You remember the monoculture right? Michael Jackson and Madonna and Bon Jovi release a song in the mid-’80s and to this day karaoke crowds from Manilla to Mexico City belt out “Livin’ On a Prayer” like was made by a hometown hero.
Despite touchstone releases by Billie Eilish or rap feuds between festival headliners or the Eras Tour, pop music is extremely segmented and niche these days. A video will get 20 million views by an anonymous bedroom artist from the country of Georgia; children will quote it religiously for about two weeks; it’ll go into the cultural recycle bin just as fast. “Here today, gone today,” as Chris Rock joked at the 1997 MTV VMAs.
This happens at such an accelerated pace that it’s difficult to track the charts because what’s big on Billboard is rarely in tune with what the people are actually vibing to. But don’t worry, here are 5 weird songs that have recently become bonafide viral hits in the TikTok era. You’ve been warned about how easily they get stuck in your head.
“Barbara’s Rhubarb Bar”
A catchy German rap has given TikTok earworm, and now everyone’s obsessed with rhubarbs.
The song, which is a collaboration between Bodo Wartke and Marty Fischer, takes its lyrics from a classical German tongue-twister, though Wartke and Fischer decided to turn the tongue twister into a funky rap.
This video, which was released in December, has now amassed 22 million views—but it only blew up in late March when TikTokers Steph and Christina choreographed a dance to it.
And now, as everyone gets on their dancing shoes, the sound has been used 24,600 times, though our personal favourite is the dance-off between Homer Simpson and Ned Flanders. —Charlotte Colombo
“Chihiro”
All over TikTok, women are coming out and sharing their formative queer experiences. With a little help from Billie Eilish.
Accompanying a slowed-down pulsing pop beat, a woman sings the lyrics: “Open up the door, can you open up the door.” And for many of the women under this sound, the door in question is a route to becoming a more authentic self.
The sound has been used a whopping 46,000 times, and most of the videos using this sound involve a woman lip-syncing while sharing profound moments from their youth that made them realize that they were sapphic.
Examples include wishing they were a boy so they could date girls, saying things like “if she were a boy, I’d have a crush on her” and having all-consuming “friend” crushes which, when reflected upon, weren’t actually platonic after all. Statements which, looking back, really gave the game away a little bit.
These experiences ended up being so universal, a number of LGBTQ+ creators participated with their own “door-opening” experiences, like Avery Cyrus, Peyton Coffee, and Soph Mosca. —C.C.
“One Number Away”
The three committed country men, named Kaleb Campbell Winterburn, Kade Wilcox, and Mark Estes, have discovered their niche online—by repeating the same sound, over and over again.
The formula of their videos are pretty simple. Each and every one involves these so-called Montana Boyz lip-syncing the following country lyrics by Luke Combs:
“I’m one number away from calling you / I said I was through, but I’m dying inside / Got my head in a mess, girl I confess / I lied when I said I’m leaving and not coming back.”
At this point, they’ve done it pretty much everywhere: From Las Vegas, to the BFFs podcast studio, to the CMTs, and even a senior citizen home.
In some cases, it looks like the Boyz even managed to rope some others into lip-syncing the now-classic song, including Bryce Hall, Kristin Kavallari, and Brianna LaPaglia. —C.C.
“Juice”
Set to a pulsing electronic dance beat that would make Ke$ha blush, we’re treated to glamorous, sunglasses-laden it-girls posing with their equally-as-fashionable pet dogs in these TikToks.
Which would be fine if the dogs in question weren’t fully-grown humans contorted into terrifying monstrosities with the help of a T-shirt, leash, and conveniently-placed socks.
The song in question is “Juice.” It was released earlier this year by Ukrainian musician Daryana.
Specifically, the lyrics lip-sung translate into: “My dog is dressed more expensive than you/Bundles of banknotes, I’m going to buy a diamond/This is my lifestyle pop star look at me/Your boyfriend got it, how come he wants me.”
With this context, the bougie dog cosplaying makes a little more sense. But it’s no less disturbing. —C.C.
“Murder On the Dancefloor”
Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn did OK at the box office, but it’s really taken off on TikTok. (And Letterboxd.)
After it hit Amazon Prime on Dec. 21, Saltburn reactions became their own subgenre, as people filmed friends and family members watching some of the more buzzed-about scenes. And a 20-year-old song from the soundtrack is going viral as well.
The popular sound on TikTok includes the line “It’s a murder on the dancefloor/You’d better not kill the groove.”
Some videos under the sound reference a widely cited bathtub scene (or the grave scene), or sum up their conflicted feelings with “Just watched Saltburn” posts. People allegedly showing Saltburn to their horrified family was also popular.
The 2001 single is from U.K. singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s album Read My Lips. It’s been used in more than 100,000 TikToks. The song was already a hit when it was released 22 years ago; now it’s charted in the U.K. again, and is seeing a resurgence on Spotify. —Audra Schroeder
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