What Is the Maui Wowie Challenge?
Maui Wowie is a trending TikTok challenge in which people hang from street signs or traffic lights while singing or lip-syncing to the song.
The trend quickly gained popularity, with both ordinary users and celebrities joining in. In the Philippines, Darren Espanto helped boost the trend when he performed the song live on the variety show ASAP, inspiring many others to try the challenge.
The song Maui Wowie is by American rapper Kid Cudi and was released in 2008 on his first mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi. It was produced by Cudi and Plain Pat and incorporates parts of the songs I’m So High by Grind Mode and Let’s Get Lifted by John Legend. The lines “Goin’ back to Honolulu just to get that / That Maui Wowie, that Maui Wowie” are the ones most commonly used in the trend. While “Maui Wowie” refers to a famous Hawaiian cannabis strain known for its tropical flavor and relaxing effects, the TikTok challenge is not related to that. Instead, it focuses on holding on with one arm while singing, often showcasing fitness, style, or creativity.
The trend started with TikTok user @aaronxbrownn, who filmed himself hanging from a traffic sign. Many others followed, including Haley Kalil and Filipino celebrities such as Shuvee Etrata and Anthony Constantino. Espanto’s dramatic and emotional performance stood out and became a meme, inspiring even more impersonations by celebrities like Anne Curtis, Kyle Echarri, and Jason Dy.
Espanto shared videos of these impersonations on his Instagram and even recreated his own performance in an exaggerated way, thanking fans for supporting his version and jokingly calling himself “Maui Wowiespanto.” The trend shows how a song from over ten years ago can return in a fun, creative way, giving people a shared experience filled with humor and entertainment.