6.1.2023

TikTok Treats, Week of May 29th

d4vd Rises From BandLab to the Big Time Using TikTok, Plus Trends From Taylor Swift, Ice Spice, Mandy Moore, and More

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.

d4vd is one of music’s biggest rising stars, who earned multiple Billboard Hot 100 hits and a deal with Darkroom/Interscope before his 18th birthday. Before that, though, d4vd was a singer-songwriter trying to get attention the best way he knew how: posting his own music on TikTok.

d4vd grew up in a religious family, listening only to gospel music until one day, he found pop music in the unlikely form of “Gucci Gang” by Lil Pump. Just five years later, in the summer of 2022, d4vd was an avid user of the collaborative music platform BandLab, where the then-17-year-old artist would post his music and solicit collaborations from other users. Free from expectations as he developed his artistic voice, d4vd created rock songs, hyperpop songs, faithful covers, and more, posting each creation to his steadily-growing base of followers. As he continued to experiment, he developed his own artistic voice, borrowing elements of R&B and Jersey club to create songs like “Time,” and built the confidence to officially release his songs. Lest fans think that his artistic prowess came from technology alone, d4vd occasionally put away his recording equipment and showed off his natural voice.

d4vd’s slow and steady rise on TikTok turned into a massive spike when he released “Here With Me” and “Romantic Homicide” in quick succession in July 2022. Cheekily posting “I FORGOT ABOUT THIS SONG,” d4vd shared sped-up and slowed versions of “Here With Me,” racking up over 1 million views on a series of four videos. The sped-up version took off, eventually generating over 197k video creations. He quickly capitalized on that momentum by sharing “Romantic Homicide,” with a caption reading “this is not a cover” and text-on-screen illustrating his progression “from love song to heartbreak.” The first clip of “Romantic Homicide” earned over 14 million video views, and the song became an even bigger hit than “Here With Me.” Just two months after its July release, “Romantic Homicide” had over 245k video creations, and made waves off the platform, reaching #3 on Billboard’s Hot Alternative Songs chart and #33 on the Hot 100. At the height of the song’s popularity, he shared a cheeky behind-the-scenes video explaining how he made it in a makeshift studio in his sister’s closet.

Now, the Queens, NY native is living his dream–he signed to the same label as his hero Billie Eilish, earned co-signs from SZA and more–and he still continues to post his new music to TikTok. Last week, before he released debut EP, Petals to Thorns, on May 26th, d4vd fed his fans a barrage of TikTok content, performing his new song “The Bridge,” reminiscing about how he made “Here With Me,” and teasing his new collaboration with Laufey.

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

• A new trend is using Mandy Moore’s “When Will My Life Begin?” (160K+ creations) from the 2010 Tangled soundtrack and karmaismydog’s “My Cartoon Boyfriend” effect that helps creators determine if the partner they’re with is their soulmate. The effect shuffles through cartoon and animated characters before landing on one. Creators then compare their partners’ appearance to the filter’s result. The effect is often very accurate, suggesting to creators that their soulmate should look like Mulan’s Li Shang, Moana’s Maui, and even, unexpectedly, Megamind.
• Regional Mexican music is thriving on TikTok, helping shed light on the diverse spectrum of sounds that originate in Latin America. Regional Mexican band Fuerza Regida is currently having a moment on the platform with their hit “TQM.” Previewed on TikTok in early May, the song boasts over 114K creations to date. “TQM” soundtracks creators as they show off their makeup skills, unbox their recent luxury purchases, and reveal their outfit of the day. In other recent videos, creators experiment with TikTok’s Que Pesco filter to find out what kind of partners they’re searching for. Fuerza Regida also interacted with the sound on their TikTok page, announcing the release of the official music video. Thanks to a boost from TikTok’s Latin music community, “TQM” earned a top 40 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart with over 30 million streams across platforms.
• Returning to the stage for her first tour in five years and recently releasing a deluxe version of Midnights, Taylor Swift is keeping her foot on the gas in the first half of 2023. Creators of #SwiftTok are celebrating Taylor’s return to touring, as two of her songs received a boost on TikTok. Several songs from her Midnights album are trending: “Cruel Summer” (313K+ total creations), which finds creators gearing up to see Taylor perform live; and “Karma” (162K+ creations), where creators and their moms reveal their matching concert outfits. #SwiftTok’s celebration of The Eras Tour and Midnights propelled “Cruel Summer” to the top 40 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Meanwhile, “Karma” is getting second life with its buzzy remix featuring TikTok favorite Ice Spice. With over 4k creations in just five days, “Karma (feat. Ice Spice)” has united two of the platform’s most active fan communities, and has inspired videos comparing Ice’s laid back bars with Taylor’s frenzied vocals. Already at #29 on the Hot 100,” look for “Karma” to rise even higher as the remix continues to gain steam.

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