The 'I Like You, Have A Cupcake' TikTok Audio, Explained
Wading through the deep waters of TikTok trends can lead to absolute confusion. There are too many songs, weird filters, and challenges to keep track of. Finding the original TikTok and its origin isn't a task made for everyone, which is why, when you do find it, you may feel qualified to offer private investigation services. One particular sound that is making appearances on every For You Page (FYP) is a sound that repetitively declares, "I like you, have a cupcake." It's interrupted by a loud groan, after which "I like you, have a cupcake" resumes. The sound has 520,000 videos using it at the time of writing on TikTok.
James Charles has one of the top videos in the sound category, where he rates his makeup looks over the years by giving "a cupcake" to the ones he likes — and groaning when he doesn't. Other videos in the trend follow suit, revealing likes and dislikes across genres. Even Lil Miquela, the infamous robot influencer, used the sound to show us her favorite robots of all time (via TikTok). But just where did it come from?
The audio comes from a popular animated show
The cutesy "I like you, have a cupcake" sound comes from an episode of "Fish Hooks," an animated Disney Channel original series about high school fish. In the episode, one of the fish, Albert, has cupcakes that he wants to distribute to his classmates. He groans when he comes to Bea, one of the main characters, and skips giving her a cupcake.
According to Know Your Meme, the sound was first used by TikTok user @chrisevanssonsgf in a video in which pictures of Chris Evans are photoshopped onto the fish. A picture of Evans in a mustache isn't given the cupcake. That video now has 10 million views and counting. However, the "I like you, have a cupcake" trend should not be confused with the musical stylings of artist CupcakKe, even though they're both going viral at the same time. Last year, TikTok user @brhlthvr created a remix of the "Fish Hooks" sound with CupcakKe's song "Vagina," replacing the groan with the line "smack my a** like a drum" (via Know Your Meme). The sound is mainly used for thirsty fan edits, but has given an outlet for those who want to reveal their kinks and sexual preferences (via YouTube). Unholy remixes are really their own genres of content, and they continue to spin viral audios further and further.