Love Live’s Ai Scream Goes Viral Worldwide
Ruby-chan?
Hai!
Nani ga suki?
And with this beginning, we dive into the song “Ai♡Scream”, which, surprisingly, is from Love Live! This might be considered the first Japanese song to go truly viral worldwide, as it has been used in countless YouTube and TikTok videos all over the internet.
What is Ai Scream from Love Live!?
To understand the success of Ai Scream Love Live, you first need to understand what Love Live! is. It’s one of the most influential franchises in modern Japanese entertainment. Launched in 2010, the series combines anime-style characters with real-life performances from the voice actresses — unlike Hololive, for example, which hides the identities of its VTubers.
The new special unit AiScReam was born from this creative fusion, bringing together Ruby Kurosawa, Ayumi Uehara, and Shiki Wakana — characters from different generations of the franchise — in an unprecedented collaboration. Their debut song, Ai Scream!, was first performed at a live show in Yokohama, but its real impact began on social media.
How Ai Scream from Love Live Went Viral
The viral moment happened when a clip from the live performance — focusing on the part where the characters ask “what flavor do you like?” and respond with “but I love you even more” — started spreading on TikTok. This segment, with its simple and cute choreography, quickly became a trend among idol fans — and beyond.
Countless short videos, lip-syncs, and animations featuring celebrities and famous characters helped spread Ai Scream from Love Live! to a global audience. The trend broke out of the J-pop community and even reached K-pop fans, who helped boost it further.
The Role of K-pop in Ai Scream’s Success
Groups like aespa, IVE, BABYMONSTER, ATEEZ, and even the virtual group PLAVE expressed appreciation for the song on social media. Karina from aespa even performed the viral part during an event at Tokyo Dome, giving the song even more visibility.
@babymonster_yg_tiktok
With the support of these global stars, Ai Scream from Love Live! shot up the Spotify charts, reaching the top of Japan’s Viral 50 and entering the Global Viral 50 as well. But the song also went viral among the general public, with many people posting shorts where they sing, dance, or just react to the song.
Far beyond just a cute song about ice cream, Ai Scream Love Live represents a growing trend: the power of social media to turn Japanese songs into international phenomena. Previous hits like Bling-Bang-Bang-Born and Shinunoga E-Wa already proved that J-pop can conquer the world — and now Ai Scream! strengthens that narrative with the charm of idols and the momentum of TikTok.
