6.1.2022

TikTok Treats, Week of May 30th

Kendrick Lamar Ponders the Passage of Time, Harry Styles Shares a Jam for Japanese Eateries, and Stranger Things Inspires a Kate Bush Renaissance

The News:

Each week, the TikTok Treats newsletter gives a snapshot of the state of music on TikTok, touching on trending hits, emerging artists, superstar moves, ascendant memes, and much more. This week, see trends from superstars like Harry Styles and Kendrick Lamar alongside boom bap deep cuts, 80s art pop classics, and romantic country:

- Kendrick Lamar shook the world when he officially released Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, his highly-anticipated album and his first since 2017’s DAMN. The TikTok community found a creative way to emphasize the long wait for new music from Kendrick using his song, “United In Grief.” Reaching over 118K+ creations, Kendrick inspires creators to share their journeys over the course of five years using the hashtag #1855days, which boasts over 17.2M+ views to date. Using his emphatic opener, “I’ve been going through something, 1855 days/I’ve been going through something,” creators share old photos from 2017 and reveal how they look now. For some creators, their glow up journey consists of weight loss, graduating from college, and transitioning from geek to chic.
- If you’re looking for a track perfect for both a delicious meal and your latest TikTok masterpiece, look no further than Harry Styles’ 80s Pop–inspired track “Music For a Sushi Restaurant.” The opening track from his new album Harry’s House, and a newly-minted Top 10 Billboard Hit, “Music For a Sushi Restaurant” is making its way through the platform, garnering over 79K+ creations. Creators are happily engaging with the lively sound, using it to soundtrack cute one-year-old babies in their toy cars, roller skating excursions that end with skate bestie run ins, and the best recipes for a refreshing Aperol spritz cocktail. Some creators are even using sound to show off groovy dance moves befitting a roommate date in a sushi restaurant.
- Singer-songwriter, and Real Housewives of Atlanta reality tv star Kandi Burruss has the TikTok community feeling themselves with her track “Legs, Hips, Body” (30.2K+ creations). A collaboration with singer D. Woods, fellow RHOA star Porsha Williams, and media personality Funky Dineva, created for the 2014 Kandi-produced play A Mother’s Love, the song’s appearance in a recent TikTok creation on Kandi’s account sparked its unexpected resurgence eight years later. Creators are loving the sound, using it to comedically display its similar vibe to the Temple Run theme song, attempt to convince their partner to go to bed instead of packing, and strut their stuff before boarding a plane.
- The TikTok community has mastered the skill of refreshing throwback songs with new context and ideas. This week, creators are channeling their nostalgia as they vibe out to The Beatnuts 2001 song, “Se Acabo” ft. Method Man (3.1M+ creations). Using TikTok’s disposable fisheye lens filter, creators wear their favorite shades and bop their heads to the song’s upbeat introduction – whether by themselves or with their besties. In other creations, “Se Acabo” soundtracks mini vlogs, wardrobe recommendations, and Mercedes truck makeovers.
- With the release of the highly-anticipated fourth season of Stranger Things has come the resurgence of Kate Bush’s 1985 classic “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God).” The song has taken over TikTok since appearing in the premiere of the acclaimed show’s fourth season, garnering over 168.8K+ creations. Creators use the new wave genre track to engage in all things Stranger Things, including admitting to how the show impacted their lives, taking Stranger Things character quizzes, and even showing how they watch the show in their 80s-themed room. Thirty-seven years since its debut, the track is topping charts, reaching #1 on iTunes’ Songs Chart (All-Genres) over the weekend.
- Time and time again, TikTok provides the perfect platform for artists to test the temperature of their unreleased music. After previewing his debut single “5 Foot 9” (56.7K+ creations) on TikTok in early May, country singer Tyler Hubbard helped create a bubbling trend among TikTok creators. Inspired by his catchy hook, “God makes 5 foot 9, brown eyes, in a sundress/Loves Tim McGraw and a small town accent,” creators reveal their height, eye color, and their interests across a series of photos of themselves. Even if their height isn’t 5’9”, creators use the country song as a moment to introduce themselves to their followers. Tyler Hubbard also interacted with the trend on the platform, using the song to describe his wife – who is surprisingly not 5’9”!

Earlier this week, an interstellar emissary landed on TikTok–legendary rock band Pink Floyd joined the platform, along with their incredible catalog of songs. Arriving in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their landmark Dark Side Of The Moon, Pink Floyd will be regularly posting unique video content that will continue their legacy of using memorable images to enhance their music. Creators can do their part by using incredible songs like “Another Brick in the Wall (Part II),” “Money,” and “Comfortably Numb” in their videos, or by determining once and for all if Dark Side actually syncs with The Wizard Of Oz.

Read more about Pink Floyd’s new account on the Newsroom: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-gb/welcoming-pink-floyd-and-their-music-to-tiktok

Check TikTok’s newsroom for more noteworthy stories: newsroom.tiktok.com

For more info, please contact:
Michelle McDevitt, Kerry Harrison, Destiny Riley, T’Keyah Hayes, Audible Treats
Leah Linder, TikTok

The Background:

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Their mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy.

TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

Links:

TikTok’s Newsroom: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us

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Harry, Kendrick, and Kate Bush Highlight a Busy Week of Music on TikTok

6.1.2022

TikTok Treats, Week of May 30th

Kendrick Lamar Ponders the Passage of Time, Harry Styles Shares a Jam for Japanese Eateries, and Stranger Things Inspires a Kate Bush Renaissance

The News:

The Background:

Links: