If you’ve heard kids singing “raise your ya ya ya” and wondered what it means, the answer lies in one of TikTok’s most unexpected viral trends.
The phrase took off after Jodie Langel, a former Broadway performer and now vocal coach, posted a video in which she taught her student, Athena Rae, how to sing a challenging section of “I’d Rather Be Me” from the musical Mean Girls. During the lesson, Langel guided Rae to adjust her technique with the simple phrase “raise your ya ya ya.” To everyone’s surprise—including Rae herself—she immediately hit the high note with confidence.
That spontaneous moment resonated across the internet. The video has gathered over 280 million views and 28 million likes, with thousands of users creating their own versions using the original sound. While Langel was already popular online for her teaching clips—one earlier video had reached 54 million views—this moment propelled Rae into the spotlight as well, quickly growing her TikTok and Instagram followings to over 100,000 each.
Langel admitted she did not expect the December 20, 2024, post to explode in popularity. By early 2025, the trend was still going strong, leading her to bring on a manager and launch merchandise featuring her now-famous phrase. Professional sports teams and TikTok creators have even produced remixes, amplifying the reach of “raise your ya ya ya.”
How the Phrase Began
The origin dates back to November 24, 2024, at the Texas Thespians conference. Langel met Rae there and offered her quick guidance in front of a live audience. The method she demonstrated was one she had relied on during her Broadway career in productions like Cats and Les Misérables.
The exercise itself is simple: singers use open vowels such as “ya” to free their sound and avoid straining on high notes. Before trying the exercise, Rae struggled with cracked notes. With the adjustment, her tone immediately became stronger and more controlled.
Langel believes the video’s appeal lies in Rae’s astonishment at her own breakthrough. “Everybody wants that ‘aha!’ moment, you know? So I think that that’s what really caught on,”said Langel. “Not everybody can afford a $90 voice lesson, and the fact that my videos are teaching people to sing just … there’s no better feeling than that.”
What It Really Means
While the words “raise your ya ya ya” don’t carry a literal meaning, the phrase has come to represent energy, confidence, and enthusiasm. On TODAY with Jenna & Friends, middle school teacher and TikTok personality Phillip Lindsey explained it simply as “bringing your best effort.”
Celebrities have joined the conversation too. Scarlett Johansson, co-hosting the show, reacted with surprise at the phenomenon, while Jenna Bush Hager noted that kids spontaneously break into the chant in classrooms.
The influence has even reached school choirs, where directors report improved student performance thanks to the “ya ya” vocal technique. According to Langel, that’s what makes the trend special: it entertains while also teaching a practical singing skill.
“All this crazy ‘ya ya ya’ thing will eventually die down, but the teaching is inherent to who I am and who I always will be, and I’ll continue to do that,” Langel reflected. — AOL
Image—Jodie Langel/YouTube
