Connect with us

Finance

Why is TikTok looking for a man in finance? We explain how the earworm from Megan Boni became a real song

Published

on

Why is TikTok looking for a man in finance? We explain how the earworm from Megan Boni became a real song

A man in finance. 6-foot-5. Trust fund. Blue eyes.

That either sounds like a bland Tinder bio or a description of Succession’s Cousin Greg, depending on whom you ask. In reality, the list comprises the hook of a very real contender for song of the summer that began as a viral joke uploaded to TikTok by a self-proclaimed “Philly girl.”

Megan Boni — who goes by Girl on Couch on TikTok — posted a video on April 30 of herself repeating that she was “looking for” a man with those exact character traits.

“Can someone make this into an actual song please,” Boni wrote in the caption, “just for funzies.”

Over 41 million views, a miniature record deal, and countless copycat memes later, Boni’s earworm has been transformed into not just a real single, but also a remix by prolific EDM DJ David Guetta that came out Friday.

Advertisement

How did Boni go from part-time content creator to recording artist and finance bro champion? Here’s what you need to know:

Megan Boni, 27, is a New York City-based content creator who makes skits about the mundane reality of a 20-something woman.

In an interview with People magazine, Boni said her social media moniker refers to her “post-work butt-on-couch, TikTok-scrolling unwind routine” and that her brand is about embracing laziness. (Talk about a woman of the people).

Boni graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 2019 with a communications degree, according to her LinkedIn, and recently earned an MBA from Temple University. Boni worked in sales for sports apparel manufacturer Outerstuff until mid-May, when she quit her job to ride the wave of her viral video.

“They were like, ‘We get it! You do you,’” Boni said of her former employer.

Advertisement

Boni has also referred to herself as a “Philly girl” after followers clocked her for posting where she danced around in an Eagles sweatshirt. (Boni responded “Fly Eagles Fly, baby,” after someone asked if she was from here in the comments.)

One of Boni’s first brushes with minor internet fame? A video praying on the downfall of Travis Kelce and singing the Birds’ fight song.

Boni said the video is a joke, not an earnest plea for a suitor.

“I was trying to make fun of those girls who say that they’re not high maintenance or that they want a boyfriend, but then they have a long-a — list of needs that are insane,” Boni told the Today show.

Boni’s catchy chorus also plays on tropes in NYC’s heterosexual dating scene, which some lament has been overrun with — well — 6-foot-5 men in finance who don’t want to settle down. The city was ranked 169 of out of 182 cities when it came to dating friendliness, according to a survey from WalletHub, but some are still coveting the stereotype.

Advertisement

“Please add generational wealth somehow,” commented one TikTok user under Boni’s video. “If it was wrong it wouldn’t be so catchy,” wrote another.

Boni, meanwhile, has a list of more nebulous dating must-haves: Someone who can “handle her,” Boni told the Daily Beast, while balancing out her high energy.

How did the hook become popular — and turn into a real song?

Since Boni posted her hook, more than 39,000 TikToks have used it to create their own wish lists, hype up their partners, and — yes — advertise.

DJs ranging from Nicky Romero and Nicki Minaj collaborator Malibu Babie also created unofficial remixes of Boni’s vocals, capitalizing on the way TikTok has sped up the trend cycle for new music.

Advertisement

Some TikTokers have used Boni’s list to announce their own (half-serious) dating desires.

“Looking for a man in freelance, 5′6, tattoos, Bushwick,” deadpanned a woman in one viral TikTok, conjuring up a picture of a man who would realistically lose to Boni’s creation in a fight. Others have posted in search of men in therapy, men in coffins (because inheritance), or simply men who listen.

The most popular uses of Boni’s vocals, meanwhile, have come from brands glomming onto the trend to promote their products.

Fast-casual chain Just Salad posted a TikTok of suited-up men heading into their Hudson Yards location set to Boni’s song that received over 1.3 million views, seemingly dubbing themselves the official lunch choice of finance bros everywhere. Other standout marketing ploys: the Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime bear (for those looking for sleep), Jimmy Fallon (for those seeking late-night television hosts), the NFL (for those dreaming of dating Joe Burrow).

Despite posting consistently on social media since 2021, Boni told advertising publication AdAge this was the first time she’s been approached by brands, who have been sending her gifts in exchange for posts.

Advertisement

Among Boni’s wares: Magic Eraser sponges from Mr. Clean and free Crocs.

Is it true she landed a record deal?

Technically.

Boni said she had upward of 20 DJs reach out to her after the TikTok went viral, leading her to sign a one-off licensing and distribution deal with Capitol Records. They will work with Boni to sell her vocals to a handful of artists hoping to make official remixes.

The first of those was a version produced by EDM duo Billen Ted that was released last month. Capitol Records executive Zach Elgort called Boni’s song a “marketing dream,” because it worked in the opposite direction of the TikTok teaser, or when artists incessantly promote a snippet of a forthcoming single to gauge interest, often to the point of turning off potential listeners.

Advertisement

In other words, Elgort explained, they didn’t need to spend time testing if Boni’s “Man in Finance” would be a hit because her views already proved it would be.

Still, Boni said “she has no plans of becoming a pop star” and will only produce more music if it’s purely comedic. She hopes to parlay the fame generated from the song into a YouTube channel, she told the Daily Beast, and eventually, an acting career.

This intrepid reporter is currently not on the market. But if she were, her Philadelphia man wish list might look a little something like this:

I’m looking for a man in a union. 5-foot-9. Eagles season tix. And a Shore house.

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Finance

Campaign finance reports show big contributions in Lubbock council race

Published

on

Campaign finance reports show big contributions in Lubbock council race

The five candidates for Saturday’s Lubbock City Council District 4 special election filed campaign finance reports showing political contributions from some notable area organizations and community leaders.

The June 27 special election will determine who will replace Councilman Brayden Rose in the south-central Lubbock council seat. Rose announced his resignation earlier in the year and will formally vacate his seat on the Lubbock City Council once the district elects his successor.

Which candidates are on the ballot for District 4?

Here is the list of candidates as they appear on the ballot for the City of Lubbock special election:

  • Gary Boren — retired businessman, former city councilmember and member of the Brazos River Authority Board.
  • Stephanie Ferran — Lubbock small business owner and life coach.
  • Tim Green — local homebuilder, owner of Tim Green Homes and former fireman.
  • Bill Curnow — cybersecurity professional with Plains Cotton Cooperative Association and community volunteer.
  • Boyd Goodloe — Lubbock Area Director for Access Rentals, former Lubbock ISD school board candidate and a youth minister.

Who led in fundraising for the District 4 special election?

Here’s a look at campaign contributions and in-kind donations the five candidates reported in their 30-day and 8-day campaign finance reports, according to documents from the Lubbock City Secretary’s Office.

Green came into Saturday’s special election leading the fundraising battle during the relatively short election cycle that began in the spring.

Advertisement

According to their 8-day campaign finance reports filed with the city, Green reported $16,235.80 in contributions in June compared to $10,400 for Boren during the period.

Their 30-day reports filed in May showed Green reported $21,600 in contributions compared to $0 for Boren during the initial reporting period through late May. Curnow reported $1,740.11 in contributions during the initial reporting period, with Goodloe reporting $378 in contributions and Ferran $0 at that time.

Curnow reported $183.23 in contributions in his eight-day report, while Ferran reported $0 and Goodloe reported $87.45 during the period.

Notable contributions for Boren included $5,000 from businessman and Texas Tech System Regent Dusty Womble, $1,000 from Carl and Gloria Toti and $1,000 from Mike and Suzie Liner, among other smaller contributions.

Advertisement

Notable contributions for Green included $5,000 from the 806 Advantage PAC, $4,000 from Scott Leach along with several $1,500 or $1,000 contributions from other area businesses people and entrepreneurs. Green also reported $10,500 in in-kind contributions from the Lubbock Professional Firefighters Association.

Curnow reported a $1,000 contribution from psychologist Philip Davis among several other smaller contributions.

In their 8-day reports, the candidates also included total expenses for the period, including: Boren with $19,032.57 ($3,948.07 in his 30-day report), Curnow with $886.69 ($1,494.14 in his 30-day), Ferran with $0 ($464 in her 30-day), Goodloe with $673.43 ($266.67 in his 30-day), and Green with $10.90 ($12,864.20 in his 30-day).

Adam D. Young is the Editor of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and Amarillo Globe-News in Texas. Have a news tip for him? Email him at ayoung@lubbockonline.com.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Finance

Your Savings Account Is Failing: 3 Shifts to Reclaim Your Wealth

Published

on

Your Savings Account Is Failing: 3 Shifts to Reclaim Your Wealth

You’ve done everything right, and you’re still losing ground. That’s the sentiment many are feeling, as rising inflation takes bigger bites out of your paychecks when you pump gas, pay your electric bill or go to the grocery store.

It used to be that you could turn to a high-yield savings account to outpace it. Yet, with inflation at 4.20% and not likely to cool soon, most savings accounts don’t earn returns keeping pace with inflation.

Continue Reading

Finance

Hong Kong vows stronger exchange with reforms, bond futures and gold push

Published

on

Hong Kong vows stronger exchange with reforms, bond futures and gold push
Hong Kong is pressing ahead with an overhaul of listing rules and the launch of new product initiatives, the city’s deputy finance chief said on Friday as the bourse operator marked 26 years as a publicly traded company.
Speaking at the anniversary ceremony of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun outlined reforms under review, including optimising weighted voting rights, easing secondary listings by overseas issuers, and expanding flexibility for biotech and specialist technology companies.

“We will continue to work tirelessly and proactively to make Hong Kong even better and stronger as a leading international financial centre,” Wong said.

The consultation period closed last month, and HKEX was now reviewing feedback before finalising the measures, he added.

Wong also welcomed the forthcoming launch of five-year mainland Chinese government bond futures, saying the contract would provide efficient risk-management tools and reinforce Hong Kong’s role as the world’s leading offshore renminbi hub.

He said Hong Kong was building a commodities ecosystem, using gold as a strategic entry point, with plans for expanded storage and refinery capacity and the reactivation of a US dollar gold futures contract.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending