There is something about being suspended 35,000 feet above ground, alone amid the clouds, that can stir up deep feelings of solitude. A new viral TikTok trend has captured this emotion, as users soundtrack their travels—or reflections on going it alone—with Olivia Dean’s new song Baby Steps.
The ballad, from her latest album The Art Of Loving released in September, explores the different dimensions of falling in and out of love. It has so far been used in over 7,000 videos, many of which have gone viral.
One lyric in particular has struck a chord with listeners: “Now there’s no one to text when the plane lands / Or to call when it’s taking off.”
Experts suggest the sentiment resonates at a time when people are lonelier than ever—in 2023 the U.S. surgeon general declared loneliness a public health epidemic. A cultural shift is also underway, with more women moving away from traditional milestones. According to Wells Fargo Economics, 52% of U.S. women were unmarried or separated in 2021, up 20% from a decade earlier.
But for many, the song is not about sadness but empowerment.
‘A mantra for resilience’
TikToker Madi Beumee, (@madibeumee) 28, used the song in a video of her move from New York to Boston after a breakup, which received over 700,000 views. She told Newsweek she wanted to reach others taking their first “baby steps” alone and remind them that “the making of” just might be the best chapter yet.
“I hear it as an anthem or reflection of the recent shift we’ve seen in women owning their ‘singleness’ and building a full life on their own terms. I hear it as a mantra for resilience,” she added.
She explained that she had embraced solo adventures, from Paris trips to concerts, and found confidence in becoming her own “safe hands.”
Haley Grey (@haley_grey), 28, from Los Angeles, echoed this perspective. Her video of a departing flight paired with Dean’s song gained more than 463,000 views. She described Dean’s latest album “for the girls who are still holding onto their lover girl side.”
She described the lyrics about plane landings and takeoffs as deeply personal. Traveling solo had become one of her favorite things, she said, though she admitted that moments of returning home to an empty house sometimes felt lonely.
“‘Baby steps’ feels like that reminder to push through those moments and look at the bigger picture. For me, that’s how lucky I am to have this independence right now and that I won’t have that forever,” she told Newsweek.
Katie (@itskatieyowyow), whose nighttime video of Downtown Los Angeles using the song garnered nearly 300,000 views, said the track captured what many women in their 30s are facing.
“There have been so many articles about how dating is challenging and tough, and how people say we’re either too picky or that we have high expectations. At the same time, we’re not willing to settle. We know life is precious and special, so we’re willing to wait for the right person and take our time with it,” she told Newsweek.
She also highlighted the importance of celebrating milestones outside of relationships, such as buying a first home or earning a promotion, which often receive less recognition than engagements or weddings.
Actress Amaya White (@yourstrulyamaya), who danced joyfully to the song in a video viewed over 177,000 times, said Dean’s lyrics perfectly encapsulated what it feels like to date and grow into new versions of oneself during one’s twenties.
“It’s a reminder that things will change, but you’re living life for the first time so it will take baby steps to get through the good and bad times,” the New Yorker told Newsweek.
Julia (@jjsnotsolavishlife) 27, from Los Angeles, said she became a fan of Dean’s music at just the right time. Her TikTok reaction to the lyrics about having no one to text when landing, filmed while enjoying a matcha, pulled in over half a million views.
She said Dean’s album captured the highs and lows of modern love, including the quiet sadness of independence and the enduring desire for connection. Songs like Baby Steps, she explained, allowed her to embrace her independence while acknowledging that the longing for intimacy still lingers.
“For me, that song and the entire album beautifully illustrate the highs and lows of love, and specifically the challenge of loving yourself when all you really want is to be loved by others.” she said.
A universal experience
Experts believe the trend’s popularity is less about loneliness itself and more about a shared desire for connection.
Connection coach Shari Leid pointed out that lyrics like “Now there’s no one to text when the plane lands” become powerful because they give shape to universal experiences of absence. On TikTok, she said, the line has become a mirror of Gen Z’s struggle to turn constant online connection into genuine belonging.
“In a world where social feeds pulse 24/7, those words by Olivia Dean land like a quiet truth bomb, echoing the silent spaces between notifications. On TikTok, the line has become a trend, a meme, a litmus test for something larger: a generation’s struggle to turn constant connection into genuine belonging,” she told Newsweek.
Dr Margie Warrell, who studies human development, said moments of silence—such as having no one to text when landing—hit hardest because they reveal our deep need for belonging.
“In our hyper-connected world, we’ve grown accustomed to constant connection via our digital devices. So when that expected ping isn’t there, the silence feels really loud. The absence shines a spotlight on loneliness. Many young people have grown up with technology as their primary tool for affirmation and connection. It shapes expectations and we expect connection to be immediate, constant, and validating. When reality doesn’t deliver, the gap can feel stark and isolating,” she told Newsweek.
Psychologist Emily Bly observed that digital culture has made boredom and emptiness harder to bear. In the past, people developed self-soothing skills during quiet moments, but smartphones now provide instant comfort.
“When no one is on the other end of the line we are hit double: first by the fact that we are lonely and no one is available, and second by the fact that our reflexive reaching for instant gratification failed us. All of the times that we are instantly able to soothe with the touch of a button, the swipe of a screen do not prepare us well for the times when ‘no one is home,'” Bly told Newsweek.
Ciara Bogdanovic, a licensed psychotherapist, added that constant phone use amplifies the absence of connection. A missed text or call feels sharper because devices keep us tuned to what’s missing rather than what’s present.
“This lyric resonates with people because it shows how our phones make the absence of connection feel even bigger and it amplifies our longing. It highlights how technology can magnify the ache of disconnection rather than soothe it,” she told Newsweek.
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