Where is that ‘Vanessa!’ song from on TikTok and how do I get the blue and red filter!?

TikTok FYPs are currently FILLED with the outrageously catchy ‘Vanessa’ song, most of the time appearing alongside the blue and red filter but sometimes just done by a couple. But where the hell is this song from and why can’t I get it out of my head???

@maisielousmith@roryoconnor feel like we got way too into this♬ BLACKOUT. Thekatiebradshaw – KATIE ♡︎

@jaypageofficialI identify as this filter♬ BLACKOUT. Thekatiebradshaw – KATIE ♡︎

The song is from In The Heights

If you’re not a lifelong secret musical theatre nerd who spent his entire teenage years doing endless musicals with amateur dramatics theatre companies, you might be forgiven for not having a clue what this song actually is. The TikTok audio is an excerpt from the song Blackout from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical In The Heights. The musical is lesser known than his megahit Hamilton, but actually debuted back in 2008. It’s recently been adapted into a film that came out last month.

The musical is about residents of the neighbourhood Washington Heights in New York, who are coping with a heatwave and a huge power cut that strikes just before Blackout begins. In the previous song The Club, lead character Usnavi and his love interest Vanessa were on their first date and end up dancing with other people to make each other jealous. Clearly, it works, hence this little moment where they argue through song that is so catchy it should actually be illegal.

So what the hell is the blue and red filter!?

There are a load of TikTok videos of couples recreating Vanessa and Usnavi’s argument from the film using the song, but what if you’re alone and have no mates!? Well, this filter has got you covered! The blue and red filter gender swaps your face so you can seamlessly play both roles with minimal effort but maximum impact.

@beckijones4I can’t keep up with these trends 😂 ##fypシ ##foryou ##foryoupage♬ BLACKOUT. Thekatiebradshaw – KATIE ♡︎

You can do it with any song or sound you like, and the gender changes when you blink your eyes. The In The Heights challenge has been taking off with this filter because of how fast the genders change in the sound, so it’s a proper challenge to get right! To get this filter, just have a look down the trending filters and the logo is a half and half blue and red face, created by Effects Assistant. Click onto it when creating a video and see if you can recreate your own seamless Usnavi and Vanessa argument fantasy!

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