4.28.2021
TikTok Treats, Week of April 26th
Turning Heads This Week on TikTok: Britney, BIA, Bachata and Beyond
The News:
One of the things that makes TikTok so exciting is that there’s no blueprint for a TikTok hit–a trending song can come from any year, artist, or genre. The past week on TikTok saw trending sounds from the worlds of rap, pop, soul, and even bachata. The app’s diverse tastes reflect the wide-ranging community, whose subcultures large and small intersect in fascinating ways. Take a look below at some results of those interactions from recent weeks:
- TikTok recently unveiled a suite of immersive creative effects that enhance the music experience on the app, including a music visualizer and an effect that allows users to create their own beats. Last week, Diplo demonstrated the new “delayed beats” effect, by synchronizing a series of still images of himself riding a skateboard to the beat of “One By One,” his yet-to-be-released single. Featuring contributions from Elderbrook and Andhim, “One By One” is causing a stir on TikTok with over 18k video creations since Diplo posted his video, many of which use the same delayed beats effect that his video used. With the TikTok community building momentum for the song on the platform, “One By One” is primed to make a massive debut with its official release on Friday April 30th.
- More than capable of returning past hits to prominence, TikTok recently breathed new life into the 2008 smash “Circus” (272.9K+ creations) by pop legend Britney Spears. The track’s notable line “All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus” has inspired a new trend that can make even the most self-assured TikTok creator engage in a little lighthearted, self-deprecating fun. The song is mainly used to soundtrack self-callouts, whether you have a knack for acting mysterious in traffic, being secretly obsessed with fictional characters, or being the center of a lecture from a coach. The self-effacing trend behind “Circus” shows how humor helps music connect the platform’s various communities.
- With over 52K creations and counting, rising rapper BIA’s intoxicating “WHOLE LOTTA MONEY” is providing a spark for displays of creativity and confidence across the platform. The über-confident banger has creators posting footage of their visual art skills, from cool kicks-inspired photoshoots to eccentric hair and makeup looks. Rapper Amine has expressed his appreciation for the bold track and BIA has even engaged with the sound on her own page. With the track gaining more momentum by the day, and recently entering the top 25 of Spotify’s U.S. Viral chart, “WHOLE LOTTA MONEY” has the potential to become a summer anthem.
- Making a splash in 2020 with her hit “Do It” (over 500k video creations across multiple sounds), Chloe x Halle’s Chloe Bailey is very much at home on the app. The 22-year-old singer made waves in March when she helped popularize the #WalkChallenge (2.9 billion views), a confident strut to the tune of Houston rapper Saucy Santana’s “Walk.” Since posting her famous “Walk,” Chloe has been very active on the platform, recording covers of hits like GIVEON’s TikTok-beloved “Heartbreak Anniversary,” Silk Sonic’s “Leave The Door Open,” and The Weeknd’s sensual smash “Earned It,” the last of which racked up over 1.3 million video views. With a follower count of 756k and rising, Chloe’s TikTok has helped her show off her personality and shed the image she cultivated as a teenaged R&B star.
- Latin music has a growing presence on TikTok, and the community doesn’t just have time for the latest trap and reggaeton hits–they show plenty of love to more traditional styles too. TikTok is going through a major bachata phase, powered by “Necio,” the 2014 collaboration between Romeo Santos and Carlos Santana. TikTok users are turning to the sound to help them show off their bachata dance skills, whether they’re strutting their stuff with a partner, shaking it solo, or something in between. With 34k video creations and counting, the popularity of “Necio” heralds a hopeful summer full of careful choreography and close contact on TikTok and IRL.
- The theme song from HBO’s Big Little Lies, Michael Kiawanuka’s smoky and soulful “Cold Little Heart” (41k video creations) is an instant mood-setter, evoking dusky beach landscapes and hazy sunrises. On TikTok, creator @nicholas_flannery uses the song to soundtrack his ongoing exploration of the kind of “rich white lady” that appears in prestige dramas like BLL and The Undoing. With the help of “Cold Little Heart,” the British-born creator is capable of provoking laughter and knowing recognition with just a well-timed glance and an expressive facial expression to show the distinct way a “rich white lady” on HBO would take a taxi home, discover her husband’s infidelity, temporarily lose her cool, or get distracted by a dark thought. Thanks to Flannery, who often generates more than 10 million views on his videos, “Cold Little Heart” has spread throughout the app like wildfire, as creators make sketches about schoolyard romances and post-decision regret.
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:
TikTok Unveils Music-Powered Filters, Lil Nas X Debuts At #1, and More TikTok Stories
Bieber Tops The Charts, Young Thug Premieres New Music, and More TikTok Stories
Demi Lovato Kicks Off TikTok’s New Livestream Series Headstream
Rock Music Thrives on TikTok, Just Ask Yungblud, Beach Bunny, and More
Shania Hops On Board, Kid Cudi Tosses and Turns, and More TikTok Stories
On TikTok: Kali Uchis and Coi Leray Hit the Charts as Bobby Shmurda Comes Home
Rihanna, Brent Faiyaz, and Giveon Lead TikTok’s R&B Moment
T-Pain, Hyperpop, and Anti-Valentine’s Anthems Take TikTok By Storm
Cardi Goes Up, Uzi Goes Down (to Sleep), and More TikTok Stories
Black History Month Kicks Off, Mark Ronson Duets, and More Music Stories From TikTok
Cardi Goes Up, Uzi Goes Down (to Sleep), and More TikTok Stories
Dave Grohl, Migos, Miley, and More Happenings on TikTok
This Week on TikTok: Olivia Rodrigo Hits #1 as Memes & Mashups Flourish
New Year, New TikTok Trends: Alicia Keys, Remembering MF DOOM & More
Paul McCartney, Holiday Celebrations, and New Year’s Eve Live on TikTok
TikTok Releases First U.S. Music Report: Here Are Some Key Insights
How TikTok’s Top 10 Songs of 2020 Impacted the Industry
On TikTok: Lil Nas X Brings “Holiday” Cheer, Shawn Mendes Welcomes Us to His World & More
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