8.18.2021
TikTok Treats, Week of August 16th
Lizzo & Cardi, bbno$ & Rich Brian, and Underground Artists Like babyxsosa and Juice Armani Power a Big Week for Rap Music on 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. This week was a big one for hip-hop on the platform, which saw trends inspired by the new single from TikTok favorites Lizzo & Cardi B, songs by rising rappers like Babyxsosa and Juice Armani, and a 2014 cut from J. Cole. Take a look at how hip-hop, last year’s top genre on TikTok, continues to make a major impact on the platform:
- Lizzo, the self-proclaimed “Queen of TikTok,” had a busy week on the platform, as she celebrated the release of her song “Rumors,” a collab with fellow TikTok favorite Cardi B. After previewing the song on TikTok one week in advance of its official release, the gregarious hitmaker spent the weekend posting up a storm, dueting creators’ body-positive dances to the song, answering frequent questions about the song (to the tune of “Magic Bomb” by Hoang Read), and FaceTiming with her collaborator Cardi. The unquestioned highlight of her week, however, came when she convinced her mom to twerkto the new song. Lizzo’s relentless “Rumors” promotion has made a positive impact on the app and off, inspiring 15k video creations in its first four days, and over 13 million views on its music video.
- In 2019, Canadian rapper bbno$ scored one of the first massive TikTok hits with “Lalala,” generating over 938k video creations on the song, which eventually was certified double Platinum by the RIAA. Now armed with his single “edamame” ft. Rich Brian, bbno$ is crashing For You pages all over the world once again. With over 50k video creations, the song is being fueled by a wave of dance videos from Rich Brian’s native Indonesia, a co-sign from a sleepy Bassett Hound, as well as a series of eye-catching (or eyebrow-catching) TikToks from bb and Rich Brian themselves. bb also teamed up with TikTok-beloved remixer Llusion, who made a heavy, slowed-down “phonk” remix of the song, much to bb’s delight.
- TikTok continues its habit of reviving past hits with “She Knows,” a track from J. Cole’s 2014 album 2014 Forest Hills Drive. The song has inspired over 196.7K+ creations, with an enormous amount of content appearing in recent weeks. The trend, based on the first lines of the chorus “She knows, she knows,” sees TikTok users making a statement and emphasizing that the person it’s directed to knows the truth. While many users joke about their mothers knowing when they’re lying, others speak of manifesting specific color cars to determine their soulmate and trusting their significant other’s instincts while in a relationship.
- A good dance can be done to any song—whether new or old. Schoolboy Q’s 2014 bass-booster “Collard Greens” (41.5K+ creations) and upcoming Baltimore rapper MoneyMarr’s “Mix It” (52.3K+ creations) are making waves in the TikTok community, powered by a viral dance trend that inspires users to show off their footwork by doing a side-step skip across the room. The dance, coined as the “Jojo Shuffle” by TikTok creator @kingjojo.inc, is gaining traction on the app because of how universal and humorous the dance moves are. TikTok users are recreating the dance in bear costumes, during volleyball practice, and even recording their failed attempts at getting it right.
- One of the most welcome new sounds trending on TikTok is the entrancing, bubbly hip-hop of Babyxsosa’s “everywhereigo.” The song started trending on the back of a charming video by @anxcity, in which she grins from ear-to-ear and vibes in her apartment. The unassuming video has generated over 17 million views since its upload on August 1st. With over 192k video creations, the song inspired a trend where users show off their filter-assisted pearly whites. The Richmond, Virginia native and Surf Gang emcee is riding high off her TikTok success–the song reached the top 10 of Spotify’s U.S. Viral 50 and racked up over 9 million streams on Spotify alone.
- The TikTok community has a boundless appetite for discovery, and the latest beneficiary is rising rapper Juice Armani. His smooth, auto-tuned breakout song “Offended” has over 100k combined creations between the official and user-generated content. The song is trending on the back of a new dance, choreographed by TikTok creator @pjhowardiv, and is the basis of a text-on-screen trend that allows creators to speak on their relationship statuses, or share funny, relatable commentary. In some recent creations, users link up with their friends to do the trend over Juice’s melodic vocals, including a pair of athletes who did the dance during football practice.
This month, TikTok is celebrating #ElectronicMusicMonth, honoring the platform’s sizable community of artists, DJs, producers, and fans. Programming from the month includes promoted hashtags (including the #electronicmusic tag), custom playlists from artist guests like Jayda G, Carl Cox, and Nina Kraviz, and new genre playlists for techno and house on TikTok’s music hub. Stay tuned for more electronic music updates throughout the month!
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:
BIA Meets Nicki, Stromae Slows Down, and More TikTok Trends
On TikTok: Music Trends Inspired by Kanye, Young Nudy, and…Meryl Streep?
Avril Lavigne, Bo Burnham, and Gucci Mane Lead The Week in TikTok Trends
TikTok Summer Madness: Lorde Leads a Pack of New Trending Songs
Swae Lee, WILLOW, Mitski & More Inspire Trends on TikTok
Only On TikTok: Lil Durk & City Girls Trend Alongside…The Backyardigans?
On TikTok: BTS Army Takes Over, Carti Demands Silence, and Fans Anticipate F9
Olivia Rodrigo Catches Fire, Miguel Helps Users Catch Feelings, and More TikTok Stories
Saweetie, Calvin Harris, and Bella Poarch Highlight The Week in TikTok
Another One? DJ Khaled, Lizzo, and More Make the Week in TikTok
Doja Cat, Little Simz, and El Alfa Inspire TikTok Trends
Britney Spears, Chloe Bailey, and Diplo Make Waves on TikTok
Dua Lipa, Drake, and Bell Biv DeVoe Make Waves on TikTok
DMX Gets His Flowers, Silk Sonic Reaches #1, and More TikTok Stories
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