So Aura farming is taking over TikTok, but what the heck does it even mean?

Doom scrollers will know that there’s this new TikTok trend which is all over the FYP right now. The trend is basically people performing an “aura farming” dance in various weird and wacky places, but most of us have never even heard of the term before.

The trend has blown up and thousands of people have got on board – some have even been filmed doing it while riding electric unicycles around Paris – that’s one way to sight see. But where did it come from, what is it and what is aura farming? Strap in, you’re about to find out.

Who is the ‘aura farming kid on boat’?

@greenscreens4memes

@CreatorSet #indonesianboatracing #aura #aurafarming #pacujalur #indonesia

♬ Young Black & Rich – Melly Mike

The trend comes from a video of an Indonesian child named Rayyan Arkan Dikha, who stands on the front of a moving boat in order to keep athletes’ morale high. So if you assumed that you were cooler than the average 11-year-old, most of the time you’d probably be right. But Rayyan is no average 11-year-old boy. 

Born in the Indonesian province of Riau, he is credited with starting the new viral aura farming trend after being filmed dancing on the prow of a traditional canoe in his province’s annual Pacu Jalur boat race. 

Yet it is not simply the act of dancing on a perilously small moving surface while 1o or so men furiously paddle behind him that catapulted Rayyan to fame, it’s the air of nonchalance with which he accomplishes the insane feat.

Most Read

We finally know why that little girl fell off the Disney cruise ship, and it’s so bad

Even MORE tweets from Helena before Love Island 2025 resurface, and they’re bad

Lily Phillips shows grim aftermath of sleeping with 1,113 men in a day in horrid videos

Dressed in a traditional all black outfit with pointy hat and eyes hidden behind shades, he executes the dance moves (patting and rolling hands, pointing in the style of Usain Bolt) to the sound of a rap song called Young Black & Rich by Melly Mike, making you feel like you scrolled into a mash up scene between Project X and the Henley Regatta. 

While the song was dubbed over the original video posted by TikTok user Lensa Rams, Rayyan’s dance was 100 per cent original, as he told BBC Indonesia “I came up with the dance myself,” and that “it was just spontaneous.”

TikTok users quickly gravitated to his vibe, with one dubbing him “The Reaper” because, according to one comment that received 1.1 million likes, “he never loses”.

Other users have since emulated his dance, making it a trend so viral that professional athletes have started celebrating with it while musicians copy the dance onstage. The singer of Young Black & Rich has recognised the dance and made jokes about traveling to Indonesia to perform it in honour of Rayyan.

@melly__mike

What do you think?👀 #indonesia #aurafarming #mellymike #boatkid

♬ original sound – brainrot.com1

Other celebrities hopping on the trend are Marc Marquez, a MotoGP driver, who recently celebrated winning a race in Germany by doing the dance on his bike, while F1 driver Alex Albon posted his own version from home. DJ Steve Aoki also performed the dance on stage in Portugal. 

@marcmarquez93

SACHSENRING! ❤️🛶 #MM93 #MotoGP #DeportesEnTikTok #GermanGP #tiktokdeportes

♬ Young Black & Rich – Melly Mike

Taylor Swift’s American footballer boyfriend, Travis Kelce, also posted his own version.

@traviskelce

The aura has been farmed #indonesia #boatkid #aurafarming

♬ Young Black & Rich – Melly Mike

Ok so the dance is popular, but why was he even dancing on the boat and why do people like it so much?

I think the immediate unknown of why Rayyan is dancing on a boat is part of what has made his performance so enthralling for internet users. At first glance, no one knows why he is doing what he is doing, but he’s doing it anyway. He’s mysterious, he’s unbothered, he’s whimsical – what so many of us wish we could be more of in a world that increasingly demands a serious demeanour. 

However, there is a point behind his dancing. He is what is known as a “Togak Luan”, a person dancing to energise the boat’s crew and inspire them to paddle faster. Most boats in the race have a dancer, each with a different style and dance movements. Yet The Reaper continues to fascinate people’s imaginations far beyond his peers.

So what has this got to do with aura farming?

Rayyan’s video has seen the term aura farming grow in popularity, but it has been circulating within Gen-Z crowds for about a year already. Aura of course refers to the vibe someone has, and good aura is something we all yearn for. 

But to farm for aura is to try and grow one’s aura, to actively try and make oneself seem more nonchalant, edgy or cooler. This label isn’t always positive though.

Donald Trump was actually recently accused of aura farming after assisting Chelsea players in lifting the FIFA Club World Cup trophy, despite it being clear that his presence wasn’t entirely welcomed by the team. Cole Palmer’s confused reaction to Trump standing with the team during their winning celebrations demonstrates the failure of the president’s attempt to seem “down with the kids”.

However, where Trump failed, Rayyan succeeds. He has created a vibe of celebration that people want to emulate and that has even been noticed by the Indonesian government, who recently named him a cultural ambassador for the country. 

Internet users have copied his dance on horseback, in old age homes, while sand boarding and even while riding in the Tour de France, sharing an online experience that is full of joy. 

So the whole world is aura farming. The only question left is, are you going to join them?

Featured image via TikTok @steveaoki @traviskelce @marcmarquez93