1, 2, 1, 2, 3, Release ‘Em: All About This Viral TikTok Trend

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Learn about the origin & spread of this trending TikTok sound

Co-authored by Candace Gasper and Annabelle Reyes

Last Updated: December 12, 2025 Fact Checked

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Where did “1, 2, 1, 2, 3, release ‘em” come from?

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Spread of the Trend

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More TikTok Trends

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If you’ve been on TikTok lately, you’ve probably heard the viral “1, 2, 1, 2, 3, release ‘em” audio. But where exactly did this trend come from, and what does it mean? If you’re looking for the answers to these questions, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve compiled a complete guide on the “1, 2, 1, 2, 3, release ‘em” trend, including how it started, how it spread, and examples of viral TikToks using the audio. Keep reading for everything you need to know!

What does “1, 2, 1, 2, 3, release ‘em” mean on TikTok?

“I, 2, 1, 2, 3, release ‘em” comes from a TikTok of Neace Robinson performing her song “I Wished That Heaven Had a Phone” at a funeral balloon release. Robinson says the line to signal that it’s time for everyone to release their balloons. The moment went mega-viral, with TikTokkers using the audio in their own posts.

Section 1 of 3:

Where did “1, 2, 1, 2, 3, release ‘em” come from?

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This TikTok trend comes from a viral video of rapper Neace Robinson performing her song “I Wished That Heaven Had a Phone” at a balloon release for someone who had passed away. In the clip, Robinson passionately sings lines like “Lord, I’ve got some things I need to say,” building up to the moment when she says “1, 2, 1, 2, 3, release ‘em” to signal that it’s time for everyone to release their balloons.^{[1]
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Research source} Robinson herself posted the video to her TikTok account on November 2, 2025, and it was an instant hit, gaining 30.7 million views and 4.7 million likes.
- As the video rose in popularity, TikTok users also began referring to Robinson as the “funeral stud.” Stud is an LGBTQ slang term for a masculine-presenting Black lesbian.^{[2]
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  Research source}
- The 2019 song is about grieving a loved one who has passed away, so Robinson performs it at balloon releases regularly, often posting videos of the performances (like this TikTok from October 2025 and this TikTok from late November 2025). There’s even an official music video for the track!
- For her part, it seems like Robinson has embraced the song’s explosion in popularity, doing interviews about the viral moment and booking even more performances.

Section 2 of 3:

Spread of the TikTok Trend with Examples

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After Robinson’s initial post went viral, TikTok users immediately began using the audio to post their own videos. Specifically, TikTok users tend to use the part where Robinson repeats the line “Lord, I’ve got some things I need to say” twice, and the moment when she says “1, 2, 1, 2, 3, release ‘em.” Here are some examples:
- This viral TikTok by @izzybleuu uses the audio of the line “1, 2, 1, 2, 3, release ‘em” with the caption, “Girls after surviving the full day in a bra.”
- This TikTok by user @rosgoat uses the same audio with the caption, “When I reunite with my friend I haven’t seen in forever and finally release the craziest lore debrief.”
- In this TikTok by user @kwhitexo888 that uses the “release ‘em” audio, a woman kneels by her bed to pray with the caption, “How quickly I give my problems to God cause I genuinely don’t have the capacity to figure anything else out.”
- This TikTok by user @symonejojo20 uses the audio over a screen recording of the user sending the line “1, 2, 1, 2, 3, release ‘em” over text, then sending the balloon effect on iMessage.
- This TikTok by user @itsdevinebtw uses the audio of the lines “Lord, I got some things I need to say, Lord I got some things I need to say,” with the caption “When I ask for money and my parents asked what happened to all my money but I’m either wearing it or ate it.”
- This TikTok by user @xx_notworthit_xx uses the same “Lord, I got some things I need to say” audio with the caption, “Me making sure the Lord doesn’t have me on the strongest soldiers list for 2026.”