TikTok Folk Revival

#SeaShanties exploded on TikTok in January 2021 when Scottish postman Nathan Evans’ rendition of “Wellerman” (1800s New Zealand whaling song) went viral, sparking global sea shanty trend that dominated platform for weeks and launched Evans to professional music career.

Nathan Evans & “Wellerman”

December 2020: Evans (@nathanevanss) posted “Soon May the Wellerman Come” - traditional maritime folk song - acapella with driving rhythm.

January 2021: Video exploded; millions of TikTok users created harmonies, duets, remixes

Collaboration: Multiple singers layered vocals, creating rich choral arrangements

Peak: 50M+ views on Evans’ original; hundreds of millions across all versions

Why It Worked

TikTok’s duet/stitch features: Enabled collaborative music-making - users adding bass, tenor, harmony parts

Pandemic isolation: People craved group singing; sea shanties provided participatory community music

Simplicity: Repetitive, easy to learn, no musical training required

Masculinity: Offered men socially acceptable emotional outlet (singing together)

Nostalgia: Romantic vision of maritime camaraderie

Mainstream Breakthrough

Chart success:

• Evans signed to Polydor Records
• “Wellerman” (David Guetta remix) hit #1 UK Singles Chart (February 2021)
• Original version charted globally
• Evans quit postal job, became full-time musician

Other shanties trending:

• “Drunken Sailor”
• “Leave Her Johnny”
• “The Scotsman”
• “Roll the Old Chariot”

Cultural Phenomenon

Sea shanty bands saw streaming surge:

• The Longest Johns (British group): YouTube channel growth exploded
• Fisherman’s Friends: Cornwall shanty group gained new audiences
• Folk festivals reported increased interest

Academia: Folk music scholars thrilled by youth engagement with traditional music

Merchandise: Sea shanty meme shirts, books on maritime history

Brief But Impactful

February-March 2021: Trend peaked then faded as TikTok moved to next viral moment

Lasting impact:

• Demonstrated TikTok’s power to revive obscure musical traditions
• Showed collaborative music-making potential of platform features
• Launched Nathan Evans’ career (continued releasing music)
• Introduced millions to folk music history

The sea shanty moment represented pandemic-era yearning for community, simple pleasures, and connection to pre-industrial past when people sang together while working.

Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-55784353
https://www.nytimes.com/
https://www.theguardian.com/