Discourse over art is and always has been extremely intense. In no way is this discourse harmful – art yearns to be discussed. The whys and the hows of creative work is truly what makes art profound and polarizing. Vincent Van Gogh created his beautiful works from necessity, struggling with a deep depression for many years until he picked up a brush. The Taj Mahal was built as Shah Jahan’s homage to his late wife. Artists create their work painstakingly and consumers of that art strive to understand and resonate with the passion behind the opus.
However, when I really vibe with a song playing in the background of a sped-up video of a monkey eating seeds off of the ground, I start feeling a bit like an uneducated consumer.
“Tik Tok song” has become a bit of a buzzword in the music community. It describes a song that has gone viral from its association with a trend or meme inside the app and many music enjoyers use the term in a disdainful and patronizing way. You may have been in a situation where you describe a track as a “Tik Tok song” to the immediate anger of some Deftones fan who’s probably mad that “Around The Fur” is on streaming services and accessible to others. Despite this, that’s the truth: music is more accessible to the general public than it has ever been. So, to those who condemn Tik Tok songs, here are eight masterful works I’ve discovered through my daily doses of doom scrolling.
“Kentucky Love”: Bfb da Packman, Babyfxce E and KrispyLife Kidd
Michigan rap continues to be the weird little brother of the genre; artists like Rio Da Young OG and Grindhard E have put this grimy and sardonic subset of hip-hop on the map in the past couple of years. What has resulted is a boom for TikTok edit makers looking to add a hilarious spin to a video. I came across this song on a well-lit St. Louis morning, it was the background of the hardest Los Angeles Clippers edit I’d ever seen. I was hooked. Utilizing a sample that sounds straight out of an old Western movie yet also like Thanos and Kratos being rhymed back to back. “Kentucky Love” remains in my rotation to this day.
“Everything She Wants”: Wham!
Pop culture has always been heavily influenced by nostalgia. Media that highlights the beauty of yesteryear has more often than not been very successful. Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” made a huge comeback when featured in Stranger Things season 4. Similarly, “Everything She Wants” made a huge comeback for me this year: I discovered it as the soundtrack to a guy crip walking to it on Instagram Reels. It’s an infectious 80s pop anthem about not being able to pay child support that also happens to be incredibly danceable, even if you don’t know how to crip walk.
“Ice Box”: Omarion
There’s nothing quite like an early 2000s slow jam. I discovered this song, about 18 years too late, from a clip of Omarion playing it live. From that moment, posted up on the couch, I was immediately seduced. The lovely corny lyrics, the pleading with his woman and the silky smooth verses — I never had a chance.
“Nu Wave”: Boldy James
Here’s a pillar of truth: watching anyone have fun listening to music is going to make it sound slightly better. Watching @ibreathemusicallday make little music videos to his favorite songs just makes it so much easier to add his recommendations to your rotation. I stumbled across his account and his love for “Nu Wave” and couldn’t help but be encapsulated by the triumphant beat and James’ monotone murmurings. It’s since become one of my favorite tracks from the Atlanta MC.
“Grown Man Sport” : Pete Rock and InI
Every once in a while, the gods of Instagram show you a true gem. I’ll never forget the video: a man rollerblading on the streets of a European city, rapping along to the most laid-back beat I think I’ve heard to date. The man weaves in and out of traffic, filming with his handheld camera, rapping along. The vibe brought by the song alone was immaculate, the rollerblading through Europe a mere cherry on top. Rock’s production provides a classy background to French rapper InI’s slinky musings, making this track an instant classic.
“i got it bad” : Addison Rae
Hear me out. Addison Rae put out her debut EP “AR” in 2023, which normally would not even show up on my radar. That’s because, to me, social media influencer music has been some of the most generationally unoriginal and bland art that the world has ever seen. So, when I came across a sponsored post for the EP, I was as shocked as I was hooked. “i got it bad” is genuinely one of the best pop songs to come out in recent years. Rae’s sickly sweet lyrics and the track’s sleek production make for an instant classic.
“I Bet U Won’t” : Mouse and Level
This might just be the greatest song to ever hit the public ear. I found “I Bet U Won’t” around the same time everyone else did: when it went viral on TikTok in 2021. I jumped on this song like a moth to a flame. I listened to it nonstop. I even purchased it as a ringtone for my phone (“I Bet U Won’t” continues to be my alarm sound every morning, and my life has genuinely gotten better because of it). A quintessential club track reminiscent of early 2000s rap, this track sounds like you’re driving a lowrider around Miami while sipping Orange Crush.
“Missing”: Everything But The Girl
“Filmtok” is a rich and vibrant community. Movie edits consistently capture the tones and themes of some of the best — and maybe most unsung — movies. Of course, these works of art and music cut together and reimagined is a recipe for hours of scrolling. I found “Missing” over an edit of the 2000 Brad Pitt movie “Snatch,” and it perfectly summed up the film: alluring, dark and unapologetically British. Everything But The Girl has been around since the early 90s, but the English duo’s music hasn’t aged a bit. Featuring a silky smooth melody and a driving beat, “Missing” is that 90s deep cut that you’ve been looking for.
