6.14.2023

TikTok Treats, Week of June 12th

Jersey and Philadelphia Club Music Takes Over TikTok, While An International Coterie of Artists like Stray Cats, Jain, and thuy Make Trending Hits

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.

TikTok shines a spotlight on regional scenes, taking trends that otherwise might’ve stayed in their local bubble and amplifying them for mass appreciation. Perhaps no local scene has benefitted from a TikTok bump as much as Jersey club, the uptempo dance genre animating the Eastern seaboard from Philly to the Bronx.

Perhaps the first true Jersey club hit to reach TikTok prominence was “Vibe (If I Back It Up),” a bite-sized banger by Newark artist Cookiee Kawaii. First bubbling up in 2019, in TikTok’s early days as a tastemaker, the song has nearly a million video creations, including a famous one from a dancing duck that earned over 20 million views.

Since then, the genre has been a reliable generator of TikTok hits. In 2022, local artists in Newark and Philadelphia made their mark, including dancer-turned-rapper 2Rare, who struck gold with “Cupid,” which earned remixes by Lil Durk and Newark producer DJ Smallz (591k videos), and appeared in a music video with Drake. Philly’s Lay Bankz helped introduce the world to a regional dance style, the “blick,” with her song “Left Cheek (Doo Doo Blick),” which generated over 540k video creations behind a viral dance trend. By the end of the year, mainstream stars like Lil Uzi Vert were tapping in–his “Just Wanna Rock” (over 1 million videos), produced in part by Newark producer Mcvertt, experienced a TikTok-fueled rise that culminated in a top ten spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

This year, it feels like there’s a new trending Jersey/Philly club hit every week. 2Rare returned for more, with his hit “Rare’s Room” racking up over 545k video creations, including clips from Rare himself at a local Philly gym. DaBaby jumped on a club beat for his recent single “Shake Sumn” (over 340k video creations), which was the top trending song on TikTok for two weeks in May. Most recently, Philadelphia rap collective the Philly Goats scored top trending hit on their hands, with “Get Off The Wall.” The high-octane banger has over 1 million video creations, behind a partner dance trend attempted by mother-son duos, prom attendees, and more. The Philly Goats are having fun with the song as well, with group member D Sturdy energetically hitting the trend in his neighborhood WaWa. After months of trending on TikTok, the song finally received official release in early June, racking up over 1 million streams across platforms in its short time out.

Whether the music comes from Northern Mexico, the mid-Atlantic U.S., South Africa, or Brazil, TikTok allows local scenes to thrive while exposing their sounds to the world at large. Nobody knows what corner of the world the next trend will come from, but one thing is for sure–it will start on TikTok.

Check out more recent trends and tidbits from the world of music on TikTok:

• The TikTok community is in a dancing mood thanks to Vietnamese-American R&B singer thuy’s “girls like me don’t cry (sped up).” Creators are putting their best foot forward, doing their own renditions of a dance created by @petelofahaimboss and @stephen.latuuu and a dance created by @zak_tulua and @tuhikarakayla. Amassing over 4M creations, the sound inspires creators to do the catchy dances whether they’re dressed up and looking nice themselves or enjoying a chill night in their pajamas with their siblings. thuy has been showing love to the creators who choreographed the viral dances, taking to her own account to duet the creators and try out the dances with friends.
• International artists continue to thrive on TikTok, as the TikTok community embraces their diverse sounds through fun trends. French singer-songwriter Jain is currently making waves on the platform with her 2015 song, “Makeba.” Garnering over 1.1M total creations to date, the feel-good track inspires a trend of creators showcasing their renditions of a dance made by creator @sierrakai.1. Creators show off their moves in a garage after a few drinks at the bar, at the ice skating rink, and at home with the help of their besties. Jain also interacted with the sound on her TikTok page, sharing memories from the official “Makeba” video. Thanks to a boost from TikTok creators, “Makeba” earned a #2 spot on Spotify’s US Viral 50 chart.
• The TikTok community enjoy music from their favorite artists through many creative outlets, including fancams. K-pop boy band Stray Kids’ song “S-Class” (100.4K+ total creations) inspires a trend of creators sharing their fancams of their favorite moments of the band. While some creators share videos of their favorite Stray Kids members, others share clips from their favorite interviews. In other videos, TikTok’s K-pop community show their love for Stray Kids through nail art and recreations of their choreography. Stray Kids did their part to keep the sound trending by dancing to their “S-Class” alongside K-pop girl group NMIXX. Powered by their fans on TikTok and off, Stray Kids debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with their new album 5 Star: The 3rd Album, while “S-Class” sits at #19 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.

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/en-us

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