Gracie Abrams Is Getting Broiled by TikTok’s ‘Propaganda’ Trend

A new TikTok trend is turning the concept of ‘propaganda’ on its head — and singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams finds herself squarely in its crosshairs.

The trend is known as ‘propaganda I’m not falling for’ and sees Gen Z TikTok users creating lists of things, people, or concepts they’ve labeled propaganda—or things they refuse to buy into. The lists are often set to a remix of Charli XCX’s single “I think about it all the time” featuring Bon Iver and can be mundane things like oat milk, Teslas, or even marriage.

The trend is less about the literal definition of propaganda and more about expressing skepticism or ironic detachment from mainstream tastes, cultural norms, or internet hype. The word ‘propaganda’ has thus become a Gen Z codeword for anything that is over-hyped or simply not for them. Whereas older generations would use the term ‘industry plant’ to describe an artist they feel is foisted upon them in popular culture—Gen Z have created their own label.

Much of the Gen Z cohort feels as though Gracie Abrams’ music and branding represents a certain ‘mainstream indie’ aesthetic that is widely promoted and inorganic. They’re labeling her ‘propaganda’ to describe the concept of an industry plant—a way to resist what they perceive as algorithm-driven popularity. For Gen Z, it’s a way to label things cringe while poking fun at the mainstream for enjoying the music.

Some Gen Z users have admitted that placing Gracie Abrams in their lists of ‘propaganda’ items is a way to poke fun at the trend itself. Abrams’ status as widely discussed figure in pop culture has led to her being in the crosshairs for Gen Z—though the effort isn’t necessarily a coordinated campaign of genuine dislike against the singer-songwriter. Nearly anything that the Gen Z cohort feels is over popularized can receive the label—Gracie Abrams just happens to be the current target.

Gracie Abrams herself has not directly commented on the trend, though she has defended herself against haters and addressed rumors on TikTok.