Dreamville, Sir Mix-A-Lot, And Alice Deejay: Currently Trending Songs

What songs are currently trending on TikTok and beyond? Well, the path to virality, chart domination, and TikTok hits is no longer reserved for new, popular songs. The industry has seen an uptick in renewed interest around classic tracks that re-emerge in pop culture thanks to social media, soundtrack syncs, and commercial placements, and sometimes purely by chance. Look no further than the time a man went cruising on his longboard listening to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” This column will break down all of the older songs that are trending on TikTok again (and explain why they became popular one more time).

June 2

Dreamville – Under The Sun ft. J. Cole, Lute & DaBaby

On its third compilation album, Revenge Of The Dreamers III, Dreamville Records brought together J. Cole, Lute, and DaBaby for “Under The Sun.” The track, which has since been certified platinum by the RIAA, also features a spontaneous cameo from Kendrick Lamar, who raps the two lines of the chorus. The track is now having a resurgence on TikTok thanks to a new Cap-Cut trend, which sees an image of a creator being pieced together on screen and turning into a video as Lamar’s lyrics hit.

Sir Mix-a-Lot – Baby Got Back

In 1992, Sir Mix-a-Lot scored a humongous hit with “Baby Got Back,” which spent five weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the second best-selling song in the US that year. The track immediately grabbed attention with its opening line, “I like big butts, and I cannot lie,” but the following verses presented a challenge to the beauty standard in the West at the time. A sped-up version of the song is making the track trend once again, this time on TikTok.

Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone

The version of “Better Off Alone” that’s become a trance classic might have been released in 1999 but, two years prior, Alice Deejay’s DJ Jurgen shared a limited release of an instrumental version of the track. After adding Judith Pronk’s voice to the song, the group re-released it and helped set a new standard for electronic music in the late 90s. The track is trending on TikTok thanks to a sped-up version of the song and it being sampled on Kim Petras’ Nicki Minaj-sampling single “Alone.”

May 26

Tone-Lōc – Wild Thing

In 1998, American rapper Tone-Lōc introduced himself to the world with “Wild Thing,” a song that would quickly become a global hit. The track sampled part of Van Halen’s “Jamie’s Cryin’” and lyrically delivered a tale of lust and youthful indiscretions. Now, TikTok users are helping the song have a resurgence, using an instrumental version of it as the soundtrack for their hot takes, from the reasons why people should date older women to their own personal toxic traits.

Mohombi – Bumpy Ride

Taken from Swedish-Congolese R&B star Mohombi’s debut album MoveMeant, “Bumpy Ride” presented a lively soca song that took the Caribbean genre worldwide. It hit No.1 on the singles chart in the Netherlands while also entering the Top 10 in multiple countries in Europe, including Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Poland, and more. The song is trending online as creators on YouTube Shorts perform a fun dance choreography to the uplifting track.

Lady Gaga – Monster, Just Dance

During her The Fame era, Lady Gaga collaborated frequently with producer and songwriter RedOne, working together on some of that period’s boldest and best songs. One of them, “Just Dance,” served as the album’s lead single and became a sleeper hit, gradually climbing up the charts until it reached the top spot some nine months after it was first released. As a follow-up to The Fame, Gaga shared an additional EP – The Fame Monster – in November 2009, featuring the single “Monster.” That track dressed up the star’s fear of intimacy and relationships in horror-filled metaphors while also nodding back to “Just Dance.” Both songs are experiencing a resurgence on TikTok, with users making videos set to sped-up versions of the songs, celebrating Gaga’s Met Gala looks, or highlighting their infectious natures.

DJ Kool – Let Me Clear My Throat

In 1996, DJ Kool paid homage to some of the hip-hop and soul heavyweights who’d come before him on his single “Let Me Clear My Throat.” The lyrics made reference to the likes of Run DMC and James Brown, while the track’s title itself was taken from Beastie Boys’ “The New Style.” Gen X users on TikTok are using the song to soundtrack videos showing off their youthful looks.

Frank Sinatra – The World We Knew (Over And Over)

Based on a composition by German musician Bert Kaempert, “The World We Knew (Over And Over)” appeared on Frank Sinatra’s 1967 album, The World We Knew. It gave Ol’ Blue Eyes yet another hit, hitting No.30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and dominating the easy listening chart, where it stayed at No.1 for five weeks. Decades after its release, the track is finding a new audience on TikTok, where fans are using it to soundtrack Bridgerton edits.

Riley Green – Different ‘Round Here

The title track from country star Riley Green’s 2019 debut album, “Different ‘Round Here,” pays tribute to his hometown of Jacksonville, Alabama. “Simple’s how we live, thanks is what we give,” he sings. “Roots in the ground’s why we stay.” The track is trending on TikTok as fans share their own covers of the gold-certified song, along with performances of Green’s own.

May 19

Don McLean – American Pie

One of the most iconic songs of all time, Don McLean’s “American Pie” arrived in 1971 and reflected changes in culture through the 60s. Among them, he notably paid tribute to “the day the music died,” a reference to a 1959 plane crash that killed rock-and-rollers Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens. Decades on, the song is still scoring huge relevance with music fans, with the latest example of this coming in a new TikTok trend. Creators on the app are sharing videos made up of photos of stars who have sadly passed away – from iconic musicians to fictional characters, like Guardians Of The Galaxy’s Rocket.

Kool & The Gang – Get Down On It

In 1981, American R&B, soul, and funk group Kool & The Gang released what would go on to be one of its most famous songs. The infectious “Get Down On It” scored the band a Top 10 hit in both the US and the UK, peaking at No.3 in the latter country. The song is now experiencing a resurgence on TikTok thanks to a dance trend that started spreading in April and is increasing in popularity as a new prom activity.

Lana Del Rey – Say Yes To Heaven

Although fans of known of its existence for years, with unofficial versions floating around the internet, this week saw Lana Del Rey finally give a proper release to her 2012 track “Say Yes To Heaven.” A sped-up version is already trending on TikTok, with fans sharing their excitement for the original version of the track and the fast-paced reworking.

May 12

Florence + The Machine – Dog Days Are Over

The phrase “Dog Days Are Over” formed the core of a piece of artwork that was installed near London’s Waterloo Bridge in 2008 and had been created by Ugo Rondinone. At the time, Florence + The Machine frontwoman Florence Welch passed by it every day and was inspired by the art to write the second single from her debut album Lungs. In the song, she wrote about finding happiness but not being able to believe it was real. The track has been used in the Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3 movie, soundtracking a key moment in the film. Welch shared her reaction to seeing the moment on TikTok, posting a video of her crying in a cinema, explaining in the caption that she had cried the whole way through but “really lost it” when her song came on.

Beastie Boys – No Sleep Till Brooklyn

In 1987, Beastie Boys unleashed “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” on the world – a track from its seminal debut album Licensed To Ill that captured the exhausting nature of touring. On the song, the trio combined rap and metal, making for an emphatic part of its setlist. The song is now experiencing a resurgence thanks to being included on the Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3 soundtrack.

Ed Helms – How Bad Can I Be?

Taken from The Lorax, “How Bad Can I Be?” is sung by actor Ed Helms, who voiced the character of the Once-ler. The track encapsulates the success of the Once-ler’s business but also highlights the struggles that come with that – needing more space and the disruption his expansion causes to his local environment. Fans on TikTok have started a new trend centered around the song, mimicking the dance of a young boy in the film.

The Lorax Singers – Let It Grow

“Let It Grow” is the final song to be heard in The Lorax and finds the citizens of Thneedville celebrating the end of the business operated by the O’Hares. TikTok users have been sharing edits from the movie featuring the track on the app.