Seven-year-old Tariq, who went viral on TikTok for his love of corn, has been named the official ‘Corn-bassador’ of South Dakota by the governor.
In August, YouTube channel Recess Therapy uploaded a video in which they interviewed a young boy, Tariq, about corn, and his adorable answers made him a huge hit with viewers.
The clip subsequently ended up garnering millions of likes and views on TikTok, after which it was turned into a song by The Gregory Brothers, which went hugely viral on the app, taking over people’s For You Pages across the globe.
Lyrics made from Tariq’s iconic answers included things like: “It’s corn / A big lump with knobs / It has the juice / I can’t imagine a more beautiful thing.”
In September, South Dakota’s Governor Kristi Noem shared images of Tariq’s visit to Corn Palace, and revealed that September 3, 2022, had been officially named ‘Official Corn-bassador Tariq Day.’
“The Corn Kid came to South Dakota’s very own @Corn_Palace,” she wrote in a tweet. “Welcome to South Dakota Tariq, our official Corn-bassador! Eat lots of corn.”
The declaration stated: “Tariq’s a-maize-ing endorsement contains more than a kernel of truth and has reached ears across the world via social media.”
The original video of the ‘It’s Corn’ song on TikTok has garnered over nine million likes and almost 70 million views, and the sound has been used over 600,000 times, with users sharing their appreciation for their favorite things using the viral hit.
TikTok users are obsessed with both the original video and the viral track, with one comment reading “not me buying corn at the store tonight solely because this song has been running through my head all day” getting over 30,000 likes.
‘It’s Corn’ looks set to continue its wave of popularity as the viral trend continues, with thousands of users getting the catchy song stuck in their heads.