Who sings ‘Barbaras Rhabarberbar,’ the German song going viral on TikTok?

TikTok is a bottomless pit of entertainment. From quizzes and challenges to dance moves and music, there is nothing that the platform can’t make viral. And what’s the latest on its long string of trends? A German rap, believe it or not.

It’s not the first time that songs have gone viral on TikTok. In fact, I’m sure that avid users still remember how catchy the “Cheese Tax” song is, or find themselves mumbling Muni Long’s “Made For Me” from time to time. Truth be told, TikTokers may have a hard time doing that with “Barbaras Rhabarberbar,” as the song is not only in German but also a tongue twister. Still, that doesn’t stop them from enjoying it. Music has always transcended language, and it’s not like folks need to understand what is being said to dance to it. The song is catchy, and that’s all that it takes for people to play it on repeat.

Despite this trend having a bit of a slow start, it looks like it’s kicking off as more people discover the tune and promptly get addicted to it. Recently, folks have begun to notice the song popping up on several TikToks as they scroll through their feeds, and the hype shows no sign of slowing down soon. Some videos already have millions of views, leading users to wonder where “Barbaras Rhabarberbar” even came from and who sings it.

Who sings the “Barbaras Rhabarberbar” song?

“Barbaras Rhabarberbar” is sung by musical comedian Bodo Wartke, featuring fellow musician Marti Fischer. The two released the song via a YouTube video on Wartke’s channel on Dec. 13, 2023, five days before doing the same on TikTok, where the creator split it into two parts. By now, the two clips have over 16M combined views on the app, a far cry from the 500K views on its YouTube counterpart. As you can see, if you want to become an online sensation, TikTok is the way to go. It will get you there much quicker.

What is the song even about, though? Well, a woman named Barbara, who makes a pretty good cake and opens a bar. It’s silly, yes, but it’s exactly the kind of content that one should expect from a musical comedian. Not everything has to be meaningful for people to enjoy it, and “Barbaras Rhabarberbar” is solid proof of that. So, if you want to get aboard this hype train, you better do it soon, as TikTok trends have a way of dying down just as quickly as they start. Before you know it, the internet will have moved on to the next big thing.