For once TikTok has regurgitated a new micro-trend that we can stand behind – one that centres on saying a big f*** you to social anxiety and embraces an emboldened sense of self confidence. And at the centre of it all is a London-based model and newly minted viral TikTok star named Sabrina Bahsoon, aka TikTok's 'Tube Girl'.
For the chronically online, you've probably already happened across Bahsoon's account, the 22-year-old posting videos of herself with a 0.5 zoom and wind blowing through her hair, dancing and posing on The London Underground while en route to a night out.
The original viral video garnered over 10 million views, and was captioned "Being the friend who lives on the other side of the city so you gotta hype yourself up during the commute."
So, who is Tube Girl (aka Sabrina Bahsoon)?
Originally from Malaysia, Bahsoon is a 22-year-old university student at Durham University, where she studies law. She's also a working model, signed to The Hive Management in London.
Bahsoon told the BBC that she had originally asked a stranger to film that first viral TikTok video for her, but that they had said no – a minor rejection that ended in some serious serendipity, wouldn't you say?
What is the Tube Girl trend on TikTok?
Since her first viral video, Bahsoon has continued to make similar videos on her account for the last couple of weeks, some now garnering well over 15-20 million views each. She's even had special guests appear in a couple of recent videos with her, like fellow viral TikTok star Bella Poarch and Grammy-nominated musician Omar Apollo.
She's since sparked a 'Tube Girl' trend online, which has seen thousands of copycats globally take to their local trains, trams and other public spaces to replicate her filming style and irrepressible confidence. The hashtag #tubegirl has since drawn over 534 million views on the social media app in a matter of weeks.
@sabrinabahsoon Delulu or manifesting ✨ #tubegirl shoutout to @In Print We Trust ♬ original sound - habz.fx
Why is the Tube Girl trend so popular?
What seems to have garnered online fans for Bahsoon, is not necessarily her dancing or special guests, but rather her unbridled and infectious confidence; a fearlessness to be herself and to be a little silly in a public space.
"Doing this in public is wild but I'm tryna get on your level" one comment, with nearly 13K likes, on that first viral video had read.
In an interview with the BBC recently, Bahsoon said that “When I see people imitating it I’m like, ‘Finally, like, people are getting it'. They’re enjoying their their commute a little bit better. And I love to see people having fun, so it’s honestly such a heart-warming thing for me.”
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Why was Tube Girl at fashion week?
Bahsoon was already a signed model before her newfound viral TikTok fame, but her recent online notoriety saw her quickly snatched up by a handful of brands during fashion month. She attended the BOSS runway show at Milan Fashion Week, and walked the runway at M.A.C's first ever runway show at London Fashion Week.
She also attended events for cosmetics brands like NYX and Glossier, filming another iconic dancing video on an ice rink for the latter.
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Tube Girl and M.A.C Cosmetics...
Not only did Bahsoon walk in M.A.C's London Fashion Week show last week, she's also become an official partner of the brand, fronting campaign imagery for their newest clear lipgloss. Tube girl meets tube gloss? It sounds like a marketing match made in heaven to us.
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Tube Girl's style...
Bahsoon also has a keen fashion sense, which has garnered the attention of fans on her Instagram account. Her personal style is playful, colourful and has a distinctive Y2K edge. Here are some of our favourite Tube Girl style moments...
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@sabrinabahsoon My sisters convinced me to post this one the @JuicyCoutureUk panta go hard #tubegirl ♬ original sound - habz.fx
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@sabrinabahsoon The wind is not a paid actor and we dont always agree 🙄 #greedy #tatemcrae #londontiktok @tate mcrae ♬ greedy tate mcrae unreleased - babytatie1
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