Rap al Caudillo Trend: TikTok’s Queer Subversion of Spanish National Imagery

Abstract

After its peak in popularity, TikTok has become one of the preferred platforms for users of all ages and cultural backgrounds. Due to its extremely accurate and personalized algorithm, the application has generated a phenomenon that allows us to explore new horizons in the formation of online communities. With the implementation of sounds, users can find profiles of other users with whom they share more than a single interest. By using someone else’s voice in a lip-sync or an acting scenario, users can connect on the basis of broader life experiences, shared feelings, or other references. Consequently, certain sounds are more likely to be used by similar users, creating various subgroups based on repeated topics, such as experiences of queerness. In Spain, queer TikTok has become a space for activism and for sharing personal stories of resilience.

Currently, the main representative of non-binary identities in national media is Samantha Hudson, a multidisciplinary artist and performer known for their controversial lyrics and out-of-context social media content. One of Samantha’s singles, “Por España,” released on the National Day of Spain, or Día de la Hispanidad, in 2021, uses deep-rooted national imaginary to depict a rise in extreme-right militancy linked with an increase in homophobic and transphobic aggression in Spain. Part of this song, in which the artist refers to Spanish dictator Francisco Franco with subversive lyrics that pay homage to people killed in the Spanish Civil War, became one of the most popular TikTok trends among the national LGBTQ+ community. The videos under the sound Rap al Caudillo feature normative moves from other dance challenges in the mainstream heterosexual spheres of the app to enhance the powerful lyrics as a way of reclaiming space not only on the platform but also in Spanish national culture and imagery. Moreover, this article aims to show how the trend epitomizes Generation Z humor. In sum, this article proposes an analysis of the impact of Hudson’s “Por España” and the subsequent TikTok trend that evidences the impact of internet culture in Gen Z’s humor and empowerment.