In 2020, when TikTok first began amassing its popularity in the social media landscape, a new categorization of music emerged: TikTok songs. These might be songs created specifically to garner views and streams via the TikTok algorithm, or they could simply be older songs that gained a new life on the app (often spreading to other short-form video platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts as well). Having a song become a viral audio on TikTok is the newest way for an artist to be a one-hit-wonder.
I, like many other chronically-online Gen Z-ers, have gotten used to discovering new music through social media apps like TikTok. Still, the label of “TikTok song” often feels a little reductive. It makes the song into a passing trend, something that’ll be uncool to post in a year’s time. Usually, only part of the song will go viral as well, so people who are familiar with the TikTok audio might never even get to hear the track in its entirety.
Although some of these songs are certainly cheesy or produced for the sole purpose of becoming a trend, not all of them fall into one genre — or even one era. So let’s slow down and appreciate a few TikTok songs on a deeper level, as well as the artists behind them.
“Lalala” by Y2K and bbno$
“Did I really just forget that melody?“
If you were on the internet all day every day in 2020, you’ll certainly remember the intro to Y2K and bbno$’s iconic “Lalala.” But how much do you know about the two guys behind it?
Y2K is primarily a producer, and he’s worked with other big-name artists such as Doja Cat, Yung Gravy, and most recently, BTS. “Lalala” is still his biggest hit, with over one billion streams on Spotify. However, I’d also recommend his addictive house-inspired remix of Doja Cat’s “I Don’t Do Drugs.”
Bbno$ (pronounced “baby no money”) is a Canadian rapper who’s been steadily making a name for himself since “Lalala.” Last year was a big year for bbno$, following the release of his self-titled album. Though it was far from his first studio release (his ninth, actually), this 2025 album was the one that finally allowed bbno$ to escape the one-hit-wonder accusations, launching him into full-time popularity.
His lyrics are often so irreverent and ridiculous that they circle back around to being genius. I have no idea how he comes up with the idea to rhyme things like “comatose” and “E-I-E-I-O” or “do the dues” and “Fu Manchu.” You truly never know what he’ll say next, so listening to his songs is just pure wacky fun.
If you liked “Lalala,” check out “check.”
“Imposter Syndrome” by Sidney Gish
“Every other day I’m wonderin’, what’s a human being gotta be like?”
“Imposter Syndrome” is a recent TikTok hit off indie artist Sidney Gish’s 2017 album “No Dogs Allowed.” It’s been used mostly in sentimental videos, fan-cam montages, or clips of people performing random acts of kindness in public.
The song itself is a sweet, catchy ode to the feeling of not knowing how to be human, especially when you’re around other people. Gish compares herself to a dog throughout the song, especially with the poignant lyric, “For human, grossly under-qualified / For canine, grossly over-qualified.”
She’s a phenomenal lyricist overall, and although she hasn’t released a full album since “No Dogs Allowed,” Gish is still an active artist. She collaborated with the indie band Cheekface in 2022 and toured with The Beths in 2023.
Gish is generally a private person, and she hasn’t publicly commented on the sudden popularity of “Imposter Syndrome.” However, if you find her upbeat-but-profound lyrics to be intensely relatable, I’d definitely recommend listening to the rest of “No Dogs Allowed.”
If you liked “Imposter Syndrome” check out “Not but for You, Bunny.”
“Dracula” by Tame Impala (JENNIE remix)
“My friends are saying, ‘Shut up, Jennie, just get in the car.’ I just wanna be right where you are.”
“Dracula” was originally released by indie-rock/electronica artist Tame Impala (A.K.A. Kevin Parker) in 2025. However, the song didn’t really find its footing until February 2026 when Jennie Kim (of the K-pop group BLACKPINK) was brought on for a remix. The JENNIE Remix earned both Tame Impala and Jennie their first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song has been utilized in countless formats on TikTok, one of the most common being a simple lip-sync of the song while walking. Jennie herself even recreated this. It’s a testament to the quality of “Dracula” that the biggest trend related to the song is basically just singing along with it.
Tame Impala and Jennie Kim are both prolific artists with their own fanbases. Nevertheless, their collaboration was even more of a success than their separate work, propelling them both into the mainstream zeitgeist.
Tame Impala has been a must-know in indie music circles for a long time. The album “Currents” in particular is an absolute classic. If you know any Tame Impala outside of “Dracula,” it’ll probably be the seventh track off “Currents” — “The Less I Know the Better.”
Jennie’s group, BLACKPINK, is one of the most famous K-pop groups worldwide, if not the single most well-known girl group. However, BLACKPINK is currently in the process of disbanding, with all four of their members focusing on solo careers.
If you liked “Dracula” listen to “like JENNIE” by JENNIE and “Lost in Yesterday” by Tame Impala.
“Magnetic” by ILLIT
“This time I want you, you, you, you, like it’s magnetic.“
Let’s stick with K-pop for a moment and talk about ILLIT’s “Magnetic.” This song inspired one of countless dance trends on TikTok, in which anyone and everyone learned and replicated the choreography to ILLIT’s addictive hit.
“Magnetic” peaked in popularity around late 2024 and early 2025, though it still hasn’t gone away entirely. You’ll still find people posting the “Magnetic” dance today, especially as ILLIT’s fanbase grows.
ILLIT (pronounced “eye-lit”) is a five-member K-Pop girl group and one of the biggest rising acts under the Hybe label, along with LE SSERAFIM and Katseye. ILLIT is often recognized for their “dreamcore” aesthetic, which merges typical childish or girly fashion with surreal and liminal imagery.
Like many other K-Pop songs, “Magnetic” actually has a collection of writers and producers behind it. One of these writers is Salem Ilese, who has also written for Ava Max, Bella Poarch, and Demi Lovato. What’s more, she’s the originator of the viral “PS5” TikTok song.
ILLIT themselves have a great collection of catchy songs beyond “Magnetic.” These include “Not Cute Anymore,” “Lucky Girl Syndrome,” and more recently, “It’s Me” and “Iconic by Mistake.”
My personal favorite is the title track of their most recent EP, which takes its name from a famously untranslatable word in the Yaghan language.
If you liked “Magnetic,” check out “Mamihlapinatapai.”
“Illegal” by PinkPantheress
“Hey, oooh, is this illegal? Hey, oooh, it feels illegal.”
Putting PinkPantheress on this list definitely does feel illegal, since by now she’s certainly famous outside of TikTok. If you somehow still think you’ve never heard any of her songs, think again.
Before “Stateside + Zara Larsson” became the ultimate pop hit of 2026, “Illegal” was paving the way for PinkPatheress’s massive big break. Its catchy intro was simply an inescapable internet soundtrack a few months ago. Now, fans have crowned Pink the new the queen of the British music scene — all thanks to her Y2K aesthetic and unique, self-produced blend of pop, house, and R&B.
Her overflowing creativity and vibrant personality has won her love from around the globe, as well as the 2026 British Producer of the Year award.
PinkPantheress’s album Fancy That (2025) is the source of most of her current hits, so I’m going to have to dig a little further back to find a recommendation most people don’t already know. Here’s one from 2022:
If you liked “Illegal,” check out “Take Me Home.”
“I Wish” by Skee-Lo
“I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller, I wish I had a girl who looked good, I would call her.”
Here’s another pull from the 2020 era. “I Wish” was one of those songs that never left my head once I heard it in a TikTok audio. I’ve even used it once, in one of my own drafted TikToks from 2020 that will never see the light of day.
“I Wish” came out in 1995, making it one of the myriad of older songs that suddenly found an online fanbase years later. The popularity of “I Wish” (both now and back then) likely comes from its inherent relatability. Who hasn’t wished they were a little bit taller, or wished they had someone to love, or a nice car?
Even back in the ’90s, Skee-Lo was a one-hit wonder. Still, it was certainly a good hit, charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning certified Gold status.
If you enjoy Skee-Lo’s sound and want to hear another song from him about lofty dreams and brutal realities, you’re in luck:
If you liked “I Wish,” check out “Top Of The Stairs.”
“End of Beginning” by Djo
“And when I’m back in Chicago, I feel it.“
Let’s end with a modern classic. “End of Beginning” by Djo is a song you’re likely to find in any nostalgic video, golden-hour photo compilation, or tragic edit of a fictional character. What you may or may not know, if you only have a passing familiarity with this song, is that Djo is the actor Joe Keery (Steve Harrington from Stranger Things).
Keery chose Djo (pronounced “Joe”) as his musical pseudonym so that people wouldn’t immediately associate his indie-rock project with Stranger Things. This was a great decision on his part, since his music truly stands on its own. His artistry needs no assistance from his established fame. Now that Stranger Things has ended, hopefully Keery will gain more acclaim for his musical pursuits in addition to his portrayal of a beloved character.
If you couldn’t tell, I’ve become a big Djo fan recently. I’m of the opinion that he’s basically a next-gen Julian Casablancas (The Strokes). But I’ll let you decide that for yourself.
Although “End of Beginning” is a great melancholic nostalgia anthem, his more upbeat tracks deserve some love as well. So —
If you liked “End of Beginning” try “Basic Being Basic.”
