What does “low key” mean on TikTok? The new trend explained

There's a new viral trend on social media: being “low key” and “mindful” in everything you do. Jools Lebron is the TikTok influencer behind the trend, and posted a video on August 2 titled “How to be low key at work.” which has been viewed over 6 million times. Another post posted a few days later exceeded that one by more than five times.

Since, The makeup artist has published several other posts explaining how to be both “low-key” and “mindful” in everything she does. from putting on makeup and doing nails to ordering and eating or boarding a plane and more. So what does the TikToker mean by “low key”?

What does “low key” mean on TikTok? The new trend explained

The word “modest” has been around for about 700 years, but according to Merriam-Webster, it has changed little in that time. It is currently defined as a person who is “artificially modest, reserved or serious: shy” to “not attract attention to oneself, whether through a shy nature or a determined self-control.”

In her first post, LeBron says: “See me come to work, very demure. I put on makeup. I lay down my wig. I put a little braid. I straighten my hair. I do chi chi fight. I do viral vanilla. Very reserved, very attentive. Let's not forget to be reserved divas.”

In later videos she explains that it is about finding balance “without doing too much or too little.” According to LeBron, it's about being mindful when you go to work “It’s not a fashion show, but it’s not a soup kitchen either,” she says.

The TikTok sensation has spread across social media and sparked memes from other users, including celebrities Like Meghan Trainor, who is mimicking LeBron's advice for commuting. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan also posted a short video on TikTok about being “low key” and “mindful.”