The Hop Hop Hop Trend, Explained: The Duo Hop-and-Squash Everyone's Posting

If your feed is full of pairs taking turns hopping in the back of a room and getting squashed under a giant hand, you've met the Hop Hop Hop trend. Here's where the sound came from, how the duo format works, how it spread and how to make your own.

The sound

The sound is a sped-up hook from a Russian song, the part that goes "hop hop hop". It first appeared on TikTok on 24 September 2026 as an original sound by @venadeaakira, on a short edit of pencil sketches. Many people call the song "Её парень" ("Her Boyfriend"), but the TikTok sound itself doesn't name the artist.

The format

Every Hop Hop Hop post is the same 8 seconds, filmed on a phone that stands still:

1. The point. The one in front poses at the lens, then points at a friend far behind.
2. The hops. The friend hops three times on the "hop hop hop".
3. The squash. The one in front holds a flat palm over the friend's head and pushes down. Thanks to forced perspective, the palm looks huge and the friend sinks to the floor as if squashed.
4. The swap. A hard cut swaps them, and it's payback.

How it spread

• 18 October: @gabilagaba posted the hop-and-squash with her twin. It passed 3.7 million plays, which is why the trend is also called the Gabi trend.
• Days after: copies everywhere: an emo pair by @john_stockman (2.5 million plays), cosplay duos, couples captioned "squished or get squashed", and AI versions with cartoon heroes in a night parking lot.
• Now: CapCut and AI templates let people post it without a second person or without filming at all.

How to make your own

You can film it: a friend, a phone on the floor and good timing. Or use our template, which makes it from photos:

1. Open the Hop Hop Hop AI template and add your photo and a friend's (or just yours, and the AI makes up the friend).
2. Generate. You get the whole 8 seconds, 9:16, with the trend sound.
3. Post it.

Your faces, hair and clothes come from your photos; the hops, the squash and the cut follow the original. The step-by-step guide is in How to make the Hop Hop Hop AI video.

FAQ

Why is it called the Gabi trend? After @gabilagaba, whose twin video of 18 October 2026 made the duo format go viral.

Is there a sound? Yes, and our template adds it when you play or download your video.

Do I need to film anything? No. Clear photos are enough for the AI version.

Make your Hop Hop Hop video →