4.26.2023
TikTok Treats, Week of April 24th
A Nashville Singer-Songwriter Cheers Up the Community With an Aquatic Metaphor, Plus More Music Trends from the World of TikTok
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’s newsletter spotlights a heartwarming love story that sprung from the deepest oceans to the rest of the world via TIkTok.
TikTok has produced a long lineage of feel good hits about making the most of a dark day. In 2022, Em Beihold shared the all-too-relatable “Numb Little Bug” (184k video creations) which tackled mental health issues head on, starting as a TikTok piano performance and ending up on the Billboard Hot 100. Another singer-songwriter, Jax, rose up the charts with the empowering, body positive anthem “Victoria’s Secret” (92k video creations), also originally revealed on TikTok. This past week, TikTok might have discovered the latest cute and folky anthem that won’t leave our heads: “If I Were A Fish,” by Corook and Olivia Barton.
Corook, aka Corinne Savage, is a nonbinary Nashville musician who built a large TikTok following (658k) with her original songs, sense of humor, and authentic personality. One day this April, Corook and her girlfriend, singer Olivia Barton, had a tough day, and decided to cheer each other up with a song. The song, “If I Were A Fish,” is a bouncy, wholly acoustic ditty about defying trolls and expressing devotion for that special someone. First revealed in a video on Corook’s page (which racked up over 13 million views), the song has taken TikTok by storm, inspiring elaborately choreographed dances, duets with additional instrumentation, acts of pet devotion, dispatches about what it’s like to live with multiple sclerosis, and a mass sing-a-long with over 30 contributions.
In total, the original sound racked up over 18k video creations, and videos with the tag #ifiwereafish have generated over 51 million views. The TikTok enthusiasm convinced Corook to officially release the song on Spotify, where it has garnered over 1.4 million streams since April 21. For her part, Corook has taken the song’s success in stride, turning the TikTok singalongs into IRL euphoria when she performed the song with dozens of strangers in NYC’s Washington Square Park. Together, with the help of a little song, Corook, Olivia, and the TikTok Community did their part to make the internet a happier, nicer place.
Check out more recent trends and tidbits from the world of music on TikTok:
- Over the past couple weeks, Summer Walker and NO1-NOAH’s 2021 collaboration “White Tee” has inspired a fun text-on-screen trend of creators showcasing their “rizz” skills, sharing their best (or worst) pick up lines for a love interest. Earning over 246K+ creations, the song helps creators compare their lovers to toilet paper, show why they need a significant other as much as they need sleep, and reveal why their love is stronger than 4G wifi. Summer Walker also joined in on the fun on her TikTok page, sharing a witty pick-up line of her own. “White Tee” was the top trending song on TikTok last week.
- Singer-songwriter David Kushner is soundtracking the mixed feelings of creators across TikTok with his breakthrough single, “Daylight.” Racking up over 356.2k total creations since Kushner first teased the track in January, and serving as the song of choice for the “you look happier; what happened” trend, the track was officially released on April 14th and debuted at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100. Largely boosted by its TikTok popularity, the track marks Kushner’s first Hot 100 chart placement, and currently resides at #3 on the Official UK Singles Chart.
- The TikTok community often finds new ways to appreciate classic hits, finding new context that often translates into fun trends. Redbone’s 1974 hit “Come and Get Your Love” earned a wave of renewed attention when it was included on the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, and again when it trended on TikTok in 2021. However, the soulful song (and the highest-charting hit ever by an all-indigenous band) has seen its biggest resurgence yet in the past couple of weeks, as it soundtracks a trend where creators discover what career path best suits their face using TikTok’s “Job that suits you” filter. Reaching 838K+ creations, “Come and Get Your Love” helps creators share their reactions to the final reveal of the filter: some find humor in the thought of themselves becoming a doctor or doubt they’d be a great engineer, while others agree that they’d be the perfect politician. In other recent creations, creators use the song to share footage from their trips to New York City, share their relatable parenting experiences, and reveal how they approach a crush.
Visit TikTok’s Newsroom for more noteworthy stories: newsroom.tiktok.com
For more info, please contact:
Michelle McDevitt, Annjie Houston, 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/
Check out previous editions of TikTok Treats, a weekly newsletter about the most interesting music happenings on TikTok:
TikTok Trends Assemble: Fresh x Reckless, Taylor Swift & Much More
Madonna, Brent Faiyaz, Destroy Lonely & More from Music on TikTok
On TikTok: De La, Bieber, Tank & The Bangas, and More
On TikTok: The “Buddy Holly” Lick, Dogg Transformations, and More
RiRi Returns, Superstar Pride Shines, and TikTok Trends That Prove
On TikTok: Skrillex & Fred Again.., Philly Club, and New Trends From Rising Artists
Grammy Winners, Mariah’s “Wrap,” “Mrs. Right,” and more
Celine Brings It All Back, Tech N9ne Celebrates the Chiefs, Plus More TikTok Music Stories
Pink Floyd’s New Great Gig, PARTYNEXTDOOR’s Sped Up Makeover, & More on TikTok
Miley and Shakira Get Petty, Miguel’s “Sure Thing” Revival, and More TikTok Music Stories
TikTok Welcomes 2023 with Timbaland Jams, K-Pop Bangers, and Multilingual Raps
Music on TikTok: 21 Savage, Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse, and Ice Spice Headline a Star-Studded Week of Trends
SZA’s ‘SOS’ Signal, Coi and Busta Mash Up, Plus More TikTok Trends to Close Out 2022
Metro & The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Baile Funk and More TikTok Trends to Warm Up The Winter
2022 For You: TikTok’s Top Songs, Artists, and Music Stories of 2022
Blink 182, Lil Yachty, Cardi & GloRilla, and More from Music On TikTok
Taylor Track Reveals, Sam Smith + Kim Petras, and More From Music on TikTok
BLACKPINK, Steve Lacy, and The Smashing Pumpkins Lead a Busy Week of Music on TikTok
On TikTok: ‘Yonce, Yeat, Lizzo, SZA and More
TikTok’s 2021 Music Report: Key Takeaways
TikTok Reveals Top Songs of 2021, Incl. Doja Cat, Coi Leray and More