes along that’s so catchy it may make you want to go back to the early days of your FYP. Combine that sort of nostalgia with a trending Taylor Swift song and you’ve got yourself viral gold. The latest TikTok trend to hit both of these notes is “The Bejeweled Strut” which anyone can try out whether they’re a dancer, a Swiftie, both, or neither, TBH.

You likely know by now that Taylor Swift released her tenth studio album Midnights on Oct. 21. It includes 13 tracks inspired by several “sleepless nights” throughout Swift’s life. Since its release, Swift has made history by monopolizing the entire Billboard Top 10 spots in one week. She’s the first artist to do so in Billboard’s 64-year history. Unsurprisingly, the album quickly became fodder for lyric analyses, Instagram captions, and TikTok videos, of course.

“Bejeweled” is the ninth track on the album and is one of the more upbeat songs on the lineup. One particular part of the song includes the lyrics “And I miss you / But I miss sparkling / Best believe I'm still bejeweled / When I walk in the room / I can still make the whole place shimmer,” and is getting the TikTok treatment thanks to user @mikaelarellano.

In a video posted on Oct. 22 Arellano “choreographs” a dance to these Swift lyrics that more closely resembles a whimsical strut — and people on TikTok can’t get enough of it. The original post has over 600,000 likes and 3,000 comments, including ones like “THIS IS THE OFFICIAL DANCE OF BEJEWELED ALL THOSE IN AGREEMENT SAY AYE” and “This is exactly how ‘Bejeweled’ feels.” The tags #bejweledstrut and #bejeweledwalk have 6.8 million and 317,400 views, respectively.

If you’re chronically on TikTok, you might recognize Arellano from his viral Euphoria lip-synch videos (he’s known for his impersonations of unhinged queen Cassie Howard, as evidenced by his shirt in a remake of the Bejeweled walk video from Oct. 26). His page is the most wholesome medley of dancing, satire, acting, and overall fun, and he has rightfully inspired others to try out his moves.

The “dance” is pretty simple and involves dramatic arm movements, a strut, a turn, and jazz hands. Despite the ease of it all, those who do the strut on their own accounts are sure to give Arellano dance credit.

Influencer (and outspoken Swiftie) Colleen Ballinger hopped on the trend by surprising her unsuspecting husband with the strut.

Rodger Cleye, another popular creator, strayed from his typical singing content to try out the Bejeweled walk.

The charming simplicity of the choreography makes it a fun dance for all ages, as @laurahfritz and @grandadfrankk show in their versions of the Bejeweled trend.

Ready to show off your shimmer? Find a good place to set up your phone and loosen up your jazz hands. If you need to, you can watch Arellano’s videos a couple of times to make sure you’ve got the moves down, though I have a feeling you can nail it on the first try.