Demi Lovato’s new song ’29’ takes on the subject of significant age gap relationships and has sparked a new trend on TikTok.
The singer-songwriter teased the song in a viral video shared on the social media app earlier this month, which featured the lyrics: “Finally 29, funny, just like you were at the time, thought it was a teenage dream, just a fantasy, but was it yours or was it mine? 17, 29.”
The video garnered almost 4 million views, and fans speculated the song was about the pop star’s six-year relationship with Wilmer Valderrama. The actor was 29 when he first met 17-year-old Demi, and the two began dating when Demi turned 18, sparking backlash from fans.
Demi Lovato’s ’29’ song prompts new TikTok trend
’29’ has now emerged on the social media app as an anthem for women and girls to share their experiences of being in “predatory” relationships with older men.
TikTok users who have been in significant age-gap relationships are using Demi’s song to share pictures of themselves and the men who they believe to have taken advantage of them.
Content creator nopenotagain2000 was among the first ones to open up about her relationship. She shared a 24-second clip with video text that read: “Anybody else listen to this song and realized you are groomed by older men, but you thought it was cool as a teen that a older man digged you?”
She also stated that she started dating a man at 18 who was 29, but by the time she turned 20, he told her that she was “getting a little old for him.”
In another video, user phantasticarmy shared her own TikTok suggesting she was 17 when she met a man who was 39.
There are several other videos posted using the song’s chorus lyrics: “Thought it was a teenage dream, just a fantasy, but was it yours or was it mine? 17. 29,” and Demi has responded to the women and teenage girls who have shared their experiences.
In a recent clip, which has been viewed over a million times, the singer said she’s seen everyone’s stories, and wants them to know that they are loved.
As of now, Demi has yet to address the rumor that ’29’ is about about her on and off relationship with Wilmer, although lyrics in the song heavily imply that it is.