6.15.2022

TikTok Treats, Week of June 13th

Tate McRae Becomes the First Artist to Debut and Host a Full Video on TikTok, ABBA Inspires Nostalgia for a Lost World, and Radiohead Helps Creators Explore Life’s Twists and Turns

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, TikTok continues to embrace hits of old, with trends from legendary groups like ABBA and Radiohead, while keeping an eye towards the future. Rising hits from Tate McRae and PLAYAMANE are making waves, with no sign of abating. Check out what music stories made TikTok tick this week:

- Since her platinum selling, chart topping, viral hit “you broke me first” (292k video creations) made waves on the platform, Tate McRae has utilized TikTok to share previews of her music and create trends for her fans. Last week, Tate created a new kind of trend, releasing the music video for fan and critical favorite “don’t come back” on TikTok. Available to view on Tate’s TikTok profile until it sees wider release on July 9th, “don’t come back” is the first-ever music video to debut on TikTok and be hosted as an exclusive on the platform. With over 512k views to date, “don’t come back” looks poised to follow songs like “that way” (103k video creations) and “stupid” (244k video creations) as Tate’s next trending hit, and the moves she shows off in the video already have some fans asking for a tutorial on the choreography.
- Their music might be melancholy, but Radiohead maintains a mischievous presence on TikTok. The British band regularly broadcasts sarcastic missives from Chieftain Mews, a distorted-voiced figure from the band’s past, who delivers meta news announcements and mystifies those who encounter him on their For You feed. In April, an enterprising TikTok creator found a doorbell whose notes sound remarkably similar to Radiohead’s “No Surprises,” creating a sound where the doorbell speeds up and seamlessly morphs into the 1998 classic. The original video, by @esqifrenchfries, racked up over 10 million views, and the sound inspired a trend about life’s unexpected twists and turns–the twist arrives just as the doorbell sound switches to the OK Computer cut. TikTok users relayed stories of love at first sight, vulnerably admitted deep insecurities, and revealed the stories behind artistic obsessions. Over 150k video creations later, it caught the attention of Radiohead and Chieftain Mews, who posted about his dashed dreams of TikTok stardom.
- TikTok doesn’t just provide exposure to songs–the platform is home to a community creators who are passionate about educating the masses about the theory and creative processes behind our favorite music. Earlier this month, creator @danielswall showed major love to OneRepublic singer-songwriter Ryan Tedder as he raved about some of the many Billboard hits that Ryan co-wrote. He highlighted Beyonce’s “Halo,” Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love,” and Lil Nas X’s “That’s What I Want” just to name a few. Along with highlighting his work, he emphasized that Ryan is an underrated artist and songwriter and encouraged his followers to follow and support Ryan on TikTok. When Ryan gained over 60K followers (much to his surprise), he found and duetted Daniel’s video creation to show his gratitude for the love he showed him. His account has now reached over 455K followers, over 450K more than he had before Daniel shouted him out.
- Irene Cara’s classic 80s pop track “Fame” provides the soundtrack for a relatable trend for TikTok users in recent weeks. The lyric “I’m gonna live forever” inspired creators to joke about how if they got 5 minutes added to their life every time a certain scenario occurred, they would live forever. With over 234K+ creations, the sound is inspiring creators to share how they often overthink basic human interactions, go through failed talking stages with romantic partners, and get told they look just like Taylor Swift. Even JoJo Siwa joined in on the trend, making it known that she’s obsessed with the viral dance to Lizzo’s pop bop “About Damn Time.”
- Since joining TikTok last year, ABBA has been one of the most engaging legacy acts on the platform. Followers will often find band members taking nostalgic trips or discussing the musical secrets behind their well known songs. It was only a matter of time before ABBA sparked a TikTok trend, and in recent weeks, they’ve found one that uses their 1979 hit “Angeleyes” (363K+ platform and user-generated creations). Using a slowed version of the euphoric pop banger, TikTok creators share some of their favorite things from the past, and lament that they may have become obsolete. Using ABBA’s emphatic lines, “Keep thinking about his angeleyes/ I keep thinking/ Sometimes when I’m lonely I sit and think about him And it hurts to remember all the good times,” creators share montages of their favorite late comedians, TV show characters, and throwback children’s shows. In other videos, “Angeleyes” soundtracks creators’ hairstyle recommendations and daily vlogs. ABBA also interacted with the track on their TikTok page, as guitarist Björn Ulvadeus shared throwback photos of his favorite shoes from his career.
- TikTok is home to a bustling community of editors who recut clips of their favorite shows to the tune of their favorite songs, and several trending songs started life as go-tos for editors. PLAYAMANE & Nateki’s “Midnight” is the latest song to soundtrack a series of fan edits that showcase characters from visual media properties. Reaching 23.9K+ creations, the distorted electronic song finds creators sharing edits of characters from anime shows such as Hellsing Ultimate and Dragonball Z, and hit series and movies like AMC’s Breaking Bad and American Psycho. In other creations, “Midnight” soundtracks TikTok users’ creative montages that emphasize their love for their favorite K-Pop artists.

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:

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ABBA and Radiohead Trend, Tate McRae Drops a New Video, and More from Music on TikTok