A TikToker is doing the Apple Dance every day outside Luigi Mangione’s prison until he’s freed
Since early December, Luigi Mangione—the 26-year-old man accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson—has attained a cult-like stardom online. Unsurprisingly, Mangione's road to virality has been paved with memes, endless discourse, and, TikTok videos, many of which reflected the online consciousness surrounding this controversial figure, expressing sentiments that range from anger to attraction to pure adoration.
One TikTok creator who has recently added to the Mangione conversation is Philadelphia-based musician Adamlicious, known on the platform as @adamlicious666.
Beginning on Dec. 14, 2024, the user made two consecutive videos doing the Apple Dance to Charli XCX's song, "Apple" outside of maximum security State Correctional Institution Huntingdon in Pennsylvania, where Mangione is currently being held while awaiting trial.
The first video received over 250,000 views and almost 60 thousand likes, while the second video, posted on Dec. 15 and captioned "day 2 of doing the apple dance in front of Luigi's prison" received 1.6 million views and almost 300,000 likes.
@adamlicious666 Luigiiiii come out i heard u like charli xcx #sci #huntingdon #luigi #charlixcx #b2b ♬ apple by charliiiii - babyloncowboy 🍉
@adamlicious666 I heard he’s a charli fan,, so this one’s for him 💚 #sci #huntingdon #luigi #charlixcx #apple ♬ original sound - adàn🐬
Despite only posting two videos in this style, Adamlicious' Mangione-specific content has made a big impact on TikTok. According to one of his commentators, "If someone told me to summarize 2024, I'd show them this TikTok."
Comments on both videos showcase both humor and support for the account, while also reflecting on the specificity of the video and its references.
What is the Charli XCX Apple Dance?
The "Apple Dance" was created in June 2024 by TikTok user @kelley.heyer. The dance uses simple pop choreography and is performed to the song "Apple" featured on Charli XCX's sixth studio album, Brat.
@kelley.heyer Replying to @POPPYLAUR⚢ It’s very easy! I wanted this to be something cute people could do to show off an outfit :) #charlixcx #brat ♬ Apple - Charli xcx
The dance has found its way into all corners of culture, with stars like Stephen Colbert, Jessica Alba, and even Charli XCX herself performing it online.
What does the apple dance have to do with Luigi Mangione?
The Apple Dance has very little to do with Luigi Mangione himself, only that it is rumored Luigi Mangione is a Charli XCX fan, as Charli XCX allegedly appeared on his (now deleted) Spotify playlist.
Beyond his musical tastes—as a 26-year-old man now fully embedded in the cultural landscape of 2024—he is also temporally tied to Charli XCX's critically acclaimed album, considered to be not only one of the biggest albums of the year, but its own movement.
Will we see more apple dances outside of Luigi's prison?
Based on the caption of his second video ("day 2 of doing the apple dance in front of Luigi's prison") the user seems to be teasing a series of these types of posts, though they might not occur until Mangione is released as @adamlicious666 has not posted any additional content as of Dec. 17, 2024. While more content seems probable and welcome among the creator's TikTok fandom, his audience will have to wait and see what's next in his series of Apple Dance videos.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @adamlicious666 via direct message on TikTok. The creator did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
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