TikTok's UK Summer Songs of 2023
24 August 2023 - Press releaseTikTok's Songs of the Summer returns for 2023 - and it's hotter than ever
All summer long, artists have been dropping some serious vibes and asking TikTok the ultimate question: "did I just write the song of the summer?" As #SongsOfTheSummer hits a scorching 5 billion views on TikTok, these sun-tinged pop bangers have been bringing pure sunshine to the music-loving community.
Whether users around the world have been living their Barbie dreams, giving a second chance to Cupid or being transported to the galactic realm that is Planet of the Bass, the summer's biggest cultural moments have been popping on TikTok.
This year, our Songs of the Summer reflect the full spectrum of artistic talent on TikTok. From Doechii's meteoric rise with What It is, Puerto Rican rapper Myke Towers rocketing to success with globally trending song LALA, to the juggernaut that is Makeba by France's Jain, our community has embraced a truly diverse mix of talent and sounds. As well as providing a platform for the world's biggest artists to connect with fans, we're proud to continue helping emerging artists all over the world to launch their careers, like the incredible story of Mae Stephens who swapped supermarket shifts for TikTok stardom, topping our global Songs of the Summer list with her smash hit If We Ever Broke Up.
Top songs by video creations in the UK
Chart-topping single 'Sprinter' (circa 900K creations) from Dave and Central Cee, is our number one Song of the Summer 2023 in the UK. This hotly anticipated track immediately gripped creators on TikTok, who used the song to share their adoration for the duo, celebrating and singing along to their favourite lyrics, with the likes of Shakira and Kylie Jenner getting involved and bringing UK rap to the global stage. It also inspired its own unique dance challenge, led by TikTok creator @davidvooo. The track topped the Official Charts for 10 weeks, the first ever UK Rap song to do so, supercharged by the TikTok community.
Another Song of the Summer that made an impact was the incredibly catchy French hit, 'Makeba' from Jain (over 5M creations), which was number 2 in the UK (note: it was the Number 1 Song of the Summer 2023 in the US). The track which had a resurgence over the summer on TikTok thanks to a creator-led dance trend on the platform, further propelled by Bill Hader dancing in a box. The song was originally written as an ode to Jain's childhood and a homage to 'Mama Africa', Miriam Makeba, the South African singer and activist. Since its resurgence, creators have used the upbeat song to show off their outfits and share recipe videos, inspiring over 5M video creations across its various clips.
Sped-up trends were another theme of the summer. Newcomer, MEYY stole the show with her catchy pop hit 'Pretty' which went viral in app thanks to a fan-created sped-up trend, and since then our community has loved all the trends that have been inspired by this iconic single. With over 1M video creations in-app, creators are using the song to show off their fitness goals and hair reveal videos.
Now, as we begin to say goodbye to a typical British summer, we're revealing the most popular TikTok tracks and artists that have become the UK's Songs of the Summer 2023.
Paul Hourican, Global Head of Music Content & Partnerships at TikTok said: "You can never predict what's going to be TikTok's Song of the Summer and that's the beauty of the platform. It's been another summer of discovery with our community embracing a diverse mix of genres, sounds and incredible new talent. Mae Stephens is a fantastic new artist with an amazing success story, whose music has travelled from the UK to Asia and beyond, and made her track 'If We Ever Broke Up' a global phenomenon. It's given us a summer to remember, along with brilliant music - both new and rediscovered - from the likes of Myke Towers, Jain, and Ariana Grande, who have all had incredible success after connecting with the community on TikTok."
Mae Stephens said: "I am truly honoured to have the global number one spot for TikTok's Song of the Summer! I mean I’m speechless, I never imagined it to climb that far! It has been amazing seeing how many different creative ideas people have come up with through IWEBU’s growth. I cannot thank everyone enough who has supported the song, streamed, shared and given it a little boost! You are incredible and I am so thankful. It proves that TikTok can really take someone and boost them so far! It is one of the most crucial parts of industry growth today! :)"
Central Cee added: "The TikTok community's reaction to Sprinter has been amazing and unexpected. I love it when the community starts their own trends and you can see it taking off - there's some great creators on the platform. When I posted videos with the song on TikTok, I posted how I usually do - keeping it natural, no challenges or dance moves. I then realised how impactful that was when the song's video creations jumped from 50k to 300k in a short space of time. The song did so well in the charts and I love that it's also TikTok's number 1 song of the summer".
Top 10 songs globally
1. If We Ever Broke Up by Mae Stephens [2023]
2. What It Is - Solo Version by Doechii [2023]
3. girls like me don't cry (sped up) by thuy [2022]
4. Cupid – Twin Ver – Sped Up Version by FIFTY FIFTY [2023]
5. LALA by Myke Towers [2023]
8. Everyday by Ariana Grande, Future [2016]
9. Barbie Girl by Aqua [1997]
10. Endless Summer by Alan Walker & Zak Abel [2023]
Top 10 songs in the UK
1. Sprinter - Dave & Central Cee [2023]
3. Pretty (Sped Up) - MEYY [2023]
4. Endless Summer - Alan Walker & Zak Abel [2023]
5. Little Girl Gone - CHINCHILLA [2023]
6. It's A Wrap - Sped Up - Mariah Carey [2009]
7. Barbie World (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album] - Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice & Aqua [2023]
8. Never Felt So Alone - Labrinth [2023]
9. What It Is - Solo Version - Doechii [2023]
10. Cupid – Twin Ver. – Sped Up Version - FIFTY FIFTY [2023]
New to TikTok and want to explore Summer Songs on TikTok? Getting involved couldn’t be easier, simply download the app for free via the Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon.
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