Everyone likes to think they’re special. The problem is, most people are stunningly average. Rather than admit to this, some people will try to claim that their totally normal path through the world is actually extraordinary and much more sophisticated than yours.

A big place where this occurs is TikTok. Recently, one trend has taken over the platform: People claiming that they have “polyphonic perception.”

If you’re wondering what this means, it means nothing; it’s made up. But if we’re to take it on the TikTokers’ terms, it means “being able to hear and distinguish different instruments in music.” These TikTokers will claim that some people will hear music as one unified block, while others will hear it as individual instruments.

The problem with this thinking is that pretty much everyone can hear individual instruments if they focus hard enough on the music. Are some people more able to do this than others? Probably, but the limited studies that have actually looked at this sort of thing have shown that pretty much everyone, including both musicians and non-musicians, can do this and, in fact, *have* to do this in everyday life.

Think about it — if you go to a party and want to talk to somebody, you’ll have to listen to them *and* the background music at the same time. I know, crazy! If you can understand what that other person is saying, while *also* realizing that someone is playing “Teenage Dirtbag” on the Bluetooth speaker for the fifth time, congratulations, you have “polyphonic perception.” You probably also have object permanence, but no one’s bragging about that on TikTok!

Plus, and not to harp on this, but on TikTok, the music that people are using to demonstrate this “skill” is generally mid-aughts era rap or R&B — which was an era dominated by beats that contained only a few layers of instrumentation. Not hating on this style of production, by the way — I’m just saying that you don’t need to have special skills to be able to hear the “nuance” of Soulja Boy’s “Crank Dat.”

Just go back to enjoying music like everybody else!

@drewonthekeys Never knew this was called Polyphonic Perception, but I started to hear every little detail in songs since I started producing music #polyphonicperception#polyphonic#perception#musicproducer#iknow♬ I Know - JAY-Z

@sienna.bry What’s your experience with listening to music? #polyphonicperception#music#producertok#producer#musician#musiciansoftiktok#artist#perception#singing#songs#polyphonicsinging#nuerodivergent#neurospicy#adhd#autism#audhd♬ original sound - Sienna

Who else can relate? pic.twitter.com/NXZu3mojYY

— Light Em Up Abuja (@heisbayo_) July 16, 2025