The Term “Bop” On TikTok — What Does It Mean?

When you see or hear the word “bop” being used on TikTok, it doesn’t refer to a cartoon character “bopping” someone on the head (or the noise that the action creates).

What it does refer to depends on the context of a TikTok video or a comment on the app. “Bop” used by itself can have either a positive or negative connotation. When combined with a second word, however, it’s not just negative — it’s mean.

Let’s explore.

“Bop” and Music

In the early-to-mid 20th century, “bop” described a form of jazz.

The word was shortened from the term “bebop,” the style of fast-paced jazz music that got its name from the short, meaningless words (like “bebop”) that vocalists used to improvise on the songs’ lyrics.

Over time, the meaning of “bop” expanded in the music world, where it was eventually used to describe a riff or a song that was catchy, upbeat, and got people dancing. “That song bops” was a phrase commonly used to praise a record, and in the 1970s, Elton John sang about people “hoppin’ and boppin’ to the Crocodile Rock.”

Believe it or not, this use of “bop” has taken on a new life. TikTok posts are more likely to praise a song as a “banger,” but you may also hear that it “bops” or is a “bopper.”

“Bop” As an Insult

In 2021, a rapper going by the name Almighty Rexxo released a sexually-explicit song called “Lala Bop.” It described sexually promiscuous behavior in very vulgar terms.

A year later, the song began trending on TikTok, but its notoriety didn’t reach viral levels until a user posted a slide show of a woman and accused her of being a “lala bop.” The TikTok post received more than 1.5 million views in less than a year.

That gave rise to a new and more disturbing trend: people using “lala bop” — often shortened to just “bop”— as a nasty, offensive way of insulting a woman (or at times, a man) with an accusation that they regularly sleep around.

Slideshows showing alleged “lala bops” or “bops” circulated widely and received millions of views, and posters were often taunted as being “bops.” Parody videos followed, too. While the trend has calmed somewhat, bop videos are still seen on the social media platform, and the term remains widely used on TikTok as a misogynistic insult associated with cyberbullying.

So, what does “bop” mean on the app? Check the video’s context; it will quickly become apparent whether “bop” is being used as a compliment or an insult.