Review: Does the app Musical.ly live up to its hype?

Take Dubsmash to a higher level and you have Musical.ly —where you can lip sync to not only dialogues, but also popular songs. It works in a similar way — users shoot short videos and post them on the app, and on various social media websites. You can choose from a whole host of new and classic songs — though many are unavailable in India due to copyright reasons. You have the option of choosing a song from your phone’s library, though the feature didn’t load on our phone despite multiple attempts.

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It scores over Dubsmash though, letting users (termed ‘musers’) tamper with the speed of the video — choose from ultra slow to hyper speed. You can even shoot in a time-lapse mode, apply filters and tinker around some more. A good number of users choose to show off their dance skills and many lip sync with their friends.

Launched in 2014, the app has made stars out of many. US-based 13-year-old singer Jacob Sartorius even got a record label deal thanks to his popularity on the app.

As with all apps that appeal to the Narcissus in us, this one thrives on the popular social media hashtag, #followforfollow. Presently, Muscial.ly has a larger user base outside of India, but there’s a feature that lets you filter by city.

Musical.ly’s primary target audience is teens, and their one of the only videos you’re likely to come across. T-shirts and caps with ‘SWAG’ written on them often make an appearance. As do teenage boys with freshly— sprouted moustaches and threaded eyebrows (even we can’t explain that). The app has also familiarised us with the interiors of several bedrooms. If Snapchat made you feel old, don’t even dare installing Musical.ly.