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Group 7’ Overtakes TikTok After Singer’s Algorithm Test as Video Hits 34.5 Million Views

The viral in-joke has become a marketing windfall for musician Sophia James, fueling brand participation and a London meetup announcement.

Overview

  • On Oct. 17, indie artist Sophia James posted seven near-identical TikTok clips using her song “So Unfair,” and the seventh labeled viewers as “Group 7.”
  • As of Oct. 22, the seventh video has 34.5 million views, and the meme has spawned more than 55,000 Group 7–tagged videos across TikTok.
  • Celebrities, sports teams and brands amplified the trend, with posts from Barbara Corcoran, Naomi Osaka, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Chicago Bears, Aveeno, Hyundai and Northeastern University.
  • James announced an in-person Group 7 gathering in London on Friday and teased a Los Angeles event on her website.
  • Coverage frames the phenomenon as savvy algorithmic music marketing that boosted “So Unfair,” even as some users said the “elite” framing made them feel excluded.