12.9.2020
TikTok Treats, Week of December 7th
Big Names Promote New Music, the Community Revives Classic Hits, and More from the World of TikTok.
The News:
On TikTok, songs take on a life of their own, as the bustling community transforms lyrics into trends and inverts meanings to fit their creative ends. When confronted with the possibilities offered by a massive community eager to discover new songs, artists tend to react in ways that fit their personalities. Some artists will take an active role in shepherding the community towards interpreting a song in the way they intended, while others will sit back and let the trend play out on its own. And sometimes, the community will get its hands on an evergreen classic and make it their own. Check below for recent happenings in the wide world of TikTok:
- More than a year after using TikTok to propel “Old Town Road” to the stratosphere, Lil Nas X is back on the platform once again, this time to promote his festive new single “Holiday” (720k video creations). In the past week, Lil Nas head-banged to the sounds of @TheTikTokDrummer, gave unhelpful lip-syncing advice, created a choir arrangement for “Holiday,” and offered a selection of potential 2021 vibes.
- In preparation for his upcoming album Wonder, Shawn Mendes connected with TikTok to launch “A World of Wonder,” a fourteen-part video series that gives insight into each one of the album’s songs. Among the many revelations delivered by the series: the song “24 Hours” was inspired by girlfriend @CamilaCabello, “Call My Friends” emphasizes the importance of staying close to friends during a pandemic, and “Higher” reveals how much the 22-year-old artist misses tour life.
- Megan Thee Stallion is one of TikTok’s most popular artists, scoring two of the platform’s top ten songs of 2020. This week, the H-Town hottie is trending once again, as the community uses a modified version of her song “Girls In The Hood” (415k video creations) to take an ironic approach to her signature catchphrase “hot girl sh*t.” Thanks to TikTok, the definition of “hot girl sh*t” has grown to include playing Minecraft, struggling to park a car, and eating a pizza by yourself.
- Aussie rap sensation The Kid Laroi made waves on TikTok earlier this year when he saluted one of the platform’s most popular creators with his song “Addison Rae.” The 17-year-old artist is trending once again with his song “WITHOUT YOU” (156k video creations), an acoustic emo-rap ballad that the community uses to make light of less-than-ideal romantic situations. The Kid himself hopped on the trend to acknowledge how he might be complicit in deepening his own problematic entanglements.
- “How Bizarre” by OMC (1995) endures as one of the strangest and catchiest one-hit wonders of the 1990s. There are plenty of memeable moments from the song, but the TikTok community has landed on lead singer Pauly Fuemana’s colorful delivery of the titular phrase. With over 140k video creations in recent weeks, “How Bizarre” has become the aural equivalent of the Kermit-sipping-tea meme, offering a not-so-believable expression of innocence when a boyfriend asks why he’s getting emails for engagement rings, when a senior citizen reveals one of the few benefits of being a widow, or when your dog has separation anxiety.
- The latest classic hit to trend in the TikTok community is the timeless “Just The Two Of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. & Bill Withers (1980). With over 370k video creations, Withers’ dulcet tones are the perfect companion to videos that illustrate the chemistry between a QB and receiver, the unbreakable bond between a man and his pelican buddy, or the everlasting love shared by a dog and its ball.
Last week, TikTok revealed its Year On TikTok: Top 100 list, recapping the most notable moments and memes that marked the platform in 2020. Music, of course, played a massive role, earning its own section for popular songs and soundtracking some of the year’s most popular memes. Check out TikTok’s full Top 100 list at the Newsroom, and stay tuned for a specific report about TikTok’s impact on music in the coming days.
Check out TikTok’s full Top 100 list at the Newsroom: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/the-year-on-tiktok-top-100
Check TikTok’s newsroom for more noteworthy stories: newsroom.tiktok.com
For more info, please contact:
Michelle McDevitt, Andrea Higgins, Erin Ryan, 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:
How TikTok’s Top 10 Songs of 2020 Impacted the Industry
Run-DMC, MGMT, and More Noteworthy TikTok Stories
Billie Eilish and Queen Join the Party, New Viral Hits Take Flight, and More From the World of TikTok
Ariana Grande, Rick Astley and More TikTok Stories
Elton John, Tim Burton, Liam Payne and More Add Some Pumpkin Spice to the Week in TikTok
John Lennon, Oasis, George Michael, and More Score Trending Hits on TikTok
Stevie Nicks, Jason Derulo, and More Highlight a Big TikTok Week
Now Here You Go Again, You Say You Want Your TikToks
Pop Smoke, 24kGoldn, Flo Milli, and Others Have Scored Multiple TikTok Hits
TikTok Salutes Its #FamiliaLatina: Music Stories from Latinx Heritage Month
Big Sean, Charlie Puth, Classical Harp, and More From TikTok
David Guetta, Sada Baby, and Rick James Are Having a Moment on TikTok
BTS Hits #1, Kendrick Plants Money Trees, and More From TikTok
Dua Lipa Levitates, J. Cole Soundtracks Glow-Ups and More TikTok Stories
TikTok: The “WAP” Dance Challenge, Folklore, La Roux, and More Provide Joy and Catharsis
Charlie Puth, Pop Smoke, and More Trending TikTok Stories
Artists Unite to Say #SaveTikTok
How TikTok Users Use the App to Boost Their Musical Careers
TikTok Doesn’t Just Mint New Hits…It Revives Old Ones
These International TikTok Artists and Hits Eliminate Language Barriers
Who’s Hot on TikTok? Jason DeRulo, Rod Wave, and More
TikTok Success = Chart Success and the Hot 100 Proves It
TikTok Users and Artists Celebrate #MyPride Through Music
TikTok Promotes a Vibrant Artistic Community with #BlackMusicMonth