TikTok’s music influence hit an all-time high in 2025. All year long, a steady stream of new tracks exploded into viral trends, defining the sound of a generation. Fresh releases found second lives as dance challenges, meme soundtracks, and emotional anthems for millions of people.
It was a year where a single catchy hook or heartfelt lyric could spark a global movement overnight. From tear-jerking ballads to high-energy bops, TikTok’s community turned songs into cultural moments. The platform’s trends shaped what we listened to, proving once again that the For You page doubles as 2025’s hottest music chart!
1. ‘Ordinary’ — Alex Warren
The not-so-ordinary love anthem of 2025.
It’s ironic how a song called ‘Ordinary’ became the year’s most extraordinary viral hit. Alex Warren’s ‘Ordinary’ started as a tender love ballad he wrote for his wife, but TikTok sent it stratospheric. The track’s earnest lyrics about everyday romance struck a chord in countless relationship montages across the app. By summer, you couldn’t scroll your feed without hitting a heartfelt video of couples, friends, or even pets set to Warren’s soaring chorus. The song’s universality, “the angels up in the clouds are jealous,” he croons made it the perfect soundtrack for love in 2025.
Its popularity was unparalleled: ‘Ordinary’ topped the Billboard Hot 100 for ten straight weeks, fueled by millions of TikToks using its chorus as an audio backdrop. Warren, a former content creator himself, clearly understood TikTok’s pulse. We embraced him as 2025’s patron saint of sappy romance, while skeptics jokingly wondered how a YouTuber-turned-singer quietly dominated the charts. Love it or not, ‘Ordinary’ became the defining sound of young love this year: a wedding-worthy earworm that turned our feeds into one giant lovefest!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALEX WARREN:
INSTAGRAM | PODCAST | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
2. ‘Love Me Not’ — Ravyn Lenae
The soulful slow-burn that TikTok turned into a global cry-fest.
Leave it to TikTok to catapult an R&B sleeper hit into the spotlight. Ravyn Lenae’s ‘Love Me Not’ dropped with a dreamy blend of retro-pop and indie vibes, but it truly caught fire when a creative TikToker mashed it up with Solange’s ‘Losing You.’ That unexpected mash-up became pure viral gold. Suddenly, ‘Love Me Not’ was the soundtrack to thousands of bittersweet montages: late-night drives, rain-soaked selfies, and “will they/won’t they” romance memes galore. The song’s chorus, an emotional tug-of-war of love and longing, had a way of making even silly videos feel touching.
TikTok’s Gen Z users turned Lenae’s heartfelt lyrics into a communal outpouring of feels, spawning a trend where creators shared stories of almost-relationships and unrequited crushes with the song swelling in the background. The emotional resonance was real: by mid-year, ‘Love Me Not’ had earned Lenae her first-ever spot on the Billboard Hot 100, cracking the top 25. Culturally, it hit that sweet spot between nostalgia and now. Here was a young R&B artist channeling vintage soul, and a new generation was crying and vibing in unison. In 2025, ‘Love Me Not’ proved that a TikTok trend can transform a slow-burn song into a worldwide cathartic sing-along.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RAVYN LENAE:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE
3. ‘Illegal’ — PinkPantheress
The friendship handshake heard ’round the world.
TikTok has seen its share of dance trends, but this year, a handshake trend stole the show, all thanks to PinkPantheress’s ‘Illegal.’ The UK alt-pop sensation dropped ‘Illegal’ as a quirky, electronic-infused single, and it quickly fueled the global “Is this illegal?” handshake challenge. Besties everywhere learned the syncopated secret handshake (set perfectly to PinkPantheress’s hypnotic beat) and flooded TikTok with videos showing off their newfound duo skills. The trend’s wholesome twist, celebrating friendship and borderline mischief, resonated across cultures. From high school hallways in the US to friend groups in Tokyo, everyone was bonding over this track!
With over 3.7 million TikTok creations and counting, ‘Illegal’ became the friendship anthem of 2025. It even earned PinkPantheress her second appearance on the Hot 100, proving the song’s impact beyond the app. Emotionally, ‘Illegal’ struck a chord by tapping into that giddy, rebellious energy of doing something silly with your BFF. In a year when online trends often felt divisive, this one brought people together… one elaborate handshake at a time. PinkPantheress’s airy vocals and the track’s tongue-in-cheek title made it irresistibly memeable. ‘Illegal’ wasn’t just a viral song; it became a secret handshake that united everyone around the world (even celebrities).
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PINKPANTHERESS:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
4. ‘Mad Again’ — BunnaB
The DIY glow-up jam that had everyone transforming.
Emerging Atlanta rapper BunnaB unleashed pure TikTok lightning with ‘Mad Again,’ a high-energy track that went from underground to unavoidable. How did it blow up? Two words: transformation videos. Creators on TikTok seized ‘Mad Again’ as the go-to soundtrack for their before-and-after glow-ups; think makeup transitions, room makeovers, and dramatic hair-dye reveals synced to the beat drop. The result? An explosion of ultra-satisfying content, each clip more addictive than the last. The song’s bold, confident hook also inspired a surprise secondary trend: a sign language challenge. Creators who are deaf and allies translated ‘Mad Again’ into expressive ASL performances, showcasing inclusivity in a way TikTok hadn’t seen before!
This one-two punch of visual trends launched ‘Mad Again’ into the viral stratosphere. By summertime, millions of TikToks featured the track, and BunnaB found herself with a breakout hit on her hands. The cultural resonance was big: here was a fierce female rapper (yep, BunnaB’s a woman killing it in a male-dominated scene) whose song empowered people to show off their transformations and personal growth. The track’s pounding bass and sassy lyrics became synonymous with confidence and change in 2025. If you flipped your look or your outlook this year, chances are ‘Mad Again’ was playing in the background, hyping you up for that reveal.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BunnaB:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | WEBSITE
5. ‘Golden’ — HUNTR/X
The K-Pop fantasy banger that blurred fiction and reality.
When a fictional K-Pop band from an animated film scores a real-life hit, you know TikTok is involved. ‘Golden’ by HUNTR/X, a glossy K-Pop/R&B hybrid track from the movie K-Pop Demon Hunters, transcended the screen and took on a life of its own. TikTok users globally couldn’t resist its charm. Multiple dance trends popped up, inspired by the movie’s choreography and the song’s impossible-not-to-dance hook. From teens showing off K-Pop moves to dads and kids dancing together after family movie night, ‘Golden’ turned into a cross-generational phenomenon. The track’s signature high note became a viral challenge in itself, with singers (and plenty of non-singers) attempting to nail it on camera.
Within days of the film’s release, ‘Golden’ was dominating not just TikTok but also Spotify and YouTube charts! A collaboration featuring real artists Audrey Nuna and EJAE, the song blurred the line between fiction and reality… and we ate it up. Creators used it for everything from outfit glow-up videos to celebratory montages, because its uplifting vibe instantly boosted any content. Emotionally, ‘Golden’ hit that feel-good spot; it’s joyous, inclusive, and just meta enough (a fictional band trending in real life!) to feel like a moment in pop culture history. By year’s end, HUNTR/X’s debut bop proved that in 2025, even cartoon pop stars can top the charts with a little help from TikTok.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT K-POP DEMON HUNTERS:
INSTAGRAM
6. ‘DtMF’ — Bad Bunny
The Puerto Rican heartbreak anthem that had TikTok in tears.
In a year full of bops, Bad Bunny reminded everyone that a soft, nostalgic ballad can still rule TikTok. ‘DtMF,’ shorthand for Debí Tirar Más Fotos (“I should’ve taken more photos”), emerged as the most unexpectedly emotional viral trend of 2025. The song’s lyrics, where Bad Bunny laments not capturing enough memories with a lost loved one, struck a universal nerve. TikTokers began using ‘DtMF’ to soundtrack tribute videos, sharing personal montages of grandparents, parents, pets, and friends they’d lost. Suddenly, our feeds were filled with cherished snapshots and clips, each one more heart-tugging than the last. The trend became a communal space to grieve and celebrate life: a rare, tender moment on the internet.
Even Bad Bunny himself couldn’t stay dry-eyed: he posted a TikTok reacting to fans’ tributes, tears streaming as he watched their stories. That raw connection fueled ‘DtMF’ to juggernaut status. It quickly became the most-streamed song off his new album and climbed into TikTok’s top sounds. Culturally, the impact was huge! At a time when social media often feels shallow, this trend had millions openly discussing love and loss. Users commented about calling their abuela or saving more pictures; proof of music turning reflection into action. By blending Bad Bunny’s star power with genuine fan storytelling, ‘DtMF’ turned TikTok into a platform for healing in 2025. Grab the tissues…this one will be remembered as the song that made the internet collectively cry (in a good way).
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BAD BUNNY:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK
7. ‘Wood’ — Taylor Swift
The cheeky pop blockbuster that had everyone knocking on wood.
Leave it to Taylor Swift to drop a song so provocatively fun that TikTok couldn’t help but blush… and dance. ‘Wood,’ a standout track from her 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl, is arguably Taylor’s most ahem adult song to date. Fueled by innuendo about her beau’s “new heights of manhood” and a tongue-in-cheek “I ain’t got to knock on wood” hook, the song set the internet abuzz from day one. TikTokers wasted no time spinning it into a viral knock-on-wood dance challenge, complete with a playful tap-tap gesture on the lyric cue. Suddenly, everyone from college kids to actual carpenters (seriously) were posting videos, playfully knocking on tables, doors, and yes, wooden boards in sync with Taylor’s sultry chorus.
The trend’s humor and boldness felt so 2025: a celebration of owning one’s sexuality and having a laugh about it. Culturally, ‘Wood’ resonated as part of the Taylor-Travis Kelce love story that pop culture obsessively followed. Fans gushed that Swift seemed happier and more empowered than ever, and they channeled that energy into TikTok skits quoting her spicy lyrics. Swifties turned cheeky lines into captions (cue the magic wand jokes) and shared their shock-and-delight reactions to Taylor’s bold new era. By dominating conversation and spawning countless memes, ‘Wood’ proved that a well-crafted pop song can be both a chart-topper and a TikTok trendsetter! Taylor gave 2025 a song equal parts sexy and playful, and we said amen.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TAYLOR SWIFT:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
8. ‘Certain Kind Of Love’ — Jessie Murph
Gen Z’s existential pop mood, wrapped in a TikTok trend.
Jessie Murph delivered a late-year viral gem with ‘Certain Kind of Love,’ a song that turned one candid lyric into a TikTok catchphrase. The track’s pop-rock energy is amazing on its own, but it was the line “I don’t see a world where I turn 25” that set off a firestorm. Young TikTokers seized on those words, half-joking and half-emoting about the classic quarter-life crisis feels. In a trend equal parts dark humor and heartfelt yearning, creators would lip-sync that lyric and showcase their wildest dreams or chaotic life plans before the dreaded 25th birthday. Others made vision board-style videos, proclaiming they will see 25, complete with images of future goals, as Jessie’s anthem blared in the background.
The dual interpretations made the trend fascinating: some played it for laughs (“YOLO, who needs 26?”) while others found motivation in it. Either way, Murph’s raw, youthful vocals became the sound of Gen Z’s hopes and fears in 2025. The song itself, with its sparkling production and emo-pop vibe, resonated emotionally because it encapsulates that in-between feeling of being young and uncertain about the future. Culturally, ‘Certain Kind of Love’ gave voice to a generation’s anxiety, and did it in a way that was oddly uplifting. As the song climbed streaming charts (buoyed by TikTok exposure), it proved that sometimes one powerful lyric is all it takes to spark a movement. Jessie Murph went from a rising singer to the patron saint of “live in the moment” youth, and we couldn’t stop humming along!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JESSIE MURPH:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
9. ‘Zoo’ — Shakira
The animated movie’s OST that had everyone doing the Shakira shimmy.
If you thought soundtracks were safe from TikTok’s grasp, think again. Shakira’s ‘Zoo,’ from Disney’s Zootopia 2, pounced onto the scene and immediately took over TikTok. With its signature Shakira bounce and irresistible rhythm, ‘Zoo’ has that universal appeal that makes people nod along…or better yet, jump up to mimic her moves. As the film hit cinemas, TikTok was flooded with clips of fans attempting the ‘Zoo’ dance. From expertly choreographed renditions to adorably clumsy first tries, creators worldwide got in on the fun. One day you’d see a Colombian dance crew nailing Shakira’s hip drops; the next, a suburban dad giving it his best shot in the living room. The hashtag #ZooDance trended in multiple countries as Shakira’s track united all ages in a celebratory shimmy.
Culturally, this song’s virality was a real full-circle moment: Shakira had given us a TikTok smash back in 2016 with ‘Try Everything,’ and here she was again, reminding us she’s still the queen of soundtrack pop. The emotional uplift of ‘Zoo’ was impossible to resist; it’s pure joy in musical form, arriving just when 2025 needed it. TikTok users used the song not only for dance challenges but to soundtrack zoo outings (of course), fitness routines, and any content needing a jolt of fun energy. Shakira even interacted with fans doing the challenge, further fueling the hype. By year’s end, ‘Zoo’ wasn’t just a song from a movie; it was a global TikTok party. When Shakira yells “Come on, get on up” in the chorus, you best believe millions are dancing like animated animals set free!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SHAKIRA:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
10. ‘Whim Whamiee’ — Pluto Feat. YK Niece
The hype rap bop that brought mosh-pit energy to our feeds.
Every year needs a no-holds-barred banger, and in 2025, it was ‘Whim Whamiee.’ This collab between rappers Pluto & YK Niece came out of left field and promptly took over TikTok with its chaotic, high-octane vibe. The track itself is two minutes of pure adrenaline, and TikTokers treated it like a rallying cry. Dance crews, gym rats, and party-goers all jumped on a trend of showcasing insane energy whenever ‘Whim Whamiee’ played. We’re talking college students turning dorm halls into impromptu mosh pits and choreographers bringing full-out hip-hop routines to the app. The song’s rapid-fire lyrics turned into a lip-sync challenge only the bold (or breathless) would attempt, while its bass drops fueled countless “hype me up” memes.
By mid-summer, ‘Whim Whamiee’ had the whole platform on its feet (literally). The frenzy propelled the song to #5 on TikTok’s own summer chart in the US, and its popularity spilled over to streaming services. Perhaps the biggest sign of its impact? Two of music’s heavy hitters, Lizzo and Sexyy Red, jumped on official remixes, dropping their own verses to ride the wave. We went wild at the co-sign: seeing A-listers vibing to a TikTok-made hit felt like vindication for internet culture. ‘Whim Whamiee’ resonated because it was pure fun: a little unhinged, a lot catchy, and totally participatory! In a year where many viral songs tugged at our heartstrings, this one was all about letting loose. It turned TikTok into a virtual nightclub where anyone could be the life of the party. And if you ask us, Pluto and YK Niece won 2025’s award for the most insane glow-up; from obscurity to everybody’s hype soundtrack, no VIP pass needed!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PLUTO:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | WEBSITE
What’s been your favorite viral track of 2025? Let us know all your thoughts in the comments below or over on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook!
Want more trending music? Check here!
