How Tik-Tok started a Music Renaissance

It is no doubt that Tik-Tok has changed and reshaped the way we consume music. In turn, it has changed the way music is written. Musicians are wise to include a 20 second phrase in songs, to be used as a relatable ‘sound’ for Tik-Tok creators. Doja Cat was the first master of this, where at one point in 2020, the For You Page on Tik-Tok was Doja song after Doja song, for her catchy instrumentals and playful lyrics.

Most recently, Taylor Swift’s new album ‘Midnights’ has been analysed in this light, specifically the vague phrase ‘it’s me, hi, I’m the problem its me’ in the chorus of 'Anti-Hero'. Some have noticed the pacing and phrasing is odd and clunky (a complete change from her poetic albums folkore and evermore), and the perfect length of the soundbite. Like clockwork, this sound has gone viral, with people using it to talk about ‘when I realise who is stopping me going to the gym in the morning’ or moments in a relationship when you realise your partner was in the right all along. Trending sounds don’t have to come from new songs, and even don’t have to be lyrics. Instrumentals that match well with a video compilation or beats that sync perfectly to a comedic reaction also become popular.

Because of this, songs that are in the collective limelight are not necessarily most recently released, pop, or of your nationality. We are seeing a renaissance of older music enter the charts and regain popularity as people discover them for the first time or are reminded of them by Tik-Tok. Songs people haven’t thought about in years, international songs, and completely underground artists are gaining moments in the spotlight that we never could have imagined, and completely diversifying the listening of today.

An example of this can be the Kate Bush entering the charts for the first time since ‘Running up That Hill’ came out. Appearing on stranger things, and then becoming a viral Tik-Tok sound, Bush could never have predicted the renaissance of her old music. Does this mean a song’s lifespan and predicted ageing has been completely altered? The intro to 'Dreams' by Fleetwood Mac became a beautiful piece of music to curate holiday videos to, as did the outro to ABBA’s 'Chiquitita', and then both became songs added to 'current' playlists. 'Little Dark Age' by MGMT’s psychedelically operatic intro became popular as a song people recreated ancient paintings to. It then was repopularised a year later under its profound lyrics of ‘know that if it hides, it doesn’t go away’, where people captioned their videos with their trauma and life experiences. Internationally, Молчат Дома (Molchat Doma)'s  Судно, was popularised because of its energetic monotonous beat, to which people documented their everyday lives to its energy of romanticised torment.

The resurgence of music after an artist thought they had their final moment in the spotlight even sometimes leads to new releases. The ‘it took too long for you to call back, and normally I would just forget that’ sound, was used to showcase glow ups, or create music video style Tik-Toks,. The artists, Ali and AJ, released music after 14 years due to a resurgence of teenagers enjoying the sentiment of their pop-rock.

Tik-Tok has immortalised a number of songs, for better or worse, as ‘Tik-Tok sounds.’ Music is now documented in the edits of creatives online. The collective consciousness will remember songs from a certain era of their life where they heard them every 10 minutes on their For You Page. So many people associate, with a nostalgic fondness, Doja’s Album ‘Hot Pink’ with the first Covid-19 lockdown and everything about it. However, a beautiful piece of music that was written years before Tik-Tok being reduced to a three-word ‘sound’, might not sit right with some artists and the reason they create music.

Where before, a popular song’s lifespan could be predicted and graphed as gaining limelight and then losing it with time. Tik-Tok and its ability to resurrect music has made music completely unpredictable and diverse. We are going through its own version of renaissance where artists and listeners are not quite sure how and when songs regain or gain popularity, and why.