Last month, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon invited TikTok celeb Addison Rae to visit and teach America what the kids are getting up to on the social-media site. On Monday night, Jimmy Fallon welcomed the actual creators of the extremely popular TikTok dances performed by Rae to the show via Zoom, ostensibly to clarify to America that she didn’t have anything to do with making them.
“On our last show before break, we did a bit with Addison Rae, where she taught me eight viral TikTok dances,†explains Fallon. “Now, we recognize the creators of those dances deserve to have their own spotlight, so right now, some of the creators will join me to talk about how their dance went viral, and then perform the dance themselves.â€
Following Rae’s appearance on the Tonight Show, which also featured a performance of her recent single “Obsessed,†many criticized the show for effectively ignoring the hard-working TikTokers behind Rae’s moves, many of whom are Black and people of color.
While Jimmy presumably only had the creators stop by in response to a brewing online backlash, it’s still nice to see him cheering on Mya Nicole Johnson and Chris Cotter’s “Up†dance; Dorien Scott’s “Corvette Corvette†moves; Fly Boy Fu’s “Laffy Taffy†remix and Indii’s fancy footwork; Adam Snyder, Nate Nale, and Greg Dahl’s “Blinding Lights†boogie; and Keara Wilson’s “Savage†super-hit. “I would have to say, seeing my dance bring joy to people throughout quarantine was definitely the best part,†said Wilson. Aw, TikTok! Our heart!