Controversies surrounding the app and its safety aside, there’s no denying that TikTok has revitalized old songs and boosted the promotion of new ones. With all the genres it has to offer, TikTok functions as a musical timeline. There seems, however, to be a ‘pick and choose’ aspect to what goes viral and what doesn’t.
Firstly, songs that have always been iconic seem to find their way onto TikTok relatively easily. Examples include “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Sweet Dreams,” and “Somebody’s Watching Me.” These songs have withstood the test of time, and it’s almost as if there’s an unspoken rule that they should never be forgotten.
What makes every other creator use a song, and hence, increase its popularity, is the ability for that song to become part of a trend. Two key examples are Eiffel 65’s “I’m Blue” and Avicii’s “The Nights.” An early TikTok trend had creators playing “I’m Blue” and asking listeners what they heard: nonsensical sentences were displayed and, depending on what viewers read, that is what they heard. “The Nights” was used in many astrology-centered videos where the scenario was ‘sing or so-and-so dies.’ Yeesh.
Relatively simple trend? Yes. Catchy music? Also, yes. With this in mind, it’s no shock many creators copied each other, leading to both songs seeing a massive increase in popularity.
Songs related to popular media have also seen a surge in popularity. After an edit of Netflix’s hit show “Wednesday” featuring Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary” surfaced, the song gained massive attention. As a result, radio stations and social media quickly picked up the song. Fan music made for series such as the long-standing video game series “Five Nights at Freddy’s” (FNAF) and both canon and fan-made songs for the relatively new “Hazbin Hotel” and “Helluva Boss” have also had their time in the spotlight. TikTok created a platform where fandoms could thrive, opening the door to many music numbers that would have otherwise gone unrecognized by the general public.
TikTok has, more or less, become what could be considered a melting pot of different music. Anything and everything can be turned into a sound, meaning that creators have the power to make underrated songs popular and keep iconic ones current.
