Most of us have never heard of a sea shanty before the year 2021. Centuries ago, sea shanties were work songs sung by sailors with beats that matched the rhythmical labor on the ships. 

  
It also stressed the collaboration and common rhythm to help the sailors through the long and lonely journeys across the oceans.

Thanks to the “duet” feature on TikTok, a chain of duets on a sea shanty called “The Wellerman” went viral on TikTok. The duet function allows TikTok users to invite others to “duet” with their video by adding instruments, a singalong, and other elements.

The effect was superb with the violin backdrop!

It was hard to pinpoint who started the viral duet, but the most famous version would be the version sung by a 26-year-old Scottish postman, Nathan Evans.

Evans's version of “The Wellerman” sparked a new community on TikTok called the “ShantyTok” after his rendition of the song went viral. Evans was then signed by Polydor Records, and released his single, a remix of “The Wellerman”, which reached the Top 10 charts within the week. 

The hashtag #seashanty has generated more than 3.1 billion views on TikTok. Due to the pandemic lockdown measures, there is a trend where musicians and enthusiasts co-create music pieces on platforms such as TikTok to do things apart yet still feel like being in a community. Sea shanties might provide some comfort for people around the globe who are going through a rough patch.