Yahoo Sports Nonbinary musician and partner win over TikTok with 'fish song' dedicated to feeling different: 'You made the internet nice'
The internet can be a place of joy, inspiration, learning — as well as a lot of ugliness and criticism.
To combat that ugliness, musician Corinne Savage, known professionally as Corook (@hicorook), recently shared on TikTok that after having a “really bad day” and feeling “insecure and out of place,” they talked to their partner, Olivia, and wrote a song in only 10 minutes that celebrated the “joy in being different.”
“The fish song,” as it has come to be known, describes being a fish in the sea and how elated a fisherperson would be to catch a large and different-looking fish. And if they were so lucky as to catch a heavy fish, they would delight and brag about their catch.
“If I were a fish and you caught me, you’d say, ‘Look at that fish, shimmering in the sun, such a rare one,’” the two sang while Savage strummed on their guitar. “If I were a fish and you caught me, you’d say, ‘Look at that fish, heaviest in the sea,’ you’d win first prize if you caught me.”
One section of “the fish song” also asks, “Why are people on the Internet so mean?” touching on the negative responses that Savage — and other influencers and artists who share their lives and talents publicly — can sometimes get on their work.
Savage later posted a TikTok explaining what inspired the fish song. They shared that they wrote it at a time in their life when they were feeling “really, really sad.” They added that they feel they are just “coming into” themselves as an adult who doesn’t “really fit into these boxes” that are classified as “normal” in society.
“[I’m] allowing myself to be who I have always been … and it’s a really lonely, scary feeling, you know, to not fit in,” they added. “So having such a huge response from all of you wonderful people has just made me feel so much less alone and I’m just like so much more that, like, being different is f****** cool, and I hope that you guys feel similarly.”
According to the nonprofit organization Enough is Enough, which focuses on internet safety, nearly 46% of teenagers between 13 and 17 have experienced cyberbullying that is usually directed at their physical appearance. Even children as young as 10 regularly experience cyberbullying, according to one report.
Cyberbullying is even more disproportionately targeted at LGBTQ individuals and youth. Nearly half of all students who identify as LGBTQ report being cyberbullied, and the incidences of bullying have also risen sharply since 2020.
Just seeing hateful comments online can also have negative health effects. Heavy social media use has been associated with lowered self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, fear of missing out (FOMO) and anxiety, according to studies.
But if Savage’s intention was to flood the Internet with joy and happiness to help combat the negativity, it looks like they have accomplished their mission. The comment section was filled with well wishes and support.
“This really turned my day around ya’ll are so joyful,” wrote @mare_kell.
“If happiness and comfort was a song,” @Julia_adavis added.
“The vibes are immaculate,” @helen_christie replied.
Savage frequently shares music that relates to their personal struggles, with one TikTok in particular dedicated to how their mental health had been suffering.
Since its debut, the fish song has touched many people who can relate to the difficult emotions it expresses. Savage even shared meeting some fans who related to the fish song while, funnily enough, visiting an aquarium.
And the fish song went on to become a properly recorded song with cover art and everything.
“For just a brief time, you made the Internet…nice,” commented @kaceinhermagicalspace.
In The Know by Yahoo is now available on Apple News — follow us here!
The post Nonbinary TikToker and partner come up with ‘the fish song’ in response to feeling ‘out of place’ appeared first on In The Know.
More from In The Know:
7 cute and comfy sundresses from Target you can grab for less than $30 online
