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Why is TikTok flooded with AI cat videos and what does Billie Eilish have to do with it?

AI cat videos are taking over TikTok, and Billie Eilish is right in the middle of the trend. Here's what you need to know about the viral hype.

On TikTok, the sound of a video is just as important as what's on screen. A new trend featuring AI-generated cat images has singer Billie Eilish at the center of a new surge in cat content.

Animal content is not uncommon on social media: videos of cats and dogs are common on TikTok and Instagram, and sightings of other animals such as sharks and whales also often go viral on the internet.

The latest animal trend taking over TikTok may have something to do with animals, but it's also directly related to AI-generated imagery and Billie Eilish. Yes, you read that right.

New TikTok trend with AI cat and connection to Billie Eilish explained

All over TikTok, users have been sharing videos of AI-generated cats, some with cute clothing and aesthetics, and even famous cats from pop culture like Garfield have been given a makeover. At the time of writing, the AI-generated cat tag contains over 140 million videos.

However, this new wave of cat content stands out thanks to a remix version of Billie Eilish's Oscar-winning song “What Was I Made For?”

The song's lyrics have been completely removed and instead the melody is paired with various “meows” that fit the melody of the music. Notably, Rihanna's “Diamonds” and Sia's “Unstoppable” have been meowed similarly, though not quite to the same extent as Eilish's 2023 hit.

Of all the AI-generated cats appearing in this new trend, the most popular character nicknamed “Chubby” has garnered millions of views through the account mpwild with several videos on the app.

In these videos, Chubby and his “son” Chubby Jr. experience homelessness and house fires, and in one video even survive a pigeon kidnapping.

The first video posted by mpwild was viewed over 50 million times, and each subsequent post generated millions more views; one even reached the 80 million mark.

Additionally, the cat remix sound of “What Aas I Made For” has been used in over 930,000 individual videos on TikTok, and that number is likely to grow in the coming months.

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