TikTok's strange 'Pinegrove Shuffle' trend, explained

TikTok trends often emerge from nowhere. Strange things catch on the app, especially since its algorithm can make something a trend for you even if it's not for everyone. Think something like corecore or Livvy rizzing up Baby Gronk. Things can get specific on TikTok, is what I'm saying.

Enter the Pinegrove Shuffle. It's a trend where people are doing a flailing, back-and-forth shuffle to the song "Need 2" by the indie band Pinegrove. If that sounds random it's because it is.

As far as I can tell, the trend started with user @GarrettLee39, whose original dance moves are frankly kind of mesmerizing. They sort of lunge forward, spread eagle their arms, then reverse the move, all while remaining stone-faced and serious. "Pine mutha freaking grove," the caption reads. I remember seeing them do the dance before it became a capital-t Trend and think, OK, kinda odd but yet I can't look away. Apparently lots of people agreed with that sentiment. The shuffle took off, at least in some circles online.

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For the unfamiliar, Pinegrove is an alternative but widely acclaimed indie band. They developed a super passionate base of fans (Pinenuts). They're kind of a rock band for English majors — highly lyrical, often acoustic-leaning, decidedly not what one would traditionally classify as dance music. Yet, here we are. As user @kylemakesshortfilms pointed out it's the more indie, ironic side of TikTok deciding to do their version of — but also kind of a send-up of — the side of TikTok that makes dance trends.

The song @GarrettLee39 danced too is called "Need 2" and is actually a throwback. It's on their album "Everything So Far" from 2015 that is exactly what it sounds like, a compilation album by a young band that sort of throws all their early work in one spot. It has a rhythmic backbeat, courtesy of the guitar, that makes for a nice shuffle. User @sarahloukiernan on TikTok hilariously called the Pinegrove "the depressed person's griddy" and honestly it works. I've watched countless people do their version of the dance at this point. And these videos doing real numbers. The original has racked up millions of views and lots of folks have garnered hundreds of thousands of views for their take on the dance.

Oddly enough, Pinegrove announced in April that they're on hiatus, though not fully broken up. Some PR person somewhere is likely kicking themselves that the band isn't in a position to capitalize on this random trend.

So there you have it: The Pinegrove shuffle, a weirdly aggro dance performed to an indie song. TikTok wonders never cease.