Musical.ly was a social media service launched in 2014 that allowed users to create and share short lip-sync videos. Before it was acquired and merged into TikTok in 2018, it served as the birthplace of the modern influencer culture and short-form video trends. In the meme world, Musical.ly is often referenced through a lens of nostalgia or self-deprecating humor regarding the content produced during its peak in 2016-2017. Users often use the logo or screenshots of the app to contrast the evolution of social media, highlight awkward childhood phases, or pay homage to the original transition queens and kings of the pre-TikTok era.