8.17.2022

TikTok Treats, Week of August 15th

Nicki Minaj Strikes with “Super Freaky Girls,” Former Teenage Dirtbags Flash Back, and More TikTok Music Stories

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. See below for this week’s trends, including new trends by Nicki Minaj, Calvin Harris, and many more:

Nicki Minaj is undoubtedly a fan-favorite on TikTok, previously trending on the platform with such as “Stupid H**” (312.6K+ creations) and “Feeling Myself” (122.5K+ total creations combined). Adding to her extensive catalog, Nicki introduced creators to Nick James, her funky alter ego, with “Super Freaky Girl,” her first solo single of the year. Previewed on TikTok in mid-July, the Rick James-sampling track boasts over 210.3K creations. The song’s enthralling opening and raunchy hook soundtracks creators’ videos of their wedding outfit changes, their handstand skills, and dance sessions with their pets, and also inspired a trend of creators showcasing their Halloween costumes from previous years. Nicki Minaj also interacted with the song on her page, sharing reaction videos and lip syncing the lyrics during a photoshoot. Thanks in part to a boost from the Barbz of TikTok, “Super Freaky Girl” currently holds the largest solo debut of a female artist’s rap song in Spotify history.
The TikTok community maintains an appetite for feel-good music. Calvin Harris is providing good vibes with his new song “Stay With Me,” a collaboration with Halsey, Pharrell and Justin Timberlake, which has all of TikTok in the mood to groove. Garnering over 25K creations, the upbeat track inspired the creation of a shimmying dance, as creators show off their favorite festival outfits, reveal what outfits make them feel most confident, and bond with their parents and babies through the power of dance. Pharrell and Justin Timberlake made their own videos to the track on their TikTok pages, sharing behind-the-scenes footage from the official music video. Calvin Harris also made a video soundtracked by his star-studded collab, using the sound to show off a massive watermelon from his garden.
Originally released in 2000, the seminal emo-pop anthem “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus is a siren call for outcasts across the globe to flaunt all the ways they do not conform. The song made its way to TikTok in unexpected fashion, reaching trending status on the back of a sped up remix. The sped up “Teenage Dirtbag” gives TikTok creators the perfect opportunity to show off pictures of themselves as uncouth youths. Whether they’ve graduated to a more respectable adulthood, or they’ve remained just as dirtbaggy as ever, the trend allows creators of all stripes to return to a wilder time in their life. The sped-up remix has over 476k video creations to date, including videos from former famous teenagers like Paris Hilton, Joe Jonas, Victoria Justice, Nina Dobrev, and more.
Doing his thing in the underground for over a decade, Michigan rapper BONES has an army of influential fans–including Justin Bieber. Bieber’s favorite BONES song, “AirplaneMode,” is a big hit on TIkTok, with over 250k video creations. In recent weeks, the song has gained steam, after gaining prominence in the platform’s #CarsOfTikTok community. The song pairs perfectly with the sounds of a purring engine, the sights of a customized GT, and befitting the song’s title, the odd visage of an airplane designed to look like a supercharged sports car. Beyond the world of automobiles, “AirplaneMode” made its way into fitness TikTok, and is very popular among tattoo artists showing off their designs.
Previously seeing success on the platform when his duet to Stacey Ryan’s “Don’t Text Me When You’re Drunk” open verse challenge landed him on the song’s official full version, Zai1k is taking TikTok by storm once again. “Dump It Dummy,” his new collaboration with Tre Oh Fie and 2rare, recently sparked a dance challenge created by @tyyslatt. The sound has racked up over 97K creations and finds creators hitting the upbeat dance with their siblings, significant others, and with their friends in Times Square. Zai1k has been engaging with the sound on his own account, putting his best foot forward to try out the dance moves and giving fans a sneak peek of how he brought Philly and fellow South Florida creators together for the song’s video shoot.
French DJ and producer Petit Biscuit is making waves on TikTok with the serene sounds of his 2015 tune “Night Trouble” (488.8K+ creations). Some creators use “Night Habits” to discuss experiences with relationships, including toxic habits from their previous partners and unexpected strange habits they’ve encountered with new love interests. On the other hand, the sound sparks more lighthearted creations about movie night inspo and daily affirmations for motivation and strength.

Check 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:

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Teenage Dirtbags and Super Freaks Take Over on TikTok

8.17.2022

TikTok Treats, Week of August 15th

Nicki Minaj Strikes with “Super Freaky Girls,” Former Teenage Dirtbags Flash Back, and More TikTok Music Stories

The News:

The Background:

Links: