Behind The Hilarity Of The "POV: You Walk Into My Room" TikTok Trend

If you were spending a cozy Friday night in and someone walked into your room, what would they see? This is a question that many TikTok creators have shared some pretty darn unique and hilarious answers to thanks to the “POV: You walk into my room” trend, which has racked up over 15.5 million views on the platform. The throughline that connects all of them? Rodger Cleye.

Cleye, who can be found under the username @rodgercleye, has created hundreds of singing videos, covering any and all artists from Taylor Swift to Tyler the Creator. Since his very first video, a cover of Don Ho’s song “Tiny Bubbles” posted in March 2021, the 56-year-old music lover has amassed over 2.2 million followers on TikTok. And if you’ve spent time on the app recently, you’ve probably seen clips of his covers used in various videos on your FYP with the text “POV: You walk into my room” over him and a collaged background with various items posted on top, meant to answer the prompt. Think: Cleye singing T. Swift with a glass of sauvignon blanc and a Boom Chicka Pop bag nearby (#relatable).

Fans of Cleye’s covers can’t seem to get enough, judging by the thousands of comments on each of his videos begging him to cover another song or artist. His inspiration for posting the singing videos? “My children inspired me,” Cleye tells Bustle. “I love to sing and there is so much great music that was around before they were born. Meanwhile, I am exposed [to] and enjoy recent stuff as well.” As for what he thinks about being featured in a viral TikTok movement, he says, “I support creativity and expression in all forms. I enjoy a tasteful post that has fun intentions.” This trend certainly has just that, but what exactly is it, and where did it originate? Read on for what to know.

What Is The “POV: You Walk Into My Room” TikTok Trend?

Sometimes, spending a night alone in bed with snacks and a comfort show on can be an elite feeling. Thousands of TikTok creators seem to agree, and some downright hysterical videos have come from it.

In the trending videos, the majority include a still photo of a bedroom with several pasted images on the bed. Some of the beds hold pictures of a bottle of wine or a soda, various snacks, and a laptop or phone with games like The Sims or a show like Gilmore Girls on the screen. Others also feature a phone scrolling through Pinterest or rapidly swiping on Tinder. You’ll definitely come across one that hits close to home.

The signature element to all these videos, though, is the floating clip of a singing Cleye. Taken from one of his many cover videos, creators following this trend use a short snippet of one of his more popular options, like Taylor Swift’s “August,” for example. The clips of Cleye singing add a silly element to the videos as a way of imitating the TikTok user singing alone in their room.

Where Did The “POV: In My Room” TikTok Trend Come From?

Although it’s difficult to say where the trend actually started, one of the earlier videos is from user @greenstars29’s August 2021 post that features a pasted clip of Cleye singing Taylor Swift’s “The Last Time.” The caption on the video, like most of the others, reads, “pov: you walk into my room at 3:33 in the morning” and displays a laptop playing Pride and Prejudice, a cup of coffee, and a phone scrolling through Pinterest.

How To Make Your Own “POV: In My Room” TikTok Video

If you’re eager to create your own POV video, you might want to strike while the iron’s still hot. To hop on the trend, choose a cozy bedroom image (Pinterest is a great place to look), and use a service like Canva or any image editor of your choice to paste small icons of snacks, books, drinks, etc. — whatever combo best represents what someone would see when you’re vegging out in your room at three in the morning. Just don’t forget to include one of Cleye’s viral covers.