How this 21-year-old college student used AI to build his ‘Learning with Lyrics’ Instagram and TikTok accounts
In an era where educational content often struggles to capture attention, Cashen Tomlinson, a 21-year-old marketing major from California State University in Long Beach, has found a unique way to engage audiences through his innovative project “Learning with Lyrics.” Launched in September, this social media phenomenon combines catchy, AI-generated songs with intriguing facts about everyday objects and concepts, such as why manhole covers are round or how vending machines detect fake coins. With a rapidly growing following of 900,000 on Instagram and 548,000 on TikTok, Tomlinson’s engaging approach to education has struck a chord, particularly among viewers aged 25 to 35, who appreciate the blend of humor and learning.
Tomlinson’s process is a fascinating mix of creativity and technology. He begins by researching topics that pique his curiosity, then uses AI tools to generate a detailed brief about each subject. After verifying the information for accuracy, he employs Google’s Gemini to draft song lyrics, which he meticulously polishes to ensure clarity and memorability. The final touch involves using an AI music generator called Suno to create catchy tunes reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s style, complete with an AI-generated female vocalist. The visuals are crafted from a combination of stock footage, custom animations, and AI-generated clips, culminating in a polished and entertaining product that keeps viewers coming back for more. Each video takes him about five hours to complete, and so far, he has earned a few thousand dollars through TikTok’s creator rewards program, a thrilling achievement for a college student.
The appeal of “Learning with Lyrics” lies not only in its catchy melodies but also in the clever way it presents educational content. Tomlinson acknowledges that while some may dismiss it as “brainrot,” he believes the captivating nature of his videos serves a greater purpose by making learning enjoyable and accessible. The comment sections of his posts reflect this sentiment, with viewers expressing their love for the songs and their desire to listen to them repeatedly. As Tomlinson continues to explore new topics and refine his craft, “Learning with Lyrics” exemplifies how the intersection of AI technology and creativity can transform the educational landscape, making learning a fun and engaging experience for all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frHuos_aMkY
Cashen Tomlinson, the 21 year old behind “Learning with Lyrics”, which makes catchy AI tunes about steamrollers.
Cashen Tomlinson / Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images
“Learning with Lyrics” is a surprise hit on Reels and
TikTok
.
It features AI-generated songs about how things are made.
A 21-year-old college student in California created the account, which uses Taylor Swift-sounding songs.
Have you ever wondered why manhole covers are round instead of square? Or who invented the steamroller? Or why giant steel coils are transported on their sides instead of flat?
Sure, you can do a simple Google search to find out. But what you
really
might need is a video set to an AI-generated song that sounds like
Taylor Swift
if she went through a messy breakup with construction equipment.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Learning with Lyrics! (@learningwithlyrics)
This is Learning with Lyrics, which has an Instagram account with 900,000 followers and a
TikTok
account with 548,000 followers. I kept coming across these videos, so I did some investigating: I was surprised to find that a 21-year-old marketing major at California State University in Long Beach was behind the account.
It’s an illustration of what someone with an idea and access to off-the-shelf AI tools can make these days. It’s pretty fascinating.
“I’ve always been someone who’s curious about stuff,” Cashen Tomlinson told me about his inspiration for starting the channels, which launched in September. Tomlinson said he loved videos about how things were made, and came up with the idea to make some of his own, setting them to songs.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Learning with Lyrics! (@learningwithlyrics)
Tomlinson comes up with the ideas for the subjects of the videos: like how vending machines detect fake coins, how Post-it Notes work, or what causes airplane contrails. Then, he gets to work — with AI at his side.
“I use AI to generate a detailed research brief on the topic at hand, then I personally verify everything to ensure my facts are 100% correct,” he said.
Then, that’s where the catchy songs come in. He instructs Google’s Gemini to create a rough draft of the lyrics. “The real work during the lyrics creation is the polish, where I rewrite all the hooks, simplify or reword complex terms, reduce wordiness and increase clarity, ensure the outro is memorable, etc.,” he said.
Tomlinson then uses the AI music generator tool
Suno
to produce a song — often the same melody for different videos, with the sound of an AI-generated female vocalist.
For the visuals, he uses a mix of stock footage, his own custom animations, and video clips he generates with AI tools like Veo or Sora.
And yes, the girl in the profile image for the @LearningwithLyrics social accounts is also AI-generated.
@garfunklez
i’m so very anti AI but her songs are getting GOOD
#ai
#comedy
#fyp
#learningwithlyrics
♬ original sound – Learning with Lyrics!
Tomlinson told me it usually takes him two or three hours to make the song, and about 5 hours total for each video. So far, he says he’s made a few thousand dollars through the
TikTok creator rewards program
, which was thrilling for a college kid.
While it may seem, at first glance, that these videos are aimed at children, Tomlinson says his main audience is 25-to 35-year-olds.
The comment sections show a devotion to the catchy songs. Some samples: “This is my favorite Taylor Swift song” (of course, it’s not her), and “How do I download this to my phone and listen to it on repeat forever?”
@paulderpapst
I watched one video about steel coils
#learnwithlyrics
#steelcoil
#icecreamsandwich
♬ original sound – Learning with Lyrics!
It’s hard to describe exactly what’s so fun about these videos. Sure, they’re catchy, and “How it’s made” videos have always had an appeal. But there’s something about the AI voice that takes it to a level where you can’t totally tell if it’s ironic or not.
Tomlinson doesn’t think of this as
brainrot
, however. “I think the reason you might call it [brainrot] is because it’s so captivating and you can’t really look away from it,” he said. “But I think it’s kind of good that these videos are something you can’t look away from, because it’s something that’s actually teaching you something interesting.”
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Business Insider
