A massively popular TikTok featuring dancing llamas made a Russian cereal commercial song go viral

• A TikTok sound best known as "mi pan su su sum" is one of the latest sounds to find viral footing on the app.
• While the stripped-down sound has been associated with memes about bread, the jingle actually originated from a Russian cereal commercial.
• "Mi pan su su sum" has brought together multiple types of creators on TikTok through its massive popularity.

TikTok is known for its potential to catapult songs to stardom, with users dredging up pop hits and unlikely bangers from deep corners of the internet alike. The sound best known as "mi pan su su sum" is one of the app's latest hits, soundtracking everything from cursed animation videos to typical TikTok dance fare. Its origins are a bit complex, but it's an excellent example of how popular sounds can bring together different kinds of users under a single umbrella.

'Mi pan su su sum' is a simple sound that found traction through bizarre animations

The sound itself is relatively simple, featuring a high-pitched female voice singing lyrics that, on TikTok, have been frequently transcribed as "mi pan su su sum, su su su, mi pan yakakus ñam ñam ñam." Featuring a simple beat comprised of what sounds like table slaps and snaps, it's irresistibly catchy and easy to sing.

It's also everywhere, most famously in the form of a dancing llama video that's been gaining traction since it was first posted on July 14. According to TikTok's public counts, the video has 12.5 million likes and approximately 90.5 million views — a staggering number even on TikTok. Everything about it is perplexing and entrancing all at once, from the llama's beguiling dance moves to the video's ominous red tone.

The sound, which its titled "THIS SONG ISNTT ABOUT BREAD Stop mipansusus" on TikTok, was originally uploaded with a June 1 video from TikTok user @isterrrrika that currently has 1.8M likes. At one point, the sound got wrapped up in a bread-oriented trend that seems to have originated from the fact that its lyrics sound like "mi pan," which translates as "my bread" in Spanish.

This isn't the first time that songs on TikTok have been interpreted in languages other than the ones in which they're sung. One sound, "Opaul" by Freddie Dredd, underwent a similar meme cycle earlier this year after English-speaking TikTokers interpreted the song's Portuguese sample as saying "Love, I know" rather than "não vai não," as Mashable reported.

The sound actually originated in a Russian cereal commercial

As Vice's i-D reported, the track isn't talking about bread at all: it actually originates from a Russian cereal commercial for Miel Pops. According to The Moscow Times, the jingle's lyrics roughly translate to, "Miel Pops, buzz buzz buzz, buzz buzz buzz. Miel Pops, so delicious, om nom nom. Honey balls for breakfast. Miel Pops, honey drip drip drip, drip drip drip." It's worth noting that there's a banger of a French Miel Pops commercial as well, although that one hasn't hit the same TikTok gold just yet.

The Miel Pops' jingle's appeared to cross over to TikTok after user @chernaya.princessa uploaded a video singing a stripped-down version of the jingle, according to Know Your Meme. The most popular version of the sound uploaded by @isterrrrika sounds like a pitched and sped-up version of @chernaya.princessa's sound.

"Mi pan su su sum" has become popular enough that creators all over TikTok are using it

TikTok culture is notorious for reinventing sounds, but what sets "mi pan su su sum" apart is ways that its brought together deeply disparate factions of TikTok. There's "straight TikTok," which is generally considered to be the home of TikTok dance challenges and mainstream influencers. "Alt TikTok" defines itself in opposition to the "straight" side, and as Mashable's Morgan Sung writes, "rejects mainstream trends in favor of surreal humor and alternative aesthetics."

Other subsets, like "Deep TikTok," fall even farther from the app's mainstream circles. That's where "mi pan su su sum" seems to have found its footing — in the trenches of "Deep TikTok's" slightly uncomfortable dancing llama videos or 'cursed' animations.

As it's gained popularity, however, "mi pan su su sum" has drawn audiences and creators from various communities on the app. Now, according to the sound's TikTok page, it's been used in approximately 1.6 million videos that range from typical TikTok dance fare to art videos.

While "mi pan su su sum" is having a moment right now, TikTok trends are mercurial and it's uncertain how long it'll last. But for the time being — enjoy the dancing llamas.

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