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What Is 'Polyphonic Perception' And Is It Even Real? The Controversial Viral TikTok Trend Explained
A video of a woman showing off her so-called "Polyphonic Perception" is going viral on TikTok, but some people aren't so sure that she's actually doing anything special.
The idea of Polyphonic Perception has been spreading around the platform since the start of July 2025, and now, it's inspiring parodies, criticism and memes as it continues appearing across different social media sites.
So, what is Polyphonic Perception, and does it even exist? Here's what you need to know.
@fairybonessucks edit: listen, she’s a grown woman who i assume can take a joke. it’s not that serious. breathe. lol. #polyphonicperception ♬ Sail – AWOLNATION
What Is Polyphonic Perception And Is It Real?
The earliest known video of someone showing off their so-called Polyphonic Perception was uploaded by TikToker @ohhlalashay on July 3rd, 2025.
In the video, captioned, "pov my ADHD gave me the super power of polyphonic perception," she grooves to the song "From Time" by Drake, attempting to visually represent how she can separate and follow along with each individual layer of melody in the song.
@ohhlalashay Polyphonic perception: the skill of separating and following more than one melody or voice at once.
The video gained some notoriety, but the idea of Polyphonic Perception didn't really take off until July 12th, when TikToker @iambrelle posted a similar video to the song "My Love" by Justin Timberlake.
While the video gained millions of views in a few days, it also inspired a lot of mixed reactions from commenters. While some were shocked to find out that not everyone hears music the same way, others called shenanigans, claiming Polyphonic Perception doesn't exist and that she's simply describing the experience of listening to music.
One comment from a user who claims to be a neuroscientist, Dr. Chloe West, writes that Polyphonic Perception is not recognized as a "specialized skill" or talent, but a "basic aspect of human auditory processing and attention" that applies to everyone.
Sure enough, there is no known research on the specific phenomenon of "Polyphonic Perception" as @Iambrelle describes it.
@iambrelle This is the best way I can describe what its like every time I hear music. #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #adhd #polyphonic ♬ My Love (feat. T.I.) – Justin Timberlake
How Is 'Polyphonic Perception' Used In Memes?
The video by @Iambrelle went viral after being posted to TikTok on July 12th, 2025, inspiring other TikTokers to post criticisms of the idea of Polyphonic Perception and parodies of her video.
In these parodies, TikTokers reenact her video to a variety of songs, but with increasingly absurd dances and movements.
As far as criticisms go, many are claiming that being able to hear multiple layers of melody in songs is just not special.
The video has since made its way to X / Twitter, where one reupload has gained millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes.
Similarly, it's inspiring a lot of teasing, jokes and comments, including one from music critic Anthony Fantano with over 14,000 likes reading, "I 100% support that girl who just discovered listening to music and I think we should all be nice to her."
What Are Some More 'Polyphonic Perception' Memes?
@originalgreatest Yall realize as music people this is the normal for us… #fyp #polyphonicperception #polyphonic #trending #music ♬ My Love (feat. T.I.) – Justin Timberlake
@cricken_ do you guys experience this too😅😅
@anelie.c 😭😭 ‘I can hear all the layers of a song separately and all at once’ yes ok ur ears are working queen keep it up #polyphonicperception ♬ My Love (feat. T.I.) – Justin Timberlake
@iambrelle So glad to know I’m not crazy after all. #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #adhd ♬ original sound – Brelle
For the full history of Polyphonic Perception, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.
