What’s the ‘This is Espresso’ TikTok meme? Sabrina Carpenter trend explained

Sabrina Carpenter’s appearance on Chicken Shop Date has sparked a viral trend on TikTok, known as the ‘This is Espresso’ meme.

The meme has taken TikTok by storm, featuring a hilarious interaction between British YouTuber Amelia Dimoldenberg and American pop star Sabrina Carpenter.

The original video comes from an episode of Chicken Shop Date, Amelia’s popular YouTube series where she interviews celebrities. This particular episode, featuring the singer, was released on August 23, 2024, and quickly amassed over 3.7 million views.

‘This is Espresso’ TikTok meme origin

The viral moment stems from a TikTok video Amelia posted on August 21, 2024, in which she playfully performs Carpenter’s song ‘Espresso’ in front of a seated Sabrina.

Amelia dances awkwardly while Sabrina watches with an expression that appears judgmental, making the interaction ripe for fan edits. The post racked up over 31 million views and 4 million likes.

The video’s format proved to be perfect for meme culture, and it wasn’t long before one TikToker posted a green-screen version of the clip on August 25, 2024.

This version allowed others to insert themselves into the scene, using Amelia’s dance and Sabrina’s reaction for their own creative spins. The green-screen post itself received over 578,000 views.

‘This is Espresso’ TikTok meme goes viral

TikTokers began using the format to humorous effect. For example, one user posted a video on August 26 with the caption: “When your manager asks you to show them what you’ve been working on,” gaining over 871,000 views.

Others joined in, with one labeling their clip, “Me after a couple of drinks performing for my husband,” a “All my married friends watching me go on another first date” as Sabrina.

The meme continues to gain traction on TikTok, evolving as users create their own interpretations of the awkward, entertaining dance scene.

This is just the latest TikTok meme to go viral, after the ‘Symphony dolphin’ trend took over people’s For You Pages on the app.