TikTok is host to thousands of viral videos, including original songs, sounds, and challenges. Some of these are downright ridiculous, whereas others are genuinely entertaining — a guilty pleasure of sorts. Among these trending sounds, many have bounced in and out of the spotlight, including the “I’m a potato” sound. Here is a brief overview of where the sound came from.
The “I’m a potato” TikTok sound first emerged in 2020 and stems from a since-deleted video uploaded by @KaylaHaynes614, who recorded her daughter using a tomato ‘skin’ — a filter that makes her face look like a tomato. Despite the video being deleted, the audio has been used over 140 thousand times.
Some of the videos featuring the audio are re-uploads of the original to pay tribute to the creator of the sound. For example, TikToker @Marshallberry79 captioned their video: “Some people need to stop messing with the original. Kayla’s daughter is adorable.”
Shortly after the audio originally went viral, creators started to film their pets at rest — resembling a “potato.” For example, TikTok user @HammyandOlivia uploaded a video featuring an adorable corgi on their channel and participated in the trend using the audio.
There are many variations of the “I’m a potato” sound roaming TikTok, but Kayla’s upload will always be firmly cemented as the original trend-setter.