The "My Shayla" Trend on TikTok: It All Started With an Emotional Video From This Entertainer

The "My Shayla" soundbite on TikTok, which people are centering entire videos around lately, has some remembering back to the time when it was believed to have originated. Others, however, are outright confused by it. Some suggest that the name Shayla means "from the fairy palace" in Irish Gaelic, while others propose that "Shayla" translates to "fairy fortress."

Perhaps the meaning behind the trend isn't as deep as some are making it out to be... or maybe it is, and there are two ways to interpret it. Either way, the trend is sparking confusion on TikTok, like the "Eye of Rah", so we're here to break it down for you.

The "My Shayla" TikTok trend originates from an emotional 2017 video of singer and actor Tyrese, who was going through a custody battle with Norma Mitchell Gibson at the time. In the video, Tyrese is visibly upset and crying over the possibility of losing his daughter, Shayla, which is why her name is referenced in today's TikToks.

In the clip, Tyrese is wearing a hoodie that says "Shayla Rocks" and can be heard saying, "Don't take my baby, please don't take my baby," while holding back tears and pleading, "I mean $13,000 a month, what more do you want from meeee?" According to one TikToker, that phrase "still lives rent-free in my head 'til this day."

Though he was eventually awarded 50/50 joint custody, his emotional words went on to become "classic one-liners," as he referred to them in a clip where he laughs, reflecting on the video with the now-grown Shaya.

While Tyrese and Shayla are now together, and she's much older, his words in the video have become part of a viral TikTok trend.

Today, people are using "My Shayla" to emphasize something they regret or something they miss, like a friendship.

One TikToker, whose video is gaining serious traction on the platform, used the soundbite and captioned a video of her hugging her boyfriend: "When I accidentally catch an attitude with my bf but remember he's my actual best friend that sent from God himself."

Some TikTokers are using the "My Shayla" sound to get real about their relationships, like realizing that their "Shayla" is the person they love and shouldn’t be fighting with. But others are turning to it to deliver a more bittersweet vibe, reflecting on moments of sadness in a lighter way — like missing a friend who’s far away.

Take TikToker @friendzonesofficial, for example, who paired the soundbite with the text: "When I'm scrolling through my photo gallery and see old pics of my friends who live across the world now." The soundbite adds that extra layer of emotion, helping convey how a person feels. In this case, she’s reminiscing about the days when her friends were just a little bit closer.

So, who's your Shayla?