3.16.2023
TikTok Treats, Week of March 13th
Ed Sheeran Previews His Next Inescapable Smash, Brent Faiyaz’s Sped-Up R&B Starts a New Trend, and Ava Max Inspires Creators to Share Their Unfortunate Moments
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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:
- The TikTok community loves to give their parents their flowers with throwback photos to show how they got their good looks. Inspired by Madonna’s 1984 hit “Material Girl,” creators take a trip down memory lane as they sift through photos of their parents as young adults. With over 1.3M total creations and counting, the heartwarming trend finds creators sharing photos of their moms as “material girls,” dads as teenage heartthrobs, and grandparents as eligible bachelors and bachelorettes.
- After previous viral success with tracks like “Trust” and “ALL MINE,” R&B star Brent Faiyaz is having another major moment on TikTok with both the original and Philly club versions of his lighthearted track “JACKIE BROWN” taking off on the platform. With over 12K creations, the original version of the sound sparks creations from those who are proud to show off their Nickelodeon-inspired outfit, their calming night routine, and their beautiful mother. The Philly club version of the song (553K+ creations), created by @ajdidthatt, kicked off a simple, catchy dance trend that has brought out friends on jet skis and long distance besties having girls night, as well as celebrities and TikTok favorites like the cast of Jersey Shore and LeBron James’ son Bryce James. The sound is also fitting for creators who want to test out their boxing skills after seeing Creed III and who joke about the difference the Bold Glamour filter makes.
- Stan culture thrives on TikTok, as creators find fun yet creative ways to show their support of their favorite artists. Previously propelling his viral single “NOSTYLIST” to the Billboard charts, Destroy Lonely’s fans are leading another charge with an amusing trend using his newly-released single, “if looks could kill.” Garnering over 25.6K+ creations, the bubbling trend finds creators imitating what a Destroy Lonely fan looks like. Creators poke fun at his fans’ love for all-black, layered outfits, abstract poses, and color coordination. In other recent videos, TikTok users reenact the gradual evolution of a casual Destroy Lonely listener into a superfan.
- Drumming up excitement for his upcoming album, Subtract, the final in his mathematical series, Ed Sheeran has been very active on TikTok recently. Last Thursday, Ed gave his TikTok audience a taste of the album’s upcoming single “Eyes Closed,” sharing an exclusive preview of the track for creators to use. Launching the 6-day exclusive preview with his own acoustic performance of the track, the single has taken off dramatically, racking up over 664k creations in less than a week, ahead of the single’s March 24th release. Ed’s no stranger to massive TikTok success, boasting over 13.5 million followers and over 146 million likes to date. His live premiere of “Bad Habits” at the TikTok UEFA EURO 2020 Show in 2021 broke the record for the biggest-ever LIVE music performance with over 5.5 million viewers, and the track also became the most popular song preview in TikTok history, with over 1.1 million creations. “Eyes Closed” looks poised to follow in that song’s footsteps towards the top of the charts.
- Recently on TikTok, creators have been feeling “Sweet But Psycho” (355K+ creations) thanks to Ava Max’s 2020 pop track. Soundtracked by the bubbly song, creators make light of their own misfortune by using a dazzling CapCut effect to comedically highlight unfortunate moments in their lives. While some creators reveal they misadministered the ACT exam for their students, others joke about having digestive issues at TJ Maxx and their cat getting fleas. Celebrities have also been having fun with the sound, including Joe Jonas who brags about having more TikTok followers than his brothers.
As a platform for global music distribution, SoundOn, powered by TikTok, is designed to empower new and rising artists and set them up for success. Last night, SoundOn hit SXSW, hosted a SoundOn @ SXSW Showcase celebrating incredibly talented artists from SoundOn’s music community. The at-capacity crowd at 3TEN in Downtown Austin–and some onlookers watching from the 2nd Street sidewalk–witnessed thrilling performances from charismatic rapper bbno$, R&B star Justine Skye, “Sunroof” hitmaker Nicky Youre, and rising singer-songwriter venbee, who used SoundOn as a launching pad to a major label deal. Each artist played a full set, offering spirited renditions of songs from their burgeoning catalogs. Check out the full recap, including photos, HERE (please credit all photos to “SoundOn/Art Okoro”).
Visit 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
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Here Come the TikTok-Steppers: Charlie Puth, Ini Kamoze, Mason Ramsey & More
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