SpongeBob Afrobeats Remix: Meet the content creator behind the viral sensation Tatiana Marie Clark

Her catchy rendition has taken social media by storm, captivating millions and earning praise from celebrities.

Meet Tatiana Marie Clark, a 22-year-old singer from Gulfport, Mississippi.

This viral sound has inspired countless videos, from fans dressing as SpongeBob characters to parents using the tune to make their babies laugh. 

By day, Clark works as a youth development professional at the Boys & Girls Club of America. A trained musician, her love for music began early. "I have an interesting story. I come from a musical background, but my parents can't sing. All of my uncles, aunts, cousins, and [the rest of my family] can sing," she tells PEOPLE exclusively.

Clark's musical journey started at Rock U 2: The Ocean Springs Academy of Popular Music at age 11, continuing until she graduated high school. She briefly attended college, majoring in music education with a minor in jazz studies. However, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted her path. Struggling with virtual learning, Clark decided to pursue her music career full-time, sharing her talent on social media.
 

@mstatianaclark

SpongeBob Squarepants X AfroBeat💫 This has become my new favorite 😩💫 #share #follow #fyp #viral #blowthisup #spongebob #afrobeat #remix

♬ original sound - Ms. Tatiana🤎

"I'm an in-person learner, so it threw me off and I was like, 'This is your sign to take music seriously,'" she says. "So I withdrew from all my classes, took that long drive back home, and here we are."

Clark has been creating videos since 2021, featuring a range of covers from Afrobeats remixes to duets with other TikTokers. She wanted something unique to stand out and initially considered country remixes. However, friends suggested she try faster beats, leading her to experiment with Afrobeats tracks on YouTube.
 

@mstatianaclark

#duet with @ellenonceagain love some good harmonies🥰 #fy #harmonylover #vocals #viral #duet

♬ original sound - Ellen Once Again

Her viral SpongeBob SquarePants remix was a spontaneous choice. "With 'SpongeBob,' I literally just picked a random beat," she reveals. "It was the first beat I picked and I was like, 'Yes, this is the one.' It came very naturally, which is why I feel like it did so well."

The remix has garnered an estimated two billion plays on TikTok alone. The video has 1.5 million likes, 24.2K comments, 163K saves, and 13 million views. Celebrities like Meghan Trainor, Queen Latifah, Amber Riley, Samuel L. Jackson, Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson, and Andra Day have praised and shared her work.

Despite the viral success, Clark’s daily life remains mostly unchanged. She maintains boundaries with her students, though some recognize her from her viral video. "I tried very hard to keep my social media separate, but once the viral video started going, my kids were like, 'Oh, Miss T. I saw you,'" she says. "But I just keep the boundaries."

Before the SpongeBob video, Clark was already making waves, featuring on Brandy's 2023 Christmas album and collaborating with Leslie Odom Jr. on his album When the Crooner Dies. She continues to create content to express her creativity, welcoming the attention but remaining grounded.

"I of course do my content in hopes that [it goes viral again], but my head will not hang down if it doesn't. I am grateful for the traction that my page has gotten," she tells PEOPLE. "Just the fact that people can see me now, I can post something, and more than 100 people can see it is more than enough for me. So I don't really care that much about the viral moment. I'm glad that it happened, and I just know that it's leading to something greater in the future."

Tatiana Marie Clark’s journey from Gulfport to social media stardom is a testament to her talent and perseverance, and her future in music looks incredibly bright.