John Mayer posted his firstTikTok on Monday.- Fans bombarded the video's comment section with messages defending his ex
Taylor Swift . - Several hours later, he posted a second TikTok pretending to listen to the people "berating" him.
John Mayer seemingly responded to TikTok users that bombarded his first video with comments defending his ex Taylor Swift.
On Monday, the 43-year-old "Gravity" singer had his first foray into TikTok, sharing a video of himself struggling to flip the camera to selfie mode.
"How do use tik tok ## how do you use tik tok google.con how to use tik tok," he captioned the video.
@johnmayer How do use tik tok ## how do you use tik tok google.con how to use tik tok
♬ original sound - johnmayer
The comment section, however, seemed more focused on Mayer's former relationship with Swift, now 31, than his video-making skills.
"We will never forget what you did to our girl Taylor," one person wrote.
Another said, "John don't you think 19 was too young?" in reference to "Dear John," Swift's track widely believed to be written about Mayer.
One fan added, "Taylor would know how to flip the camera."
—josh (@kingofmyexile) March 2, 2021
Some even played off Swift's lyrics to tell Mayer that he should leave the app.
One person commented, "soon you'll look back and regret how u ignored when we said 'run as fast as u can' off this app," while another tweeted, "dear john, please get off tiktok."
—rodolfo (@radalfo1) March 2, 2021
—jess⁷ (@room1602) March 2, 2021
Mayer appeared to respond to Swift's fans in his 2nd TikTok
Several hours later, Mayer posted a second video in which he appeared to respond to the comments left by Swift's fans. The Dead & Company band member pretended to be engaged in a conversation with the disgruntled TikTok users.
"POV: You're berating me and I'm hearing you out," he wrote on the video.
@johnmayer I’m here (for you)
♬ original sound - johnmayer
In his third TikTok, also shared Monday, the guitarist sang, "That was a weird day. That was a real weird day."
@johnmayer more fun tomorrow
♬ original sound - johnmayer
However, the responses just led to more trolling online
TikTok users began dueting Mayer's clips on the app, so that their videos would play alongside his. The fans could be seen doing everything from singing Swift's songs to "berating @JohnMayer as he asked."
—mini (taylor's version) (@labourtswift) March 2, 2021
—ZeeAvi♐ (@ZeeAvi) March 2, 2021
@trumpenstein #duet with @johnmayer
♬ original sound - johnmayer
@lil_t0m_t0m #duet with @johnmayer you should’ve known #taylorswift #swiftie #swifttok #fyp
♬ original sound - johnmayer
@pimpdaddyyy69 #duet with @johnmayer #fyp #greenscreen #McDonaldsCCSing #VideoSnapChallenge #taylorswift #swiftie #swiftok #dearjohn
♬ original sound - johnmayer
@haze.ee #duet with @johnmayer #dearjohn #taylorswift
♬ original sound - johnmayer
Not only did Swift's fans continue to leave comments about the "Folklore" artist on Mayer's TikToks, but the conversation carried over to Twitter.
By Tuesday morning, Mayer's name was trending on the platform.
—ava (@wenselava) March 2, 2021
—quin (@_sadnudes) March 2, 2021
—Sam Proud (@proudsam23) March 2, 2021
—cami (taylor's version) (@tisthedamncami) March 2, 2021
Mayer's introduction to the app came just 1 week after TikTokers resurfaced troubling anecdotes about his past relationships
Mayer's less-than-warm welcome to TikTok comes a week after he spoke out about The New York Times documentary "Framing Britney Spears," which examines the misogynistic treatment toward the young pop star at the apex of her fame.
The musician said he grew emotional watching the documentary and "almost cried five times."
"To go through this and come out the other side OK is to have infinite grace for those who struggle with it," he told Andy Cohen on SiriusXM, as Insider's Callie Ahlgrim reported.
He continued, "I came out OK ... I have a very strong feeling that part of that is because I'm a man. And I have a very strong feeling that a lot of these things that happen to female performers is endemic to being female."
The documentary has led to a national conversation surrounding the public's sexist scrutiny of women in the spotlight, which has at times worked to men's advantage. To many of Swift's fans, Mayer is one of those men.
After Mayer shared his sentiments about "Framing Britney Spears," TikTok and Twitter users called him out by wading through stories from his exes, many of whom accused him of manipulative behavior.
Some of the anecdotes cited came from Jessica Simpson's book as well as Swift's track "Dear John," which describes a toxic relationship with an older man.
—emamma mia here we go again (@evemmore) February 24, 2021
—dick van yikes (@slightly_raven) February 24, 2021
—Elsa’s Cool 2021 Tweets (@kegelwoman) February 24, 2021
The musicians reportedly dated more than a decade ago
Mayer and Swift are rumored to have dated between 2009 and 2010.
After they split, Swift released a track on her third studio album "Speak Now" titled "Dear John." According to Rolling Stone, Swift said that the song's subject was very straightforward.
"There are things that were little nuances of the relationship, little hints," she said, according to the outlet. She added, "Everyone will know, so I don't really have to send out emails on this one."
Mayer told Rolling Stone in 2012 that he was "really caught off-guard" and "humiliated" by the song.
"I will say as a songwriter that I think it's kind of cheap songwriting," he said, continuing, "I know she's the biggest thing in the world, and I'm not trying to sink anybody's ship, but I think it's abusing your talent to rub your hands together and go, 'Wait till he gets a load of this!' That's bulls---."
In 2013, Mayer released a song called "Paper Doll," which many people interpreted as a rebuttal to Swift's "Dear John." He never confirmed the inspiration behind the track, though.
However the lyrics, "You're like 22 girls in one," seemed to reference Swift's song "22," released the year prior.
And the line, "Make yourself some angel wings and if those angel wings don't fly someone's gonna paint you another sky," appeared to be a direct response to the "Dear John" lyrics: "You paint me a blue sky and go back and turn it to rain."