It’s easy to be dismissive of “TikTok songs.” With the strange dances that go along with them and their seemingly undeserved popularity, it’s rather enjoyable to say “Ugh, this song,” when they play on the radio. But should we really be so exasperated by them? Or are they a legitimate part of this generation’s youth culture?
I too can be annoyed by TikTok songs, but this summer I just couldn’t get one of them out of my head. It was ily (i love you baby) by Surf Mesa. The song is calming but upbeat, perfect for relaxing in hot weather. I memorized the lyrics and put it on all my Spotify playlists. Imagine my surprise when my uncle played The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and I heard a familiar refrain.
I love you, baby
And if its quite alright
I need you, baby
To warm these lonely nights…
In 1967, Frankie Valli needed a new song. He and his band, the Four Seasons, had written hits before, but they wanted something that could give Valli a distinct identity and get him noticed. His collaborators, Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe wrote the song Can’t Take My Eyes off of You, hoping that it was the hit they needed. They were not disappointed. The song made it to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Along with two Grammy nominations, the song was covered by dozens of artists, many of whom also made it onto the Billboard charts. In 1969, pop and jazz singer Nancy Wilson’s version reached No. 52. It’s been medlied with U2 by the EDM group Pet Shop Boys; turned into disco by Maureen McGovern; rocked to by Muse. And of course, there’s the Lauryn Hill version that I was so surprised to hear. It has been covered in almost every genre by countless artists. So when looked at in context, the fact that a version was recorded in the chill, hip-hop influenced style that is currently popular is really not that remarkable.
What is remarkable is how ily has found fame. The dreamy song was discovered by teens on TikTok and gained popularity in the background of their videos. After a quick name change to make it more searchable, the song took off. It made it into Spotify’s top 50 songs worldwide, then crossed over onto Billboard’s charts, where it eventually reached No. 23.
This illustrates perfectly why TikTok songs should be taken more seriously. Although they’re easy to laugh at when paired with the strange and silly videos on TikTok, it would be foolish to ignore their effect. TikTok has the power to rocket songs into stardom, turning them from gimmicks into real hits.
The fact that this song, which has been covered by so many artists over the last 60 years, was most recently covered on TikTok, shows that TikTok is not just for funny videos anymore. It has become part of youth culture. And, just as the niche songs of previous generations of teens were taken seriously because of their influence on mainstream pop, so must these new songs be taken seriously. Though they do not always take themselves seriously, though the teens which popularize them do so on a strange and foreign form of social media, though only around 20 seconds of the song will be recognizable due to the length of a TikTok, we must take them seriously. Because in 20 years, they will be among the most famous songs of this decade.
The Lighthouse 
I really like this article, it’s an interesting effect to see how Tiktok impacts the music industry being a primarily music/video driven app.
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