12 Songs Blowing Up on TikTok (That Are Actually Worth Listening to)

From Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage" to K Camp's "Lottery (Renegade)" here are 12 popular TikTok songs (actually worth listening to) and their dance challenges.

12 Songs Blowing Up on TikTok Right Now
Complex Original

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12 Songs Blowing Up on TikTok Right Now

Before we were all stuck in our homes, songs were already going viral on TikTok all the time, but in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s happening even more. Creating and recording Tiktok challenges has quickly become a favorite quarantine pastime. Whether it’s the #SavageChallenge or the #HitYoGrooveChallenge, everyone is getting swept up, and the trend likely won’t end anytime soon. New downloads of TikTok have reportedly increased by 18 percent in the United States since March 22. 

Of course, not every song that blows up on TikTok is worth your time. There is plenty of gimmicky dance challenge bait that you should avoid. So, to help cut out some of the noise, Complex compiled a list of the songs blowing up on TikTok that you should be paying attention to. Check out 12 songs and read about how they blew up below.

Rod Wave, “Heart On Ice”

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On “Heart On Ice,” rising star Rod Wave reflects on his own hardships, like heartbreaks and committing crimes as an adolescent. While “Heart On Ice” was likely therapeutic for Rod, it has become an outlet for others to express their sorrows as well. Since the song’s release last year, fans have shared videos of them reenacting scenarios in their own lives that have brought them some pain. Some are funny, like people tearing up over animated movies or cold weather. Others are a little more topical. Many users have shared videos of themselves singing along the song as their scroll through news headlines about the coronavirus. 

Megan Thee Stallion, “Savage”

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It took only five days to turn Megan Thee Stallion’s new single, “Savage,” into a viral TikTok hit. On March 10, four days after the song’s release, choreographer Keara Wilson introduced an original dance to the track. Then she performed the dance every day until it went viral. Her videos sparked the “Savage Challenge,” which has been recorded by millions of people, including Justin and Hailey Bieber, Normani, and more. The song itself is one of the standout tracks on Megan’s latest EP, Suga. The J White Did-It beat is reminiscent of nostalgic hip-hop music videos set on a Miami beach, and its chorus is expressive, which is perfect for dancing. Just a week before the song blew up on social media, Meg made headlines for an entirely different reason after being caught up in a legal battle with her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment. After alleging that her label was blocking her from releasing Suga or any other new music, the Houston native sued 1501 in hopes of terminating her deal. Luckily, a judge ruled in Meg’s favor. Otherwise, “Savage” might not have become as big of a hit as it is.

JACKBOYS f/ Young Thug, “Out West”

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TikTok influencer Nicole Bloomgarden is the mastermind behind the “Out West” challenge. In December 2019, Bloomgarden shared a video on her TikTok account, launching the challenge with a simple dance routine. The challenge doesn’t take more than seven seconds to record, which makes it a great routine to teach to younger children or adults. Thanks to Bloomgarden, “Out West” went viral within a few days of its release, but the single was always one of Complex’s early favorites from the JACKBOYS album. Buddha Bless and Jabz created the perfect beat for Travis Scott and Young Thug to lay melodic verses over. The record is also more proof that Trav and Thug are great on their own, but even better together. 

$NOT f/ Maggie Lindemann “Moon & Stars”

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$not’s “Moon & Stars,” featuring indie-pop vocalist, Maggie Lindemann is an after-hours banger best for late-night cruising, but people on TikTok are using the single as the soundtrack to a wide range of video content. Unlike other viral challenges, there isn’t really much of a theme that links all of these videos together. Some people dance along to the track, while others narrate a brief scenario that is relevant to their own life. Nevertheless, the end result is always fun and entertaining. As the days blend together during social distancing, “Moon & Stars” is the perfect song to vibe out to. If you like this, make sure to check out more of $not’s music (and his story). This interview he did with Pigeons & Planes is a good start.

K Camp, “Lottery (Renegade)

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K Camp’s hit “Lottery (Renegade)” likely wouldn’t have blown up as much as it has, had it not been for a 14-year-old from Atlanta. Jalaiah is the teen choreographer behind the “Renegade” dance challenge that everyone on TikTok is trying to master. The teen, who is a classically trained choreographer and dancer, created the routine in September 2019 along with her friend, Skylar. After K Camp caught on to the challenge, he posted a video with Jalaiah and Skylar on Instagram, thanking them “for helping make Lottery the biggest song in the world.” Since then, Jalaiah has performed at the 2020 NBA All-Star game, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and more live events. Unlike the Woah, Jalaiah’s dance is a little more complicated, but it only took her “5 to 10 minutes” to come up with the dance. “It was right before dance [class], so I had to really rush,” she told Ellen.

Drake, “Nonstop”

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Drake’s “Nonstop” was originally released in 2018, on Scorpion, but it’s been revived nearly two years later because of the Flip The Switch Challenge, which calls for people to swap clothes and roles with a partner once Drake raps, “Look, I just flipped the switch (flipped, flipped).” Although some critics like Waka Flocka have slammed the challenge, many have shown their support by recording videos of their own. Two of the most popular videos are of Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and Kate McKinnon in a dressing room at Saturday Night Live, and Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. This is yet another example of Drake’s ability to constantly go viral, even when he’s not actively releasing new music.

Flo Milli, “In The Party”

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Flo Milli's single “In The Party,” which was released in 2019, is a bouncy college anthem that is now blowing up online. There isn’t a particular dance for this song, but most fans who make TikToks to the track record themselves doing quirky tasks, which makes sense because the rapper has stated that the point of “In The Party” was “just to have fun. It’s not to be taken serious. Just have fun.” It looks like her goal is panning out well.

Wiz Khalifa f/ Ty Dolla $ign, “Something New”

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Wiz Khalifa’s “Something New” is the feel-good love song you need on your playlist, featuring smooth and sultry vocals from Ty Dolla $ign. Although the song was originally released in 2017, on Wiz’s Rolling Papers 2 project, Ty’s rhythmic chorus is what’ss catching the attention of TikTok users. For the past couple months, fans have uploaded videos of them participating in soul train lines, of sorts, where each participant breaks out into a brief dance (throw your elbows, shimmy, then clap) before signaling for the next person to go. Videos posted online have seen mothers, fathers, children, and even babies participating. Unlike other songs on this list, “Something New,” isn’t exactly a challenge, but more so a game that groups can participate in.

Polo G, Stunna 4 Vegas, & NLE Choppa f/ Mike Will Made-It, “Go Stupid”

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“Go Stupid” is undoubtedly a rowdy club record, but there’s no dance that goes along with it. Instead, this track is blowing up on TikTok because fans are using it to create viral tutorials. “Ways to Cheat,” “Modeling 101,” and “How It’s Made - Bubblegum” are all examples of how Polo G’s collaboration is being used to turn TikTok into a virtual classroom. It might be a little confusing, but fans might have drawn inspiration from Polo G’s official music video, which is also set in a high school. Other users are creating comedic videos, in which they create lists by acting out different roles like “Three Best Fighting Stances” or “Different Friends in a Friend Group.” Polo G, Stunna 4 Vegas, and NLE Choppa each had breakout years in 2019, and thanks to the success of “Go Stupid” on TikTok, it looks like they’re continuing their streak into 2020. 

Runitup Tahj, “Hit Yo Groove”

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To do the Hit Yo Groove Challenge, you need a partner and some coordination skills. “Hit Yo Groove” by Runitup Tahj was released at the tail end of 2019, but found success this year, thanks to the dance challenge. The first and only verse on the track is all that TikTok users need to get started. Lyrics like “Listen, step, step, bend, rise/Up down, up down/Come here, give me high five/Yeah, I love my guys,” serve as instructions for the choreography. Besides learning the dance, though, “Hit Yo Groove” is just a fun song that would make anyone want to get up and rock to it. 

Krypto9095, “Woah”

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The Woah Challenge has been popping for years now. It could actually date as far back as 2017 when YouTube tutorials started showing up, but the dance move has been circulating Texas culture for probably even longer than that. So it would be inaccurate to say that YouTuber Krypto9095’s single was the track to start the movement. 10k.Caash is credited by many as starting it. But Krypto’s song is the latest to hit Tiktok. “Woah” is a fairly simple song. There’s no chorus, but the repetitive “woah’s” after every line provides a nice break between verses. The Woah has caught the attention of many stars including Lil Uzi Vert, Drake, and Travis Scott. And the Woah dance is important in the TikTok world because it is usually incorporated into all other viral routines. 

Breland, “My Truck”

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There’s not a dance that goes along with Breland’s “My Truck,” but the song is catchy and entertaining enough that Tiktok users are coming up with their own original content to record. Since its release in February 2020, fans have been creating videos of themselves dancing around their trucks, competing in the rodeo, and other miscellaneous chores. “My Truck” is basically the new “Old Town Road”—a hip-hop song that blurs the lines between country and rap. The instrumental sound like an old country-western, but Breland makes the song more relevant to Gen Z’s tastes, by using AutoTune to sing about riding through the city with his new truck. According to Breland, he knew the song was a hit when he “started seeing the little kids and babies dancing to it, and enjoying it... People think everybody is the tastemaker, but babies are the real tastemakers.” 

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