3.1.2023
TikTok Treats, Week of February 27th
Rivers Cuomo Finally Acknowledges A Dedicated Fan, Lil Wayne Inspires Two Dances, Snoop Dogg Unleashes Creators’ Inner Canines and Much More From 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. Check out this week’s trends below:
- Earlier this month, Snoop Dogg made history when he announced that the Death Row Records catalog would be available on TikTok through SoundOn, allowing creators to use snippets of the legendary music before it returns to streaming services. Around the same time, Snoop announced the creation of the “What Dogg Are You?” filter, which allows creators to use his classic 1994 song “Who Am I? (What’s My Name)” to unleash their inner canines. With over 79k video creations since its TIkTok release, “Who Am I?” has been the soundtrack for German Shepherd kindred spirits, black lab twins, horrifying dachshund transformations, and sons who quickly realize their dad is still the top dog. Meanwhile, Snoop has been actively using his classic songs in his videos, including one that enlisted the services of legendary broadcaster Bob Costas.
- TikTok is home to many heartwarming stories, but few speak to the persevering triumph of the human spirit quite like the story of @dietlite_evan. One day in June 2020, Evan picked up his guitar and made a fateful decision–he would play the climactic guitar lick from Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” every single day until lead singer Rivers Cuomo responded with a duet. For nearly three years, Evan kept his streak going, posting a video and playing the riff for 989 straight days, without sign of a response from Cuomo. On the fateful 990th day, when Evan was on the verge of giving up, it finally happened–Cuomo duetted his video, playing the “Buddy Holly” riff alongside Evan and inviting him to play the song with Weezer on their upcoming tour. Finally armed with a co-sign from the bespectacled frontman, Evan is free to post whatever he likes…but will he feel lost without his daily ritual? Evan’s streak was merely the most notable in a universe of “Buddy Holly” related memes on TikTok (where the hashtag #buddyhollylick has 1.7 million views), as musical creators play the lick on every instrument they own or weave the melody into well-known bits of classical music.
- The TikTok community specializes in using music and visual media to create new meanings and engaging memes. Using a scene from a film from 2022–The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent–and an ornately cheerful pop song from–“Mama” Cass Elliot’s “Make Your Own Kind Of Music” (18.1K+ creations), famously used in ABC’s series LOST–creators have landed on a brand new meme format to make their friends laugh. The bubbling trend finds creators repurposing a scene of a concerned Nicholas Cage and a proud Pedro Pascal looking at one another, sharing the realization that the latter is the culprit behind an unpleasant situation. Inspired by Mama Cass’s belting over the orchestra’s pomp, creators share their relatable truths, including their reactions to their girlfriends’ last-minute requests, troublemaking pets, struggles with driving lessons, and alternatives for conflict resolution in relationships.
- The TikTok community is always in the mood to reflect on their glory days. Soundtracked by German synth-pop band Alphaville’s iconic 80s track “Forever Young” (201K+ creations), creators use the Teenage Look filter to compare their current face to what their face might’ve looked like decades ago. The sound is perfect for those who notice how much different they look since high school, get emotional thinking about getting older, and who see how age has affected how their face looks with tattoos. Alphaville lead singer Marian Gold even hopped on the trend to reminisce on how he looks performing “Forever Young” now vs. how he looked performing the song almost forty years ago.
- Lil Wayne’s 2011 hit “6 Foot 7 Foot” is making its rounds on TikTok, inspiring two fun dance trends and generating over 42K+ creations in the process. While one of the dance trends goes along with the song’s Harry Belafonte-sampling hook, the other dance trend, created by @ayetaetae and @scgmar, goes along with the song’s second verse. Dancing to the hook, creators try out their best moves with their mom and with their teammate before volleyball practice. On the other hand, creators team up with their friends and chill by themselves outside as they groove to Wayne’s second verse of the song.
- Latin music continues to thrive on TikTok. TikTok darlings Karol G and Shakira return to the trending charts with their Spanish-language collaboration, “TQG.” Garnering over 460.5K total creations to date, the song inspires creators to show off their dance moves as they recreate the choreography from the official music video. While some creators show off their skills alongside their besties, others offer dance tutorials for those who are interested in learning the moves. In other videos, the song soundtracks creators “get ready with me” videos, workout routines, and reenactments of how the song was created. Backed by the support of the TikTok community, the official music video garnered over 111 million views on YouTube in less than week, becoming the fastest Latin female collaboration to reach this milestone.
- Iconic metal band Metallica has embraced TikTok, using the app to connect with old fans and recruit new ones to the fold. In the past week, the hard rock institution started teasing new music, one instrument at a time. It started with a post from drummer Lars Ulrich, inviting fans to duet his hard-charging percussion part. Bassist Robert Trujillo took the bait, adding a propulsive bassline to the mix from his home (with a cameo appearance from his adorable French bulldog). Frontman James Hetfield was next, providing the chugging rhythm guitar with his signature Gibson Flying V. Providing the final piece to the puzzle, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett laid down a sinister guitar riff, and revealed that the duets combined to create the intro for their new song: “If Darkness Had A Son.” Metallica’s duet experiment showed a new way for bands to preview music on the platform, and proved that the band will never stop innovating, even four decades into their illustrious career.
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/
Check out previous editions of TikTok Treats, a weekly newsletter about the most interesting music happenings on TikTok:
Miley and Shakira Get Petty, Miguel’s “Sure Thing” Revival, and More TikTok Music Stories
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
Omar Apollo, The Throne, and More TikTok Trends to Watch This Week
BLACKPINK, Steve Lacy, and The Smashing Pumpkins Lead a Busy Week of Music on TikTok
On TikTok: ‘Yonce, Yeat, Lizzo, SZA and More
Britney & Elton, Snoop Dogg & Ice Spice Lead This Week’s TikTok Trends
Latin Pop, Celebrity Nemeses, and More From TikTok Music
Teenage Dirtbags and Super Freaks Take Over on TikTok
On TikTok: Beyoncé Strikes Back, Rosalía Returns, and More
“BILLIE EILISH,” Oklahoma Smokeshows, and K. Michelle Heat Up on TikTok
Rising Stars, Latin Pop Queens, and More From Music on TikTok
Step 1: Beyoncé, Ryan Tedder, Steve Lacy, & More on TikTok
Metallica, Flo Milli, Avril Lavigne, and More From Music on TikTok
Drake Feels No Ways, Doja Channels Elvis, and More from Music on TikTok
Gorillaz, John Legend, JOJI, and More TikTok Treats
ABBA and Radiohead Trend, Tate McRae Drops a New Video, and More from Music on TikTok
Highway to the Nostalgia Zone: the ‘80s Are Back on TikTok
Harry, Kendrick, and Kate Bush Highlight a Busy Week of Music on TikTok
This Newsletter Doesn’t Jiggle Jiggle, It Reports on the Biggest Music Moments on TikTok
On TikTok: Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, and Suki Waterhouse Make Waves
Justin Gets “Honest,” PSY Returns, and More TikTok Stories
Moon Knight, Skillibeng, and More From a Leveled Up Week For Music on TikTok
On TikTok: Lizzo Returns, Ambitious Creators Show Off Their Skills, and More
A Harry Styles Hit, a Daddy Yankee Renaissance, and More TikTok Music Stories
Durk, Jack, Demi, and Fergie Inspire TikTok Music Trends
Pharrell, Coi & Nicki, and 80s Country Lead the Way on TikTok
Only On TikTok: Kevin Gates, Patsy Cline, and Pixar Make Music Trends
French Pop Meme-Making, Russ Remixes, and More TikTok Stories
All The Pheelz: Afrobeats, Batman, and More TikTok Music Stories
Mariah Carey, Euphoria, Cat Burns, & More on TikTok
Dre’s Halftime, Phoebe’s “Motion Sickness,” and More from Music on TikTok
Becky & Karol G, Madonna, and Nelly Furtado Highlight the Week in Music on TikTok
Major Bags, ’70s Gems, Space Jam DVDs, and More TikTok Music Stories
Here Come the TikTok-Steppers: Charlie Puth, Ini Kamoze, Mason Ramsey & More
Act Like You Know: Time Machines, The Ting Tings, & More 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
TikTok’s 2021 Music Report: Key Takeaways
TikTok Reveals Top Songs of 2021, Incl. Doja Cat, Coi Leray and More