What is 'Group 7,' the new slang going viral on TikTok?
If there’s one thing TikTok users love, it’s inventing new slang. Every few weeks, a fresh phrase sweeps across the app, and the newest addition to that ever-growing dictionary is "Group 7."
The term is quickly taking over the app as more and more users have been dropping it into their captions, comments, and storytimes. But like most TikTok trends, it isn’t immediately clear what it actually refers to.
Read on to know more about what "Group 7," and whether you're actually a part of it without even knowing.
Where did it come from?
The term can be traced to a TikTok video posted by Sophia James, an American singer and songwriter who is best known for competing in Season 18 of American Idol.
James is currently in the middle of promoting her new song So Unfair, having posted a video of herself lip-syncing to a few of the lyrics while holding a parking ticket. Since TikTok's algorithm is personalized, not every video hits users' For You Pages, and James' video didn't exactly take off right away.
Because of this, she posted a second video using the same song, where she said, "It always has been and always will be me versus the algorithm and today, I've decided that I am winning.
In her third video, she filmed herself opening her parking ticket to the same song.
Things started to pick up in her fourth video, where James finally included "Group 4" in the caption. This clip has over 5.1 million views as of writing.
"If you're seeing this, you are in group 4. I am posting a bunch of videos and seeing which ones reach the most viewers. This is the fourth post of the batch so you are group 4," she wrote.
That small change immediately caught people’s attention, with viewers starting to engage with her posts.
James continued this until she reached "Group 7," and this is where the trend finally exploded, reaching around 74.9 million views as of writing.
"If you are watching this video, you are in group 7," she said. "I have posted seven videos tonight and this is the seventh one. Just a little science experiment to see what kind of video gets the most reach."
She added, "I don't know what that says about you, but you're in group 7. Welcome!"
@sophiajamesmusic Group 7 who are you
♬ So Unfair - Sophia James
In the comments section, many viewers proudly declared themselves part of “Group 7,” calling it the “elite” or “lucky” group.
"Can you imagine not being Group 7?" one user wrote.
Another commented, "Group 7 is the hot girl group, I don’t make the rules."
The video became so viral that even the TikTok accounts of well-known brands have started to get in on the fun, including Oreo, HBO Max, Aveeno, NIVEA, Hyundai, and more.
How to join the trend
Since the trend kicked off, many other influencers and social media users have been using the phrase "Group 7" in any way they like, usually to hype themselves up or congratulate others for making it into the group.
One influencer that jumped on the trend is Haley Kalil, who filmed herself dancing to the song with the caption, "Duh, I'm group 7... I'm chronically online."
@haleyybaylee and the best dancer of all time
♬ So Unfair - Sophia James
The trend also reached the feed of Filipinos, with social media user Jico Umali doing an attendance check.
"Filipinos in group 7, y'all here? Y'all here fam?" he asked.
@jicooumalii 7 second attendance check for my Filipino group 7 brothers and sisters 7️⃣ we out here reppin 7
♬ original sound - Jico Umali
"Sa wakas, pwede na mag-Tagalog sa comments, hirap na hirap na ko mag-English sa international group 7," one user commented.
There's no real meaning behind "group 7," as it's really just an inside joke among TikTok users.