Someone rises slowly into frame, stares down the camera, grabs their head and starts an argument with whoever is filming — mouthing every word of "BAD TIMES". Now swap that someone for a cat. That's the Bad Times trend, and here's how to make your own version from a single photo.
The original trend clip. Our template keeps these moves, this camera and this timing, and puts you — or your pet — in the argument.
What is the Bad Times AI trend?
The trend recreates a TikTok by the French creator @bouuhyachaka, captioned "Ça va barder!!". In one handheld take she has an over-the-top argument with the person holding the phone, lip-syncing "BAD TIMES" by Imael Angel the whole time. The moves everyone copies:
- The slow rise: bent low, then slowly straightening up to stare at the camera.
- Head in hands: grabbing the head in disbelief.
- The pointing finger: jabbing at whoever is filming.
- "Hold on": both palms up, then the lunge until the face fills the lens.
- Arms up: a step back, arms flung up, still arguing.
People then started making the same video with their pets — cats and dogs standing on their hind legs to argue with the camera — and by late September 2026, "bad times ai" had become a search of its own.
Is "Bad Times" by Imael Angel an AI song?
There's no confirmed answer yet. "BAD TIMES" is a deep-house track credited to Imael Angel, released on March 30, 2026 on the artist's own label, Imael Angel Records (2:48, with a 6:40 long version and an extended version later). The Extended Version reached No. 1 on Shazam's global chart in July 2026, the song peaked at No. 4 on the UK Official Singles Sales Chart, and the official video passed 43 million YouTube views in October 2026.
The artist's profile describes a "deep house producer and Reiki master". As of October 2026, neither the artist nor the label has said how the song was made. Lyric sites tag it as AI and many listeners believe it is AI-generated, but that rests on the sound and the artist's release pace, not on a statement, so treat confident claims either way with care.
How to make the Bad Times AI video in 3 steps
- Upload one photo. A clear, well-lit photo of one person or one pet, face sharp and forward. For people, the upper body in frame; for pets, the whole body at eye level.
- Pick the model, length and quality. Budget (Seedance 2.0 Mini) and Balanced (Seedance 2.0 Fast) render 10 or 15 seconds; Premium (Seedance 2.5) renders up to the whole 30-second take. Choose 480p or 720p, or 1080p on Premium.
- Generate and download. Your photo is reviewed, then the video renders in a few minutes. You get a vertical 9:16 MP4 with the song and no watermark, ready for TikTok, Reels or Shorts.
Using a photo of your pet
Pet photos work as well as photos of people, and the template treats them differently:
- Your pet stands up on its hind legs and does the same routine as the original.
- It stays a real animal. Paws stay paws — no human hands, no cartoon face. Birds keep their wings and beaks.
- It lip-syncs with its own mouth, moving with the rhythm of the song.
The best pet photos are taken at your pet's eye level, with its whole body in frame and good light. Fur colour, markings and breed all come from the photo.
Which photo works best?
- One subject per photo. Crop group shots to the one you mean — two faces can blend.
- Face sharp and forward, eyes visible. Front or three-quarter views work best.
- Bright, even light keeps skin tone, fur and features steady through the fast moves.
- Empty hands. Anything held in the photo is left out, and the moves need free hands.
- Your own room. The photo's background is extended into a vertical frame, so the argument happens where the photo was taken.
Celebrity photos and film stills don't pass review. Only use photos of yourself, your pets or people who agreed to appear.
What does it cost?
Every video's price is shown before you generate, and depends on the model, length and quality. Videos start at 4 credits (Budget, 10 seconds, 480p); a 15-second Balanced video at 480p costs 12; the whole 30-second take on Premium costs 30 credits at 480p, 68 at 720p and 120 at 1080p. Each account's first full 480p video costs just 20 credits. Credit packs start at $9.90 for 20 credits, with no subscription, and credits come back automatically if a render fails or a photo is rejected.
Posting your video
The song is already in the MP4, synced to the moves. When you post, TikTok or Instagram may match it to the official sound — you can swap it in from the app. Label the video as AI-generated, as the platforms ask, and add the trend's hashtags: #BadTimes #BadTimesTrend.
Bad Times AI is an independent tool, not affiliated with Imael Angel, the song's label or the trend's original creator.