Culture

TikTok’s Latest Hero Is A 56-Year-Old Cover Singer At The Heart Of Those Viral POVs

I want Rodger Cleye to soundtrack my life story.

Rodger Cleye

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It’s impossible to not feel chuffed by Rodger Cleye — the Californian cover artist who blew up on TikTok after filming himself singing a myriad of odd song requests from the internet.

The 56-year-old creator first started posting on the gremlin app last year, but has had a renaissance after becoming the centre of a green screen POV trend capturing everything from sleeping with your make-up on after a night out, to threatening to quit your job after someone pushes your buttons a little too hard.

“Music fills my head at all times. It helps me cope with life. I have always had a great love for music,” wrote Cleye on an artist page, explaining how singing helped him navigate his late 20s amid the flurry of dating woes and workin’ 9-5.

Cleye is known for his range of cover snippets, including ‘P power‘, ‘The Phantom of the Opera‘, ‘Scream and Shout‘, and ‘Wannabe‘. According to his Instagram, he’s made over 1000 videos on hits from across all decades.

His enduring appeal comes from how the husky-toned man embodies the same energy as a slightly unstable Gen Z girlie after any minor inconvenience, whose natural instinct is to break into song as a coping mechanism. Truly, a relatable king.

Peep some of his best appearances in memes that laugh with — not at — the loveable internet hero Rodger Cleye. To start off, is that feeling when your mum walks in on you during the devil’s hour.




Or the random burst of energy to turn your life around after having a menty b.


When you lose your last shred of self-respect and dignity for a mediocre dude who doesn’t wash their ass crack.


And when you’re just feeling delicate, okay?



And last but not least, when you leave everything to the last minute — but that’s the only consistent thing about you.