7.14.2021
TikTok Treats, Week of July 12th
BIA Meets Her Idol Nicki Minaj, Unlikely Songs by Ciara and $ilkmoney Spark Trends, and the Whole World Sways to “Alors On Danse”
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. Many songs that have trended on TikTok in the past have found second life on the app, extending their period of virality and finding even more new fans. Take a look below to see how these songs captured, or re-captured, TikTok’s imaginations in recent days:
- Rising rapper BIA raised her profile earlier this year when her song “Whole Lotta Money” became a TikTok anthem, generating over 550k combined video creations on the platform. The Boston-area rapper won plenty of new fans when the song went viral, but no new fan as significant as fellow TikTok fav Nicki Minaj. The two femme fatales spent plenty of time on TikTok this past weekend promoting their new “Whole Lotta Money” (Remix) with some glammed-up lipsyncing in a video that racked up over 9.5 million views. Will the remix become the #SongOfTheSummer, as Nicki suggests in her video caption? A cadre of BIA and Nicki superfans seem to think so.
- Ever since it dropped in 2010, Belgian superstar Stromae’s electronic hit “Alors On Danse” has been a staple of DJ sets across the world. The song’s memorable stabs of synth have recently enraptured creators on TikTok, who’ve used a slowed version of the song to punctuate moments of triumph, large or small. The trend found its genesis in June, when user @usimmango gathered his friends and created a dance that sways to the beat of the song’s see-sawing synths. Since then, the slowed audio has racked up over 2.8 million video creations, many of which (including videos by Bella Poarch and the D’Amelio sisters) see the creator super-imposing him or herself directly on top of the original video in an attempt to capture its infectious energy. Nobody is enjoying the success of the trend more than the creators themselves, who have been tracking the song’s success and celebrating the original video reaching over 100 million views.
- Tai Verdes was one of TikTok’s most successful music stories in 2020, when he used the app to help propel his song “Stuck In The Middle” to over 3.3 million video creations and 67 million Spotify streams. “Stuck In The Middle” is part of the TikTok firmament, still trending on the platform over a year after its initial release. Lately, Tai’s single “A-O-K” has proved to be a worthy follow-up banger, generating over 69k video creations with a major uptick in recent days. The song’s laid-back guitar and multi-layered vocals effortlessly evoke summertime fun, and creators have used the song to that effect, whether they’re demonstrating their chocolate lab’s beach day routine, showing off a successful sneaker splurge, or celebrating every holiday in one action-packed day. The TikTok success of “A-O-K” is making an impact on the charts–the song made its Hot 100 debut this week, clocking in at #83.
- TikTok viral hits are much more than flashes in the pan–songs that trend on the app frequently re-surge for a second or even third period of popularity. Reggae artist Conkarah’s 2020 hit “Banana,” a collaboration with Shaggy, is one of the more recent examples of this effect. The mid-tempo track went viral on the app last year as the sound of a simple dance, inspired by the hook’s build up and beat drop. Now, with over 28.4M+ combined creations between both of the official sounds, the song is soundtracking everything from summer hairstyles to bear sightings at South Lake Tahoe to cliff diving vacation moments in Zanzibar. The sound’s success on TikTok has catapulted the track to over 2 billion total streams since its 2019 release.
- The latest catalog hit to receive a bump from TikTok, R&B star Ciara’s upbeat 2005 hit “Get Up” ft. Chamillionaire (2.2M+ creations), is seeing success again on the app. The song first went viral with a dance trend at the end of 2019, but in recent weeks, the song has returned to the app’s trending charts. The crunk-era anthem has sparked a new humorous trend of TikTok creators trying on their moms’ and grandma’s’ shoe collections and giving them names and ratings. TikTok users have been using the sound to dance in their grandmas’ shoes, display their moms’ vast, luxurious shoe collection, and to let their moms participate in the trend by naming their own shoes.
- A testament to the TikTok community’s diverse taste in hip-hop, underground rapper $ILKMONEY’s “My Potna Dem” is leading the charge for two of TikTok’s most popular trends over the past week. With over 337.3K+ creations between the official and user-generated sounds combined, the track’s catchy rhythm, tongue-twisting lyrics, and complex social messages have inspired a dance trend and a comedic text on screen trend. The dance, choreographed by TikTok creator @nickanthonyy, has caught the eye of many TikTok users because of its dramatic, fluid movements that flow along with the lyrical rhythm and the booming production. TikTok users have done the dance at the gas station with friends, TikTok favorite Flo Milli chronicled her first and second attempts at trying out the dance. The second trend plays off the complexity of the song’s lyrics–in a memorable edition of the trend, user @lilcoffeyy displayed how he would not be able to keep an important secret around his celebrity crush.
Check TikTok’s newsroom for more noteworthy stories: newsroom.tiktok.com
For more info, please contact:
Michelle McDevitt, Andrea Higgins, Erin Ryan, 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:
Avril Lavigne, Bo Burnham, and Gucci Mane Lead The Week in TikTok Trends
TikTok Summer Madness: Lorde Leads a Pack of New Trending Songs
Swae Lee, WILLOW, Mitski & More Inspire Trends on TikTok
Only On TikTok: Lil Durk & City Girls Trend Alongside…The Backyardigans?
On TikTok: BTS Army Takes Over, Carti Demands Silence, and Fans Anticipate F9
Olivia Rodrigo Catches Fire, Miguel Helps Users Catch Feelings, and More TikTok Stories
Saweetie, Calvin Harris, and Bella Poarch Highlight The Week in TikTok
Another One? DJ Khaled, Lizzo, and More Make the Week in TikTok
Doja Cat, Little Simz, and El Alfa Inspire TikTok Trends
Britney Spears, Chloe Bailey, and Diplo Make Waves on TikTok
Dua Lipa, Drake, and Bell Biv DeVoe Make Waves on TikTok
DMX Gets His Flowers, Silk Sonic Reaches #1, and More TikTok Stories
TikTok Unveils Music-Powered Filters, Lil Nas X Debuts At #1, and More TikTok Stories
Bieber Tops The Charts, Young Thug Premieres New Music, and More TikTok Stories
Demi Lovato Kicks Off TikTok’s New Livestream Series Headstream
Rock Music Thrives on TikTok, Just Ask Yungblud, Beach Bunny, and More
Shania Hops On Board, Kid Cudi Tosses and Turns, and More TikTok Stories
On TikTok: Kali Uchis and Coi Leray Hit the Charts as Bobby Shmurda Comes Home
Rihanna, Brent Faiyaz, and Giveon Lead TikTok’s R&B Moment
T-Pain, Hyperpop, and Anti-Valentine’s Anthems Take TikTok By Storm
Cardi Goes Up, Uzi Goes Down (to Sleep), and More TikTok Stories
Black History Month Kicks Off, Mark Ronson Duets, and More Music Stories From TikTok
Cardi Goes Up, Uzi Goes Down (to Sleep), and More TikTok Stories
Dave Grohl, Migos, Miley, and More Happenings on TikTok
This Week on TikTok: Olivia Rodrigo Hits #1 as Memes & Mashups Flourish
New Year, New TikTok Trends: Alicia Keys, Remembering MF DOOM & More
Paul McCartney, Holiday Celebrations, and New Year’s Eve Live on TikTok
TikTok Releases First U.S. Music Report: Here Are Some Key Insights
How TikTok’s Top 10 Songs of 2020 Impacted the Industry
