What is the Bad Times trend?+
It's a viral TikTok trend from August 2026 where creators lip-sync Imael Angel's deep house track "Bad Times" while arguing toward whoever's filming: head grabs, hip hand, stop palms and finger pointing. AI versions place dogs, cats and babies in the routine. By 14 October 2026, #badtimes contained 29,488 TikTok videos with 201 million views.
Who created the Bad Times trend?+
Creator @bouuhyachaka, with a video posted on 20 August 2026 that reached 19.4 million views by 14 October. Her kitchen version from 9 September (17.6 million views) is what most AI recreations copy. The trend's most-viewed video is @benandzara's 30 August version, with 41 million views.
What song plays in the Bad Times trend?+
It's the Bad Times deep house track by Imael Angel (also searched as Ismael, Omael or Email Angel), released on 30 March 2026. A Smew AI video includes the same portion of the track used in the routine, and you can disable it on the result page. The track belongs to its copyright holders, and Smew AI grants no usage rights.
How do I create the Bad Times trend AI video?+
Click "Create your own", select Human or Pet, and upload one clear photo of yourself or your pet. Click Generate; the button displays the cost first. You'll get a Bad Times AI video of roughly 10 seconds (Human) or 15 seconds (Pet; 10 seconds with cheaper Standard option) with the audio. No prompt writing needed, and the video saves to your Library when ready.
Can my dog or cat perform the Bad Times trend?+
Yes. Select Pet. It replicates the viral Bad Times dog, the AI reel by @tillandsialover: your pet stands upright in a bright kitchen, performs the routine with paws, then approaches the lens for a close-up. Any pet works. Dogs match the reel most closely, and cats stand upright for the movements. Upload a clear photo showing the complete animal.
Where does my video's background come from?+
Human preserves the setting from your photo: Kling 3.0 Motion Control copies only the movements, so your kitchen, living room or street remains. Pet preserves the kitchen from the AI dog reel, since your pet is inserted into that reel directly.
Will the original performer appear in my video?+
No. Human copies only the movements and facial expressions from the routine and applies them to your photo subject, in your photo's setting. Pet replicates an AI-generated dog reel, so no real performer appears. Upload photos of yourself or consenting adults only, never celebrities or strangers.
Do I need to learn the Bad Times dance?+
No. Your Bad Times dance video generates from one photo: AI performs the complete routine, from head grabs to stop palms, so you never film yourself.
Will it lip sync to the track?+
Not precisely. Both versions replicate the video's facial expressions, so you or your pet frown, raise eyebrows and open mouth with the rhythm, but mouth movements don't match lyrics. It still conveys a heated argument, which creates the humor.
Which AI models generate the videos?+
Human uses Kling 3.0 Motion Control: it applies the movements and facial expressions from the trend's routine to your photo subject, at 720p in your photo's aspect ratio. Pet uses Seedance 2.5: it inserts your pet into the AI dog reel directly, vertical at 720p, and can take several minutes. Pet's cheaper Standard option uses Kling 3.0 Omni on the reel's first 10 seconds.
What prompt powers the Bad Times trend?+
No trend creator published a prompt, and the CapCut templates are closed. Both versions here use language from the only published tutorial prompt for this routine, written for a pet on the same kitchen video, adapted for a person and for a pet, plus additional lines that preserve your appearance. You don't write any prompt yourself.
Is Bad Times an AI-generated song?+
Partially. Songfacts reports that the songwriter using the Imael Angel name writes lyrics and employs AI tools to develop them into finished tracks. So the track isn't entirely AI-generated: a person writes the words. In October 2026 this became the AI music meme: "old people with AI music" videos, where creators perform like a parent who loves an AI track and dances to Bad Times with complete sincerity (the first viral one, by @snarkymarky on 13 October, exceeded 2.8 million views). Smew AI didn't create the track and has no connection to the artist.
How long is the video and what's the format?+
Human generates roughly 10 seconds at 720p in your photo's aspect ratio, so vertical photos produce vertical 9:16 videos. Pet generates 15 seconds (10 seconds with Standard), vertical 9:16 at 720p. Both are MP4 files with audio, with no watermark.