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Reelin’ In The Years: #oldtrend And More From Music On TikTok
Source: TikTok/Audible Treats
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’s newsletter reels in the years, with a trend showing how different communities use music to express themselves.
Creatively interpreting songs to fit their needs, the TikTok community helps define and redefine the visual representation of music. A recent trend, affectionately called #oldtrend (2.5 billion views), in which TikTok creators speculate about what they and their significant others would look like after a lifetime together, shows how a single trend can boost the fortunes of multiple thematically appropriate songs.
The trend started bubbling on the app to the tune of “Forever and Ever, Amen,” a 1987 country hit by Randy Travis, centered around his chorus lyric “I’m gonna love you forever,” inspiring videos that range from comedic to heart-warming. The trend explores the feelings of daughters of young moms, couples who hope their tattoos will age well, to curious parents looking to recreate the case of Benjamin Button. The former #1 Hot Country hit has over 134k creations on the platform.
As the #oldtrend spread to other corners of TikTok, creators paired the aging effect with other songs. Some users have taken to Alphaville’s 1984 hit “Forever Young,” which has over 415k video creations and a chorus that adds a bit of irony to the rapidly aging images. Most recently, Jay–Z’s Alphaville-interpolating “Young Forever” has taken over, generating over 160k creations en route to placing at #2 on TikTok’s top trending songs of the past week. Creators with especially discerning tastes, however, have been using Steely Dan’s 1972 classic “Reelin’ In The Years.”
TikTok makes it easy to project one’s future appearance using the soundtrack of one’s choice–just make sure to moisturize for best results.
Check out more recent trends and tidbits from the world of music on TikTok:
- The latest classic hit to experience a resurgence on TikTok is Etta James’ 1960 classic “Sunday Kind of Love.” A new trend featuring the breezy and bluesy song finds creators showing off their style through a number of outfit changes. Reaching over 144K+ creations to date, the song finds creators transitioning from their casual army wear to uniform, wearing matching outfits with their significant other, and twinning with their best friend.
- Indie pop band TV Girl’s gloomy “Blonde” is the latest song to soundtrack the TikTok community’s knack for boosting others’ confidence. Garnering over 91K creations to date, the lyrics “Who’s gonna kiss the brown haired girl? Who’s gonna wipe away their tears?” help creators shine a light on their sometimes underappreciated types in romantic partners. While some creators admit that they are drawn to introverts with trust issues, others admit that they are attracted to people who remind them of the Criminal Minds character Spencer Reid.
- Whether it inspires a specific trend or soundtracks general creations on the platform, K-Pop consistently remains a popular genre on TikTok. Rising K-Pop girl group FIFTY FIFTY is the latest group to see TikTok-powered success thanks to their new bubbly track “Cupid.” With over 874K creations, “Cupid (Twin Ver.)” (the English-language version of the song) inspires creations from those who love to celebrate their volleyball wins with their toddlers as well those who want to share their perfect panda pancake recipes and re-live fun family dinners. The song also inspired the #CupidChallenge (128 million views), a dance trend inspired by FIFTY FIFTY members and real life twin sisters Sio and Aran. “Cupid” is taking over TikTok and the charts, reaching #2 on Spotify Viral, #8 on Spotify Global, #22 on Billboard Global 200, and #60 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Visit TikTok’s Newsroom for more noteworthy stories: newsroom.tiktok.com
