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Smalltown Boy Cats: Put Your Two Pets in the Viral AI Dance

Pet one clutches its head and yells into a wide-angle lens as pet two grooves in the background. They then dance together and charge toward the camera in this viral clip, complete with its music. Choose Human to create it with a friend.

The original Smalltown Boy reel by @zefosikOriginal reel
  • 2 photos you add
  • 14 s clip with sound
  • 9:16 for TikTok, Reels, Shorts
  • No watermark

No prompt to write: Add your photos and tap once

Create your own

Ready in a few minutes · From 168 credits

The Smalltown Boy cats trend is a viral AI clip from October 2026. Two upright cats appear: one clutches its head while yelling into a wide-angle lens, then they groove together to the 1984 track "Smalltown Boy" before lunging at the camera. Upload two photos of pets or people, and Smew AI places them in the clip.

Also called Smalltown Boy dance · Smalltown Boy trend · Smalltown Boy meme · Screaming cat dance

Example

What the Smalltown Boy video looks like

Made on Smew AI from an AI-made photo with the prompts on this page, not a real person. Your result will differ from run to run.

Made with Smew AI
Made from AI-made photos with the 2 photos version, Pet option (168 credits). Nobody in it is a real person.
Use this reference
Original reel by @zefosik, 14 s
The original clip from @zefosik: a grey cat clutches its head while yelling as a spotted cat grooves in the background. They then dance on marble flooring before charging the camera.
Use this reference
Original reel by @fluffyfishlover, 14 s
The original clip from @fluffyfishlover: a tuxedo cat clutches its head and yells at the lens as a ginger cat grooves behind. They dance near a red fence before charging the camera. The Human option places your two people where the cats appear.
Use this reference
Step by step

How to make the Smalltown Boy video on Smew AI

Everything happens in your browser. No editing software, no prompt writing, no watermark.

  1. Add the two photos

    Tap "Create your own" and upload the pet who yells, followed by the pet who grooves. Upload them in this sequence, as the order determines their roles in the scene. Capture them with your camera or select from your library.

  2. Press Generate

    The button displays the cost. H3 Max Recast places your photos into the Smalltown Boy trend and recreates it frame by frame for 14 seconds, including the clip's original music. No prompt needed.

  3. Download or share

    Your video arrives in a few minutes as a 9:16 MP4. Download it, share it from your device, or access it later in your Library.

Which photo works best?

You need two photos, the yelling one first. Photo 1 clutches its head and yells at the lens. Photo 2 grooves in the background, then alongside.

  • Pet: one animal per photo, showing the complete body from ears to paws. Colors and patterns transfer from your photo, so avoid heavy filters. Two cats match the clip most closely; dogs or other animals stand on hind legs for identical moves.
  • Human: one person per photo, showing waist up or full figure, face visible and facing the camera. Clothing transfers from your photo.
  • A clear photo taken in daylight. The yelling moment is a tight shot, so facial clarity matters most.
  • Any backdrop works: the clip provides the setting.
  • Use your own animals, or people and animals with permission from their owners.

Where did the Smalltown Boy trend start?

"Smalltown Boy" is a synth-pop track by Bronski Beat from May 1984. It climbed to number three on the UK singles chart. In 2024 it gained traction on TikTok, with creators filming their Gen X parents grooving to it like the 1980s.

The 2026 trend takes a different form. It mimics a brief duo clip filmed with a wide-angle lens against a red wooden fence: one man clutches his head while yelling at the lens as the other grooves behind, then they switch, groove together and charge the camera. Reposts of this clip circulated on TikTok in early October; one from 6 October reached 484,000 views within four days.

AI creators reimagined the duo as cats. On 2 October @fluffyfishlover shared a ginger and tuxedo cat version at the red fence. On 8 October @zefosik shared two cats in a white living room, gathering 597,000 views and 23,800 shares in two days. Tutorials for template apps followed. The Pet option on this page mimics the living room clip, while the Human option places two people in the red fence version.

  1. Bronski Beat releases "Smalltown Boy" in the UK. It climbs to number three on the UK singles chart. Wikipedia

  2. The track soundtracks a TikTok challenge where creators film their Gen X parents grooving like the 1980s. The Advocate

  3. @fluffyfishlover shares an AI rendition with a ginger and tuxedo cat at the red wooden fence. It reaches 363,200 views and 24,600 likes by 10 October. TikTok

  4. Tutorials for template apps featuring the trend appear on TikTok.

  5. A repost of the original duo clip at the red fence appears on TikTok and gains 484,000 views by 10 October.

  6. @zefosik shares two AI-generated cats grooving in a white living room. By 10 October it gathers 597,400 views, 43,400 likes and 23,800 shares. TikTok

Copy and paste

The Smalltown Boy prompts

You don't need these: the single-tap workflow runs them automatically, along with the trend clip. [Image 1] and [Image 2] are your two photos, and [Video 1] is the trend clip being recreated.

Pet

2 photos: pet who screams + pet who dancesH3 Max Recast14 s · 720p · 9:16168 credits
Video prompt

Image 1 replaces the cat in front who grabs its head with both paws and screams, in every shot, and opens its mouth wide exactly when that cat screams. Image 2 replaces the cat who dances on its hind legs behind it and then beside it, in every shot. Keep the face shape, ears, fur colors, fur length and markings of each pet from its own image, on the whole body, the head, the legs and the tail, from the first frame, not the ears, coat or markings of the cats in the video. Each pet keeps the natural body volume and proportions of its own animal: never flattened, squashed, stretched or merged with anything. Each pet keeps its own face from the first frame to the last, also in the lunge at the camera at the end; never swap the two faces. If an image shows a dog or another animal, that animal takes the same place, standing upright on its hind legs and doing the same moves. Keep the white living room, the marble floor, the warm ceiling light, the motion, the cuts and the camera exactly as in the video.

1011 characters

Human

2 photos: person who screams + person who dancesSeedance 2.514 s · 720p · 9:16213 credits
Video prompt

Recreate the reference video [Video 1] shot for shot: the same red wooden fence with ivy, the same asphalt, the same daylight and wide lens, the same camera angles, cuts, timing and moves. The ONLY change: the black-and-white cat who screams in front is now the person in [Image 1], and the ginger cat who dances behind it is now the person in [Image 2]. Both are real people, standing on two feet. The one who screams = the person in [Image 1], in EVERY shot: copy the exact face from [Image 1] - face shape, eye color and eye shape, eyebrows, nose, mouth, skin tone, age, hair color, hair length and hairstyle, and any beard, moustache, glasses or freckles exactly as in the photo. They wear the clothes from [Image 1]. They grab their head with both hands and scream into the lens. The dancer = the person in [Image 2], in EVERY shot: copy the exact face from [Image 2] - face shape, eye color and eye shape, eyebrows, nose, mouth, skin tone, age, hair color, hair length and hairstyle, and any beard, moustache, glasses or freckles exactly as in the photo. They wear the clothes from [Image 2] and dance 1980s style. The same real people in every frame, from the first shot to the last, so their friends instantly recognize them. Never morph, never drift back to the original cats' faces, never add or remove facial hair. No cat ears, no fur, no tails, no paws, no collar and no bell. Do not mix the two faces: [Image 1] is only the one who screams, [Image 2] is only the dancer. Shots, matching the reference: 1. Close in front of the wide lens, the person from [Image 1] grabs their head with both hands and screams, while the person from [Image 2] dances behind them by the fence. 2. Both dance side by side in front of the red fence. 3. Low shot from the ground: both dance against the sky. 4. Both dance side by side again, then lunge at the camera with their hands out. Anatomy rules: one head per person, on that person's own shoulders. A face never appears on knees, legs, hands or clothes. Exactly two people, no animals. No text, no logos.

2058 characters

How many credits does it cost?

You pay per video in credits, and the create page displays the exact cost on the Generate button before any charges. The single-tap cost covers the video, created in one step from your photos and the trend clip, billed once. Each option has its own cost: Pet 168 credits, Human 213 credits. Lower-cost models are available if you run the prompts manually in AI Video.

Video modelSettingsCredits
Pet: H3 Max Recast (this template)14 s, 720p, recreates the trend clip, one tap168
Human: Seedance 2.5 (this template)14 s, 720p, recreates the trend clip, one tap213

One-time packs and plans are on the pricing page. A failed video gives its credits back.

What happens in the Smalltown Boy cats video, shot by shot?

Each option is a viral clip, and your two photos replace its two cats. The choreography, edits, camera work and setting transfer from the clip. Your version follows this structure:

BeatPet (living room reel)Human (red fence reel)
The yell (about 7 s)Your first pet stands upright in a bright white living room, clutches its head and yells. Your second pet grooves in the background.The first person stands near the wide-angle lens, clutches their head with both hands and yells. The second person grooves behind, near a red wooden fence with ivy.
The groove (about 5 s)Both groove together on marble flooring and swap positions in a wide frame.Both groove together in front of the fence, including one low angle from ground level against the sky.
The charge (last 2 s)Both charge the lens together.Both charge the lens together, hands extending into the camera.

Pet or Human? Pet places your two animals into the cat remix that gained the most traction, with a polished indoor aesthetic. Human places two people into the red fence version: the fence, ivy and daylight transfer from the original duo clip. Tap "Create your own" and select one, or tap the button beneath its clip on this page.

Why 14 seconds? The choreography in both clips runs about 21 seconds and begins with a first close-up. Your version uses the 14 seconds from the second yell through the final charge, preserving the yell, complete choreography and ending at a lower cost than the full clip.

How does Smew AI make it, and what does it cost?

Both options take the clip itself and substitute the pets or people from your two photos in place of its two cats, frame by frame. Pet uses MiniMax H3 Max Recast, and Human uses Seedance 2.5. No prompt needed.

PetHuman
Reel@zefosik, 8 October 2026@fluffyfishlover, 2 October 2026
ModelMiniMax H3 Max RecastSeedance 2.5
Length14 s14 s
FrameVertical 9:16, 768pVertical 9:16, 720p
SoundThe clip's original music, which you can disableThe same
TimeA few minutesUp to several minutes

The two options have separate costs. The exact cost appears on the Generate button before any charges, and the video waits in your Library once complete.

Why these models? In the yell and charge, the cats' faces dominate the frame. In our testing on other clips, cheaper reference models retained the clip's original characters in frames like these, so both options recreate the clip itself. Pet uses MiniMax H3 Max Recast because, in our cat clip testing, it maintained the two animals from the photos in place of the clip's two cats. Human uses Seedance 2.5 because, in our testing, it preserved the faces from the photos across every frame, including tight close-ups. It positions each person in a cat's location, wearing the person's own clothing.

What goes wrong, and how do you fix it?

ProblemFix
The two swap rolesPhoto 1 always yells first. Generate again with the photos in reversed order.
A pet retains the folded ears or markings of the cat in the clipUse a clearer photo where ears and fur are distinct, then generate again.
Cat ears, fur or a collar with a bell appear (Human)The cats in the red fence clip have them. The prompt blocks them; generate again.
A paw, hand or face blurs in the final frameThe clips blur there too: the two charge the lens. It's part of the aesthetic.
The video model rejects a photoSome photos get rejected. The credits return; attempt another photo.

Every generation is a fresh take, so outcomes vary. If a pet resembles its photo less, generate again.

Which sound, caption and hashtags should you post it with?

Your clip includes the clip's original music, which is the "Smalltown Boy" track, so it's ready to share as is. You can disable the music on the result screen and add audio when you share instead. On TikTok, the track is in the audio library, and a post with that audio appears on its audio page.

The track belongs to its rights holders, and Smew AI grants you no rights to it. Music policies vary by platform, so review them before using the clip in an advertisement or sponsored post.

Caption ideas: "They heard Smalltown Boy and lost it" (from the @fluffyfishlover caption), "Me and my sibling when the 80s song comes on", or your animals' names. Hashtags: both clips use #smalltownboy; @zefosik adds #dancingcat, and @fluffyfishlover adds #catdance and #catsoftiktok. Keep the platform's AI disclosure on.

Want your animals in more trends? Place them in the orange booth of the AI Hotel Lobby trend, or create one pet grooving solo with the AI dancing pet video.

FAQ

Smalltown Boy trend questions

What is the Smalltown Boy cats trend?
It's a viral AI video format from October 2026. Two cats stand upright: one clutches its head while yelling into a wide-angle lens as the other grooves behind, then both groove together to "Smalltown Boy", the 1984 track by Bronski Beat, before charging the camera. It reimagines a duo clip of two men at a red wooden fence.
How do I make the Smalltown Boy AI dance with my own pets?
Tap "Create your own" and select Pet or Human. Upload photo 1, the one who yells first, then photo 2, the one who grooves behind, and tap Generate. The button displays the cost first. You receive a 14-second vertical video with the music, in a few minutes for Pet and up to several minutes for Human. No prompt needed.
Can I use my dog, or a cat and a dog?
Yes. Any two animals can fill the roles: two cats, two dogs, or one of each. The prompt stands each animal upright on hind legs for identical moves and preserves its own fur and markings. The clips feature two cats, so two cats match them most closely.
Can I make it with people instead of pets?
Yes. Select Human. It substitutes the two people from your photos in place of the two cats in the red fence clip, wearing their own clothing, with identical moves and camera work. The clip features cats, so if a cat element appears, generate again.
Which song is used in the Smalltown Boy trend?
"Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat, released in May 1984. Your clip includes the clip's original audio, the track, and you can disable it on the result screen. The track belongs to its rights holders, and Smew AI grants you no rights to it.
What is the difference between Pet and Human?
Pet recreates the @zefosik clip from 8 October 2026, the most viral cat rendition: your two animals in a bright white living room with marble flooring. Human uses the @fluffyfishlover clip from 2 October 2026, in front of a red wooden fence with ivy like the original duo clip, with two people substituted for the cats. Both are 14 seconds long. Pet is created with MiniMax H3 Max Recast and Human with Seedance 2.5, so cost and wait time differ.
How long is the video and what format is it?
14 seconds, vertical 9:16, as an MP4 file with the music: 768p for Pet and 720p for Human. It includes the second yell, complete choreography and final charge from the clip.
Are the cats in the reels real?
No. Both clips are AI-created, and both are marked as AI-generated on TikTok. The cats, their choreography and the settings are generated. Your clip is AI-created too, so retain the AI disclosure when you share.
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Make your own Smalltown Boy video

Upload two photos and tap once. No prompt needed. 168 credits.

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