7 songs that are having a moment thanks to TikTok
The app has quickly become a powerhouse in viral music promotion
By now, you’ve heard of TikTok, either through word of mouth, resharing of its short viral clips, or maybe during COVID-19 isolation, your kids have roped you into dancing in a video or two.
The app, which really exploded onto the scene in 2019, asks that users record short clips of themselves set to music. It’s a deceptively simple concept that has resulted in surprising creativity from the app’s userbase and has, less surprisingly, catapulted songs into the cultural consciousness through the sheer power of online virality. Last year, the app gave us Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” and Blanco Brown’s “The Git Up,” both of which injected some much-needed new energy into country music.
This is not necessarily a new concept; YouTube has been making stars from its earliest days as a showcase for musical talent, and everyone’s favorite white boy Shawn Mendes got his start by recording clips of himself singing on Vine, which is often considered the granddaddy predecessor of TikTok.
But TikTok has spawned a meme language all its own, centered almost entirely around audio and dancing, and has carved out a space for itself as a media powerhouse in the already crowded social media realm. It has also, thanks to COVID-19, experienced a boom in users now that everyone is stuck at home, bored.
So sit back, relax, and get familiar with these songs that are having huge moments thanks to TikTok.
Doja Cat, “Say So”
Doja Cat is successful in her own right, but “Say So” has become the song of the moment thanks to TikTok, and the viral dance that made it so popular even makes an appearance in Doja Cat’s official music video for the song. What more do I need to say? You’ve probably already heard the song and didn’t even realize it; that’s how ubiquitous it has become.
Kesha, “Cannibal”
Here’s an unexpected one: Once it became standard for users to create signature dances for their favorite songs, Kesha’s nine-year-old track “Cannibal” received a moment in the spotlight. Kesha even released a lyric video on YouTube to capitalize on this momentum, and it’s even more noteworthy when you recall that Kesha had a track titled “Tik Tok” on her first album way back in 2010. Her impact!
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”
Here’s an instance of a good old-fashioned hit that has actually made its way to TikTok after already becoming successful. The Weeknd’s mega-hit “Blinding Lights,” which is already catchy as hell, gets an extra boost of earworm-iness thanks to the TikTok trend wherein teens rope their dads into performing a carefully choreographed dance to the track. It’s the best kind of viral video that succeeds mostly on its pure and wholesome dad energy — but it doesn’t hurt to have an awesomely catchy soundtrack as well.
Megan Thee Stallion, “Savage”
The latest choreo craze on TikTok, for better or worse, involves a rapid-fire dance to “Savage” from Megan Thee Stallion’s newest album. While it is beyond cringe-worthy to watch white girls dancing to a track about being “classy, bougie, ratchet,” it’s hard to deny that the song has become a certified hit because of it.
KRYPTO9095, “Woah (feat. D3Mstreet)”
Nevermind the misspelled title; this hip-hop track is experiencing explosive fame thanks to yet another viral choreo on TikTok (it also helps that Jason Derulo posted an impressive video set to the song, which has a rhythm that feels perfectly poised for TikTok’s chopped-up content. Now if someone could mash it up with Mya’s “My Love is Like… Wo,” that would be greatttt.
Eminem, “Love the Way You Lie (feat. Rihanna)”
As Kesha has proven, TikTok fame isn’t reserved for new music; Eminem and Rihanna’s problematic classic “Love the Way You Lie” has found new life as meme material thanks to a clever remixed version of the song that cuts out right after Rihanna sings “Just gonna stand there — .” The videos set to this song feature — you guessed it — people just standing there.
Dua Lipa, “Don’t Start Now”
Honestly, just replace “Don’t Start Now” with any Dua Lipa song because if she releases new material, you can practically guarantee it’s going to become a TikTok meme. There’s no avoiding it, just as there’s no avoiding her very, very good new material on the radio or anywhere else. This is how popstars are made today, and Dua Lipa is poised to seize the throne.
What songs did I miss? Send me your TikTok faves!
