Only On TikTok: Kevin Gates, Patsy Cline, and Pixar Make Music Trends

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. TikTok often feels like a portal linking digital and physical realities, and music is often the vessel through which TikTok and IRL meet. Check out the ways in which music helped make worlds collide on TikTok this week: 

• German rock band AnnenMayKantereit and German indie band Giant Rooks put their spin on Suzanne Vega’s 80s track “Tom’s Diner” in 2019 but the song has gained a second wind on TikTok in recent weeks. The bands are emphatically engaging with the song on the platform, with both AnnenMayKantereit and Giant Rooks posting clips of their live cover. Creators have been taking to the sound to display their patchwork pants technique, late night tattoo experiences, and their adorable babies being shocked by the range of voices in the song. The sound is seeing success on TikTok and beyond, garnering over 50.3K creations and claiming the #1 spot on Spotify’s Viral 50 Chart.
• Kevin Gates’ raunchy rap banger “Thinking With My Dick” ft. Juicy J reached the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time this week, placing at #37 nine years after its original release. Gates can thank TikTok for the song’s late rise–”Thinking With My Dick” has over 491k video creations on the platform, many coming in the month of March. The song’s TikTok rise started with a clip from Mardi Gras in Gates’ native Louisiana, spotlighting a Southern gentleman with a blue collared shirt and flashy aviator sunglasses dancing to the song with a full drink in hand. The short clip transfixed the TikTok community, as fans across the country imitated the man’s look and cup-enhanced dance moves, as well as the energetic woman from the background of the original video. Some even have gone as far as to imitate the woman wearing a backpack who raises her hand at the end of the video. After a couple of days of watching the song trend, the man in the video revealed himself to be @Only1Barbosa, a native of Lafayette, LA, commenting on his unexpected virality with a video that has racked up over 11 million views. Since then, Barbosa, who sticks to his trademark sunglasses, has become a minor celebrity, recruiting over 390k TikTok followers and making club appearances around his home state.
• The TikTok community continues to find ways to bring new context and comedic twists to classic songs. Inspired by Patsy Cline’s Willie Nelson-penned 1961 country hit, “Crazy” (134K+ creations), creators smirkingly share some of the craziest things they’ve done while dating their significant others. While some TikTok users describe extreme measures such as plastering their face all over their boyfriend’s car, others share their petty reactions to being cheated on – such as declining their ex’s college acceptance offers and sprinkling instant mashed potatoes in their yard. Offering a welcome contrast to all the toxic behavior, one creator used the sound to make it clear that they don’t have the time to do petty things to their exes.
• The TIkTok community extended a hearty #CiaoLaura to iconic Italian singer Laura Pausini, who joined TikTok this week. The decorated artist immediately brought her authentic Italian vibe to TikTok, exclaiming “Oii!!” in her very first video on her new profile. The singer can claim Italian Icon status, as she was the first Italian female artist to win a Grammy Award in 2006, has won four Latin Grammy Awards, and earned a nomination for Best Original Song at last year’s Academy Awards. Her career took off in the nineties when she won the Newcomers prize at the 1993 Sanremo Music Festival, the same competition that brought TikTok heartthrobs Måneskin to the Eurovision stage in 2021. With over 1 million video views on her first video, and over 550k in three hours on her second, Laura is preparing TikTok for even more Italian excellence. Cin cin!
• Laura Pausini was far from the only major artist to join TikTok this week. Iconic Montreal indie rockers Arcade Fire made their presence felt, as well. The band racked up over 2 million views on a video teasing their new single “The Lightning,” and kept the party going with TikToks that recapped their recent run of NYC shows. Puerto Rican artist Residente has also made his presence felt on the app, with his new Bzrp freestyle racking up over 289k video creations. The respected rapper kicked off his TikTok career by showing off his collection of GRAMMY awards (in a video that generated over 18 million views) and teasing his new single “This Is Not America” with a much-needed geography lesson.
• The energy has been high on TikTok in recent weeks and it’s powered by Philadelphia hip hop duo 5Star’s collaboration “Cmonnn” with fellow Philly native Lay Bankz. An undeniably danceable track with catchy lyrics and equally catchy ad-libs, the track is sweeping through the platform with over 980.7K creations. Creators are putting their best moves forward as they coordinate their choreography with the booming beat and lyrics. The sound is perfect for those who want to hit some moves with their dad, with their besties before hitting the town, and even with a basketball as they attempt a dribble challenge.
• Disney soundtracks hold a special place in TikTok creators’ hearts, previously propelling Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (1M+ creations) to becoming the longest-running Billboard chart-topper in Disney’s history. The TikTok community’s love for songs from animated films shows no signs of abating, with 4*TOWN’s “Nobody Like U,” an original song from Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red, currently trending on the platform. Boasting over 164.9K creations to date, the catchy pop track has creators sharing all things related to the film – including fan-drawn art, inspired nails, and videos that test out TikTok’s Turning Red Characters filter to find out which character they’re most like. In other creations, TikTok users point out the resemblance between themselves and the film’s characters.

Source: Audible Treats