You probably know the hook. It’s sticky. It’s almost impossible to get out of your head once it takes up residence there. "I could be black, I could be white, I could be anything you like." For a lot of people, this is just "that song from TikTok" or a snippet of a transition video where someone changes their outfit five times in ten seconds. But the story behind these lyrics isn't just about a 15-second viral clip. It’s actually about a song called "Mr. Vain"—wait, no, that’s not it. It’s "Everything at Once" by the Australian singer-songwriter Lenka.
It’s funny how the internet works. A song can sit quietly for a decade and then suddenly explode because someone in a bedroom in Ohio decided it was the perfect beat for a makeup tutorial.
Where the "I Could Be Black I Could Be White" Lyrics Actually Came From
Lenka Kripac, known simply as Lenka, released "Everything at Once" as a promotional single for her second album, Two, back in 2011. If you were watching a lot of television around 2012, you might remember it from a massive Microsoft Windows 8 ad campaign. The song was everywhere. It was bouncy, upbeat, and used a series of similes to describe a desire to be everything at once—cool as a toad, tight as a knot, neat as a pin.
The specific line "I could be black, I could be white" is part of the bridge. Honestly, it’s the most simple part of the song, but it’s the part that stuck. Why? Because it’s a binary. It offers a visual contrast that creators love.
Why the Internet Obsesses Over This Specific Line
TikTok and Instagram Reels thrive on transformation. That is the currency of the digital age. When Lenka sings about being black or white, or anything you like, she’s singing about versatility and the human desire to embody every possible trait. On social media, this translated into a literal visual challenge.
Creators use the lyrics to showcase:
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- Goth vs. Soft Girl aesthetics.
- Before and after makeup transformations.
- Gender-bending fashion looks.
- Black and white film filters transitioning into high-saturation color.
It’s more than just a catchy tune. It provides a rhythmic blueprint for editing. The "I could be..." structure acts as a trigger for a cut. Snap. New outfit. Snap. New lighting. It’s basically a masterclass in how a song’s structure can dictate its longevity in a visual-first world.
The Lenka Effect: Not Just a One-Hit Wonder
A lot of people think Lenka disappeared after "The Show," which was her massive hit in 2008. You know the one—it sounded like a sunny afternoon in a sundress. But she’s been consistently working. The fact that "Everything at Once" became a viral sensation years after its release is a testament to her songwriting style. She writes "nursery rhymes for adults." They are deceptively simple.
They use basic metaphors. They use repetitive, almost hypnotic melodies.
If you look at the charts, the song actually hit number one in several countries, including Germany, long before TikTok was even a glimmer in ByteDance's eye. It’s a classic example of a "sleeper hit" that woke up, went back to sleep, and was rudely awakened by a smartphone app.
Misconceptions About the Lyrics
There’s some weird discourse online about what the lyrics actually mean. Some people try to read deep political or racial commentary into "I could be black, I could be white."
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Honestly? It’s not that deep.
Lenka has explained in various interviews that the song is about her own indecisiveness and the feeling of wanting to experience every facet of life. It’s about being a chameleon. When she says "I could be black, I could be white," she’s talking about colors and moods, not sociopolitical identity. It’s a song about a person who doesn't want to be pigeonholed into one "version" of themselves.
We all feel that, right? Some days you want to be "as brave as a lion" and other days you just want to be "as quiet as a mouse." The song is a laundry list of human contradictions.
The Technical Side of Virality
If you’re a creator trying to rank or get noticed, you have to understand the audio-visual sync. The reason this specific track works is because of the BPM (Beats Per Minute). It’s at a walking pace—roughly 128 BPM—which is the "golden ratio" for pop music and dance.
It’s fast enough to be energetic but slow enough that you can actually change a shirt or flip your hair between the lyrics.
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What You Can Learn From the "I Could Be Black I Could Be White" Trend
If you are a marketer, a musician, or just someone curious about why some things go viral while others die in obscurity, there are three big takeaways here:
- Simplicity wins. Complexity is great for novels, but for the internet, you want similes that a five-year-old understands. "Sly as a fox." "Strong as an ox." These are universal concepts.
- Visual triggers. If your content (or music) has a built-in "change" point, people will use it to show off their own lives or skills.
- The "Lindy Effect." This is the idea that the longer something has survived, the longer it’s likely to survive. Lenka’s music has a timeless, folk-pop quality that doesn't sound "dated" to a 2026 ear. It sounds like it could have been written yesterday or thirty years ago.
How to Find the Song Now
If you want to hear the full version and not just the looped TikTok edit, look for the "Everything at Once" official music video. It’s a quirky, black-and-white (mostly) piece of performance art featuring two Lenkas dancing in synchronized, mirrored movements. It perfectly captures the "I could be this or that" theme.
Actually, the video itself likely inspired a lot of the early TikTok trends. It features shadow puppetry and hand movements that are basically the 2011 version of a "hand dance" challenge.
Next Steps for Content Enthusiasts
If you're looking to use this track or similar "transformation" audio for your own projects, don't just copy what everyone else is doing. The trend has evolved. Instead of just changing outfits, try using the "as [blank] as a [blank]" structure to tell a story about your business, your fitness journey, or even a recipe.
The "I could be black, I could be white" era proved that the internet loves a dichotomy. Find your own "black and white" contrast and lean into it. Just make sure you credit Lenka—she’s the one who gave us the earworm in the first place.