2.9.2022
TikTok Treats, Week of February 7th
Superstar Collabs, Viral Duet Challenges, and Unearthed ’70s Gems Highlight a Weird and Wonderful Week of Music on 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. TikTok trends thrive on interpretation and collaboration, if a trend is applicable to many different situations, and invites others to join along, there’s a good chance of success. Take a look at the TikTok trends that engendered that kind of interaction this week:
- An earlier edition of the TikTok Treats commented on the astounding commercial success of the Encanto soundtrack, powered by fans on TikTok. Since that newsletter, the Soundtrack has only grown in popularity: “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” the film’s breakthrough hit on the platform with over 594k video creations, is enjoying its second consecutive week atop the Billboard Hot 100, marking only the second time a song from an animated Disney film has reached the #1 spot. In total, eight songs from the film, including TikTok-trending hits “Surface Pressure” (128.1k creations, #8) and “The Family Madrigal” (170k creations, #20), are currently charting on the Hot 100. The success of Encanto speaks to TikTok’s continuing success as an engine propelling today’s top hits, and marks the clearest example yet of how the platform inspires fans to express their love for film & TV through music from their scores and soundtracks. With multiple Oscar nominations in the bank, and plenty of Encanto cast and crewmembers active on TikTok, don’t expect Encanto-mania to die down anytime soon, on or off TikTok.
- There’s one thing that the TikTok community and the Migos have in common: being able to spot what’s worth spending a dollar on. Creators are sharing what they think is profitable using Migos and DJ Khaled’s 2017 song, “Major Bag Alert.” Garnering over 145.9k platform and user-generated creations, the trend finds creators describing several money-making opportunities, such as Tinder getting big business on Valentine’s Day, doctors charging pricey hospital bills, and bodega owners seeing school kids in the morning. In other videos, creators join in on Migos’ and Khaled’s catchy ad-libs on the track.
- Montreal-based singer-songwriter Stacey Ryan is the brains behind one of the most successful TikTok duet trends so far in 2022. Mixing relatable lyrics, jazz harmonies, and an irresistible groove, Ryan’s “Don’t Text Me When You’re Drunk” ft. Zai1k captured TikTok’s imagination with an open verse challenge that proved impossible to scroll past. The song inspired over 35k duets, with creatives of all kinds (including TikTok trailblazer @yeahitsak and songwriter Tessa Violet) offering their best rap verses, singing melodic counterparts, and even showing off their unnecessarily large collection of Space Jam DVDs. Buoyed by the “Don’t Text Me challenge,” the original song has more than 4 million streams on Spotify alone. Off the strength of the challenge and the covers and originals she posts on her profile, Ryan recently signed a major label record deal.
- TikTok creators are vibing out to the sweet sounds of Spanish singer Lauri Garcia and her Spanish-language hit “Miel.” Lauri initially teased the chill, acoustic track on TikTok in January just a few days before its release on January 14th. Since then, “Miel” has inspired over 416K creations from TikTok users who love to go to scenic brunches with friends, show their intricate nail art skills, and extravagantly asking their significant others to be their Valentine. Lauri has been showing love to her fans on her TikTok account, as she expresses her excitement about the song trending on the platform and the song’s TikTok success propelling it to over 1M Spotify streams and over 1M views on YouTube in just two weeks of its release.
- TikTok has a deserved reputation as a platform capable of reviving old chestnuts and giving them new commercial and cultural life, but creator @Zach.Montana is in the process of accomplishing a new feat: using TikTok to turn an unreleased, decades-old track from an unknown artist into a modern day hit. It all started in early January, when Zach unearthed “Surrender To Me,” a danceable soft rock gem from his father’s band FireCity Funk. The song struck a chord with TikTok, who dug the pristine sonics and likened it to the AM Gold classics that populate films like Guardians Of The Galaxy and Spider-Man 3. Since early January, what Zach called the “Dad Song” took on a life of its own, generating hundreds of creations on its audio, and drawing the attention of Marvel Studios. After witnessing its success, Zach resolved to get his dad’s song up on streaming services, sharing updates from the recording sessions along the way. On Friday February 4th, after a month of teasing, “Surrender To Me” finally saw official release, and Zach, who is a musician himself, finally posted an anticipated “Dad reveal,” showing the world the auteur behind the funk. The song has already racked up over 100k Spotify streams in just three days, a fitting end to a wild story of perseverance and unlikely success.
- Rising Atlanta rapper Jx.zero has TikTok creators feeling themselves this week, as his bold bars in his ominous “Playboy” (98.2K+ creations) track are giving creators a new level of confidence. Much of this confidence manifests itself in their takes on the viral “griddy” dance made popular by Louisiana football players and now taking off on TikTok. While creators are hitting the “griddy” in response to people believing men shouldn’t be nurses or by defiantly keeping on in the face of those expressing their disdain for the dance, some creators are taking a break from the viral dance to admit their crushes on some of the ladies of the Olympics. Jx.zero has been interacting with the song on his own page, as he duets creations of fans of the track, lets the world know “Playboy” is his song, and hits the “griddy” dance to the track himself.
- Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby are both frequently trending on TikTok, previously soundtracking creators’ videos with songs like Nicki’s “Did It On Em” (567.8k+ creations) and Baby’s “Woah” (264.5k+ creations). This week, the TikTok community flocked to their recent collaboration, “Do We Have A Problem?” Boasting 16.4k+ creations since its Friday release, the track inspires creators to address their issues head-on. Nicki’s emphatic hook, “Do we have a problem,” resonates with creators who have a bone to pick with their boyfriends for not responding on time, their moms ordering food without asking their kids, and people who mess with their best friends. Nicki Minaj also interacted with the sound, reposting her favorite videos from TikTok creators.
This Sunday, February 13th, TikTok is teaming with the NFL for the second straight year to host the NFL TikTok Tailgate prior to Super Bowl LVI. Headlined by The Chainsmokers, the hour-long live show will feature appearances from NFL players and personalities, TikTok Creators, and more. Portions of the performance by The Chainsmokers will air on NBC’s Super Bowl pre-game show. Tune in at 11:55am PT on @NFL to view the festivities.
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
Check out previous editions of TikTok Treats, a weekly newsletter about the most interesting music happenings on TikTok:
“Pushin P,” Papa Roach, “Pompeii” and More Music Trends from TikTok
We Need to Talk About “Bruno,” And Other TikTok Music Trends
TikTok Rings In The New Year with Bad Bunny, Drill Remixes, and R&B Hits
Christmas Songs, Squid Game Remixes, and More TikTok Music Stories
For Your TikTok Turkey Day Soundtrack: Taylor Swift, Regina Spektor, and More
Taylor Swift Turns TikTok ‘Red,’ ‘Tis Mariah Carey’s Season, Lady Gaga Makes A Grand Arrival & More
On TikTok: U2 Closes Out #Rocktober as Kanye West and Afropop Lead New Trends
Led Zeppelin Joins TikTok, While Adele and Luke Combs Spark New Trends
Dwayne Johnson, George Michael, and Jack Stauber Inspire New TikTok Trends
On TikTok: A Bee Gees Remix, A Very Juggalo Halloween, and Some Rising Hitmakers
Rosalía, Coi Leray, and MCR Highlight the Week in TikTok Music
Balvin, Doja, and Mariah Lead a Star-Studded Week on TikTok
Sam Smith, Ciara and Breakout PinkPantheress Highlight the Week on TikTok
Lizzo Starts “Rumors,” bbno$ Eats “edamame,” and More Hip-Hop TikTok Stories
#AltTikTok, Alt-J, and All-Time Rap Classics Define Music on TikTok This Week
Cats, Babies, & Vietnamese Techno Highlight the Week in TikTok Music
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The Kid Laroi Meets Bieber, Drake Runs Thru The 6, and More From TikTok
BIA Meets Nicki, Stromae Slows Down, and More TikTok Trends
On TikTok: Music Trends Inspired by Kanye, Young Nudy, and…Meryl Streep?
Avril Lavigne, Bo Burnham, and Gucci Mane Lead The Week in TikTok Trends
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Swae Lee, WILLOW, Mitski & More Inspire Trends on TikTok
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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