Trendy Tik Tok Songs: Are They Worth The Listen?
Note to editor: Would it be possible to embed TikToks in the article, to give context to the trends these songs were used for with its endless scroll of recommended videos, dance challenges, memes and larger-than-life personalities, TikTok is one of the biggest cultural touchstones of the moment. One of the app’s most notable qualities is how it utilizes music. One can’t have a dance trend, after all, without something to dance to. The app has garnered a lot of organic growth for songs and artists that wouldn’t usually get big on the radio. Take “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X, a blend of country and trap wrought with meme-y potential. Lil Nas X marketed the song heavily on social media himself; it grew on TikTok due to a trend of people dressing up like cowboys, then it became the longest-running number-one hit in Billboard history. 2020 brought about several more app-fostered hits, such as “Say So” by Doja Cat and “Supalonely” by BENEE and Gus Dapperton. The app’s ability to blow up relatively unknown songs into monster hits is nothing to sneeze at.
But there’s a caveat: TikTok only allows videos up to one minute-- often leading to an especially catchy hook, an especially danceable moment or a lyric that can be effortlessly woven into a punchline gaining popularity. These songs may not even be known by name, they’ll be known by this loopable quality. Take “Daisy” by Ashnikko, a song that launched videos of users dancing to the line “I’m crazy but you like that / I bite back…” The song is labeled “Daisy (I’m Crazy But You Like That)” on the app so that users can locate the specific line they want to use in their videos. It’s not so much the song that gets popular, but the singular snapshot that launches a trend.
Songs like this tend to be big within the ecosystem of TikTok but don’t necessarily blow up on the Billboard Hot 100 to the point where the average person will know them. As the soundtrack to a trend, they fade just as fast. But that doesn’t mean they should. Which TikTok songs are worthy of checking out, outside of the context of the app?
I decided to investigate ten of these songs and see how much I liked them in full.
1. F2020 by Avenue Beat
The Trend: “F2020” became the soundtrack to the shared misery of a year gone terrible, as users revealed all the events they endured throughout the year over the song’s intro.
Golda’s Take: I want this song to be something I can jam to and exercise all my frustration to this terrible year, but it's a bit too flimsy for me to connect with. It sounds like it’s trying to be a Billie Eilish song, with the minimal, bass-heavy production, reverb-swathed vocal harmonies and scattered sound effects. I wouldn’t discount Avenue Beat’s potential, (they dropped an EP of quarantine covers and it’s not bad) but this song doesn’t quite do it for me.
2. Rät by Penelope Scott
The Trend: This song details Scott’s disappointment in Elon Musk after he inspired her interest in science and has soundtracked several user’s videos about their fallen idols.
Golda’s Take: It’s clear that Penelope Scott has real potential as a lyricist. Each line speeds by at a mile a minute, tackling themes of toxic masculinity, modern wealth and the idolization of celebrities. It’s filled with venomous wit and clever rhymes and feels very current in a way not many other songs are able to capture. The only thing holding this song back is the production, which is very 8-bit and thin, but it also offers a lot of DIY appeal. I don’t know if I’ll return to it, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for Scott’s future projects.
3. Stunnin’ by Curtis Waters ft. Harm Franklin
The Trend: Users timed “transitions,” a technique where users will cleverly edit their videos to change between positions, situations, or, in this song’s case, outfits, to the song’s intro.
Golda’s Take: This song is a ton of fun. The production is glossy, warm and bouncy, with bright synths and thudding drums. It’s very likable and balances the line between upbeat and chill. I can see this working really well for summertime playlists and crowd-pleasing pool party mixes.
4. Oh No by Kreepa
The Trend: The song’s intro features a heavily distorted sample of “Remember (Walkin’ In The Sand” by The Shangri-Las before the beat changes, triggering the lyric “oh no.” The sound is often used for videos where the subject comes to a realization of just how dire their situation really is.
Golda’s Take: I didn’t know what to expect with this one. I liked Kreepa’s delivery, which had a nice brash personality to it. The “oh no” sample is repeated throughout nearly the entire song and it gets a little bit repetitive. But, the cryptic atmosphere built around it works well. I don’t see myself returning to this over the original Shangri-Las song, though.
5. Backyard Boy by Claire Rosinkrantz
The Trend: The song’s intro soundtracked several POV, (point of view) videos parodying the popular interactive story game Episode. The protagonist in the video would make a series of difficult decisions, oftentimes ending with a funny punchline.
Golda’s Take: I’ve been listening to this song for months. It’s instantly likable and catchy. It has a very similar appeal to “Supalonely”, with quirky vocal inflections, an indie-pop groove and an overall summery feel. I could see some people being turned off by the “oMg so raNdOm” feel, but to me that just adds to its charm.
6. Mad At Disney by salem ilese
The Trend: “Mad at Disney” didn’t soundtrack one trend in particular, but its lyrics express frustration at Disney’s ideals of romantic love.
Golda’s Take: As someone who has become similarly disillusioned with perfect movie romances, I just wish the lyrics delved a little deeper than “Cause I felt sad love / I felt bad love / Sometimes happy love / Turns into giving up.” But overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I wasn’t that impressed with the initial taste I got of this on TikTok, I thought it would have very spare production, but it doesn’t. This song’s best moments comes once the production unfolds in the latter halfway much after the bit that exploded in popularity. Because it brings in some chirpy and sparkly textures, it makes for a beat that’s way catchier and also has some irony to it.
7. E-GIRLS ARE RUINING MY LIFE! by CORPSE ft. Savage Ga$p
The Trend: CORPSE is a social media personality that has gained notoriety for his faceless work on YouTube and especially deep voice. The song comments on e-girls, a subculture emerging from TikTok that blends a variety of emo, anime and internet aesthetics.
Golda’s Take: After listening to this I get why CORPSE has become such an engaging personality online. His voice is certainly unique and stands out from the crowd. He’s also certainly in tune with what Gen-Z is into. This song is chock-full of anime references (including Death Note, Naruto, and One Piece) and lots of edgy posturing. The production plows right over you when you listen to this; it’s very abrasive, loud and bassy-- although a little bit too much so for me. Still, I could see this hitting the spot if I felt like getting into a badass mood.
8. Heather by Conan Gray
The Trend: Several video trends emerged from this song. But most importantly, “Heather” became a shorthand to refer to girls with unattainable beauty and likeability, much like the girl Gray describes in the song.
Golda’s Take: This is a sweet acoustic ballad. I see why it’s clicking so hard with people; Gray spins a tale full of hyperbolic teen melodrama but manages to ground it with just enough genuine emotion. That belted bridge brings some nice catharsis too, though I wish it packed a bit more punch. Solid overall, I could see it working if I needed a good cry.
9. Drugs by UPSAHL ft. Two Feet
The Trend: Using TikTok’s “Delayed” filter, users give their videos a trippy, otherworldly feel to the beat of the song.
Golda’s Take: This song is also very minimalist: it’s made up of bass, spliced vocal samples and plucky synths. But I think it works for the song’s subject matter and tone which is very zoned-out and sarcastic. I like how it comments on the vapidity of party culture, but the speaker isn’t above participating. It brings a bit more nuance to the story.
10. Space Girl by Frances Forever
The Trend: “Space Girl” soundtracks a dance routine trend. The dance blew up even more when a video compiling clips of multiple girls doing the dance when viral.
Golda’s Take: Now this is just adorable, I don’t know if I have much more to say than that. The lyrics stuffed with space metaphors are kind of cheesy, but it works alongside the swooning vocals and overall earnest delivery. There’s such a lovestruck energy to this that’s irresistible. This song slots in perfectly with the bedroom pop genre that’s been on the rise for years now, and yes, I will 100% be bopping to this in my bedroom.