A list of songs used within this article. Each have their own style, but have all caught fame by the app TikTok. Photo courtesy of Rachel Fearn.
Launched in September of 2016, TikTok has become a platform for posting short videos. Users can post dance and singing videos, funny edits, “vine-like” materials, or short videos for comedy.
While it’s usually for funny videos, dancing is a huge contributor to TikTok’s fame. Not only has TikTok made millions of people “Tik-Tok famous” (people widely known for their videos), it has also brought attention to thousands of songs, each with different choreography. By using these songs on such a popular platform, TikTok has brought attention to songs which could have never been discovered worldwide, and brings attention to smaller artists.
Each song has its own style. Some for laughs, some to make people hype, and some are slower. The style is what contributes to the form of the video, and each song becomes popular for an obvious reason.
“Falling” by Trevor Daniel:
Overall, this is my favorite song of all time used on Tik Tok. This song is slower, starting with a simple beat which eventually becomes more fast-paced throughout. “Falling” became popular through the trend of “sad show scenes.” Users would use the first 28 seconds of the song in their tiktok. The lyrics, “My last made me feel like I would never try again. But when I saw you, I felt something I never felt. Come closer, I’ll give you all my love. If you treat me right, baby, I’ll give you everything,” is what makes up the first 30 seconds. In the TikTok trend, people use this song for a background as they show an extremely shocking or depressing scene in a movie or TV show.
Cradles by Sub Urban:
This song is primarily used for dance videos. The lyrics “I love everything, fire’s spreading all around my room, my world so bright, it’s hard to breathe but that’s alright,” followed by a melancholy beat, which is what users begin to dance to. Overall, his song’s meaning is to “never grow up.” It’s an astonishing song, which can get listeners into a good mood with just the beat, making you just want to jump around.
Sin City by Chrishan:
Sin City is another song which has been popularized through dance videos. It’s not very popular for its lyrics, but more for the slow and contemporary beat which comes with the tune in the first minute or so.
I’m Gonna Show You Crazy by Bebe Rexha:
This song is present in the background for a duet in a skit. Two kids made the duet in 2018 for fun, but actually caught the attention of Bebe Rexha, fascinated by the acting to her song. If you go onto Spotify and look at this song, the video created on TikTok appears as her music video, and she posted it onto her instagram story to show the two kids off. The song overall is an amazing song, especially the chorus. The lyrics “Loco, maniac, sick, psychopath, Yeah, I’m gonna show you, I’m gonna show you, Yeah, I’m gonna show you. Mental out my brain, bad stuff go insane, Yeah, I’m gonna show you,” is where most users make a video. Users create the original video, of two individuals yelling at each other from both sides of a door. It’s the exact song you’d sing at the top of your lungs, with almost a rebellious vibe.
Lottery by KCAMP:
No doubt, this is one of the most popular songs on TikTok right now. Popularized through a dance created by Charli D’amelio, “Lottery” is an extremely well-known song. D’amelio created this dance, nicknamed “renegade”, which ended up getting her over 5 million followers in just about three months. The part of the song used within the TikTok is the first thirty seconds or so. Overall, the rest of the song is actually really good. Keeping a steady beat throughout, the song is a good one to “vibe” to. It is a little repetitive and almost hard to hear the lyrics, but overall the beat makes it an extremely good song to listen and dance to.
“Truth Hurts” by Lizzo:
Lizzo’s song “Truth Hurts” was released in 2017 but became famous in 2019 by the use of TikTok. This is another song to sing with a rebellious attitude, with the lyrics “Why men great ’til they gotta be great? I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100% that b**, Even when I’m crying crazy. Yeah, I got boy problems, that’s the human in me. Bling bling, then I solve ’em, that’s the goddess in me. “which is what hypes up listeners. In an interview with Genius, Lizzo revealed how “Truth Hurts” is an anti-commitment song, which she speaks about how romantic commitment could hold her and her career down. Overall, the song is extremely fun to listen to, and no doubt listeners can hear it on the radio, at parties, or in any car ride.
Overall, TikTok is a platform which has brought fame to songs which may have never been discovered or popularized worldwide. One fault with getting famous through having your song used through TikTok is most users only recognize the first 30 or so seconds of a song, and disregard the rest.
In reality, these songs are amazing and hold quality throughout the entire song. Next time you’re looking for new music, maybe go look through TikTok!
