John Mayer has compared his guitar playing skills to “the kid in school who could turn his eyelids inside out”.
The ‘Neon’ musician – whose talents on his hit song have become a TikTok trend – introduced the track at his first show at the Los Angeles Forum over the weekend, and he joked his skills are actually a “freako thing”.
As reported by Billboard, he said: “I feel bad because I have thumbs like a mile long.
“You know, like, the kid in school who could turn his eyelids inside out? That’s sort of what this is. It’s this one freako thing that I can do.”
Last year, TikTok went wild after Mayer shared a “guitar tip” on playing his 1999 track, which involved using the thumb and index finger on the strings, which some people struggled with.
Reflecting on the song and the craze, John added: “[‘Neon’] is interesting to me because it’s one of my oldest songs, and I would have thought that time would just send it down the assembly line and the older songs go in the back and the newer songs go in the front.
“But, suddenly, this song now feels like a TikTok trick shot video challenge song and I feel kind of bad about it, because I wrote this song when I was playing alone in bookstores and cafés and stuff and wanted to get people’s attention.
“It’s a little cynical in the sense that it’s like, a little bit of circus trick.”
Earlier this month, the 44-year-old singer/songwriter revealed he was leaving Columbia Records after 21 years to “pursue new avenues of making music”.
He wrote: “After 21 years, eight studio albums, and some wonderful personal and creative relationships, I have decided not to renew my recording agreement with Columbia Records. Hard as it is to say goodbye, I’m excited to pursue new avenues of making music, both of my own and with other artists.
“I love music more than ever, and I believe some of my best work still lies ahead. With gratitude and enthusiasm, John.”