Harry Styles’ Love On Tour kicked off last weekend and fans have been documenting their experiences in a way we haven’t seen before: TikTok. TikTok started to skyrocket the same time the world shut down, and it was a given because we were all quarantined with not much to do. The app has quickly become its own subsection of pop culture by creating memes, trends in all categories, catchy dance choreography, a new genre of celebrity, and number one hits on the charts. Now that things are starting to open up again, we’re also getting to see TikTok interact with the world we knew before it came to be, and Harry’s tour happens to be one of the main attractions on my FYP.

These TikTok videos are doing a REALLY good job at making me consider getting tickets in the closest state. Not only are there great closeup videos of Harry singing his heart out, but there are cute outfits, trends, and even people streaming the concerts through the live function on the app. Back in my awkward braces phase, I was a huge fan of One Direction, and I have yet to figure out how to shake this Harry obsession. So I’m having a lovely time watching any Styles content I can get. Here are some of my favourites:

@rachel.ai

樱桃核或破产ðÿ的ðÿ的ðÿ@caro____lineee#hslot#harrystyles#loveontour#lasvegas#mgmgrand#harrystylesloveontour#cherrypit

♬ original sound - :)
@hannahsgolden

I’m actually dying rn#harrystyles

♬ original sound - Hannah

We have seen content from concerts before from Twitter and Instagram, but TikTok takes the intimacy to a new level. It’s an experience filmed from a fellow fan designed to take us on the journey with them. The trendy jokes applied to moments in the show, the cute outfits being served, and the friendships being made is a free front row-ish seat. These TikTok videos don’t just mark the beginning of consistent Harry content, but they also mark one of the first big tours since the beginning of the pandemic. Since TikTok is the new shiny thing, then of course people would use it to upload and watch content from the stadiums. What’s the set design? What does Harry’s outfit look like for tonight? How big are the crowds? Are people wearing their masks like they have been asked to? TikTok’s been around for a while but it really went mainstream during quarantine, and its users are now making it successful as certain territories around the world open back up – in a more interactive way than its social media predecessors.

Users are responding to each other, asking and answering questions specific to the fandom. And also, who wouldn’t want to flex their high quality videos of Harry’s gorgeous smile as he bounces around in pink Gucci? The first few shows always get the most hype on social media, because it’s new and people want to see what they're missing out on.

Harry went viral last weekend as more and more people started sharing footage from his shows. So will he start participating himself? That’s the ultimate idol to fan engagement. And there’s a lot of potential for him here, being one of the first high profile artists to start touring, to optimise the platform for artists’ connection to their audience. It’ll be interesting to see what he does with all this potential.