What Does 'Reheating Nachos' Mean? Viral Music Trend Explained

Nachos have taken over social media, but we're not talking about actual food.

Users on TikTok and X have recently been posting non-stop about pop stars "reheating nachos" — a peculiar viral phrase fandoms are now using to describe artists who are recreating or revisiting nostalgic music styles.

According to Dexerto, the idea of a person "reheating" someone else's nachos appears to have stemmed from a Baddies West scene that went viral on TikTok.

In the 2023 reality TV clip, reality star Natalie Nunn has her eyes locked on rapper Stunna Girl’s nachos. (Yes, they're actual nachos in this case.)

"You can tell Natalie lowkey wanted Stunna Girls’ nachos," the viral clip is captioned, implying the one is acting covetous of what the other has.

What Does It Mean to 'Reheat' Someone's Nachos?

Although the original video featuring Natalie Nunn and Stunna Girl is focused on actual nachos, fans of various artists have adopted the phrase as a metaphor for an artist revisiting their own or other musicians' previously successful or influential music as a source of inspiration.

Simply put, if someone is "reheating" someone's nachos, it means they're following in the footsteps of someone creatively.

One of the earliest instances of an artist being called out for supposedly copying another artist's style came from this Jan. 24 tweet about Tate McRae, in which an X user argued that the pop star "keeps on trying to reheat Nelly Furtado's nachos but the microwave keeps on breaking."

The metaphor isn't inherently negative or accusatory, however.

One of the biggest artists fans are calling out for "reheating nachos" is Lady Gaga, who has apparently reheated her own nachos by revisiting the dark dance-pop of her early career.

Little Monsters latched on to the phrase following the release of Gaga's latest single, "Abracadabra."

The electric bop off her upcoming album Mayhem has been compared to the Grammy winner's earlier hits, such as "Bad Romance" and "Alejandro."

Another popular example right now is TikTok star-turned-pop princess Addison Rae, whose recent music career has been compared to that of Britney Spears.

Below, check out more tweets about musicians reheating each other's (or their own!) nachos.

Barrier-Breaking Women in Music

To celebrate these pioneers, Stacker used data from primary news sources to compile a list of 50 women who broke barriers in the music industry. Many of these names are well-known; but are you familiar with know about one of the first Indian singers who won over crowds in North America? What about the rock star who opened up doors for hip-hop icons? Or the pop star who became an owner of a professional football team?

Gallery Credit: Seth Berkman