11.11.2020

TikTok Treats, Week Of November 9th

Ariana Grande, Rick Astley and More TikTok Stories

The News:

Music trends on TikTok run the gamut of origins. They can come from superstars, veterans, up-and-comers, or international artists. TikTok offers an even playing field for acts of all types–their success is limited only by how much creativity they inspire in the community. Below, check out some recent trends, including songs from current, former, and up-and-coming pop stars, and rappers from two different continents:

Last week, TikTok got a surprise visit from the originator of one of the Internet’s most enduring memes. Now, nearly 15 years since the Internet discovered the RickRoll, Rick Astley joined TikTok and RickRolled the whole app (17 million video views). As he continues to post videos to TikTok with songs that inspire him, including Curtis Waters’ TikTok hit “Stunnin,” it becomes clearer and clearer that Rick’s never gonna give it up.
Ariana Grande returned at the end of October with positions, which recently became her third number one album in two years. Unsurprisingly, her recent number one single “positions” is becoming a TikTok hit, inspiring a transition trend that comments on her chorus lyrics (“Switchin’ the positions for you/ Cookin’ in the kitchen and I’m in the bedroom”) and racking up over 215k video creations. The TikTok community, however, has picked its own favorite song from the album–”pov,” which has already generated more videos than “positions” (500k+ creations). A touching ballad about seeing yourself through your partner’s eyes, “pov” inspired its own trend, where users show “all of my pretty, and all of my ugly too.”
From “mi pan” to “Kulikitaka Ti,” TikTok hits can transcend language barriers and become worldwide smashes. Russian rapper Morganshtern has spent multiple weeks trending on TikTok with his song “ICE” (1.3 million creations). A hard-edged synth-driven banger, “ICE” has become a go-to song for moments when TikTok users just can’t deal with things anymore, whether they’re trying to avoid cockroaches in their houses, the pool water is too cold, or if you’re faced with an impossible choice.
DIY bedroom rapper 347aidan has dedicated 2020 to building an audience for his music on TikTok, promoting his singles, previewing new music, and even dueting with amateur musicians. In October, 347aidan let his fans know that he was dropping the lo-fi, keyboard-driven isolation anthem “Dancing In My Room” as his next single. Since then, the song has become one of TikTok’s top trending songs, soundtracking videos of mood-boosting pit bulls, seaside adventures, and, well, dancing in a bedroom. “Dancing In My Room” even reached the ears of TikTok influencers like @bellapoarch and cartoonist @robsonlami.
Known for its singular scene led by Lil Uzi Vert, Philadelphia hip-hop is having a moment on TikTok with Popp Hunna’s “Adderall (Corvette Corvette).” Built around a skittering electronic-influenced instrumental and Popp’s energetic fast-raps, “Adderall” is one of the platform’s top trending songs after @yvnggprince created a viral dance challenge. With over 3.1 million video creations on TikTok total, and over 2 million in the past week, “Adderall” shows no signs of slowing down, especially after Charli D’Amelio, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, and dozens of other influencers created their own videos.

TikTok has experienced immense growth in the past year–trending songs take only days to reach numbers that TikTok’s original hits built up over months. The platform’s emphasis on community-driven virality democratizes the hit-making process. As it continues to grow, the way TikTok interacts with the broader music world grows more fascinating, minting new stars of all genres and reviving hits from all eras.

Check TikTok’s newsroom for more noteworthy stories: newsroom.tiktok.com