BEST OF TIKTOK, WEEK OF 8/20
by J. Simpson
8/20/21
Image by Christian Hume on Unsplash
Hey Guardians, how's your week going? Things cooling off where you are? Things have been mellowing out a bit here on the West Coast, thank the stars. Things are still nice and hot on TikTok, of course, as it's the social network that never sleeps.
This week's TikTok hits have been a bit more haphazard than most other weeks. People on the popular social network seem to be simply posting their favorite songs rather than having in-depth dance challenges or choreography. Of course, Earth, Wind, and Fire's "Let's Groove" is funky enough for 10 TikTok trends.
Without further ado, here's the Best of TikTok for the week!
ASHANTI - FOOLISH
TikTok trends seem to come in two varieties. There's the sounds that are topical, commenting on or adding to the visuals in some capacity. Then there's the bops which seem to be snippets of songs you just wanna listen to on endless loop.
"Foolish" by Ashanti decidedly seems to be the latter. The moody, emotional r&b slow jam certainly could make a fitting soundtrack for a breakup video but, so far, the trend seems to be for anything and everything from acrylic nails to a new do. It's a sweet song, though, so We Are: The Guard suggest putting it on anything you can think of!
MARY J. BLIGE - BE WITHOUT YOU
please tell me I’m not alone lol
What can't you live without? What do you need, like Oxygen or sunlight? Whatever it is, Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You" is the perfect soundtrack for showing it off.
Blige's epic slow burner is being used to show off everything from club sandwiches to their cleaning ritual. Whatever you love, show it off with "Be Without You."
SAWEETIE - BACK TO THE STREETS (FEAT. JHENE AIKO)
I hate when this happens
This week is all about the jams, as TikTokkers seem to be more interested in just posting bits of their favorite songs than topical samples, dance challenges, or the like. This is mostly the case with "Back to the Streets" from Saweetie - a light, girly hip-hop banger with a vocal from Jhene Aiko.
It's been used for everything from eyelash videos to showing off a Coach handbag to twerking videos. It works surprisingly well for each, which speaks volumes about Saweetie's crossover appeal.
REBA MCENTIRE - I'M A SURVIVOR
mf looks well behaved ##chihuahua ##imasurvivor
Are you looking for a theme song to show off what a badass you are, especially if it involves taking care of another living thing? Reba McEntire's got you. Reba's "I'm A Survivor"is for all the mamas out there, including the pet mamas.
Of course, the gents don't have to be let out - @614lyfe used the sound as a soundtrack for melting Gorilla Glue in a non-stick pan, including Batman voice.
REEVES JUNYA - DO YA LIKE
Reeves Junya's "Do Ya Like" is a small-but-growing TikTok trend which works as both a theme song and a viral banger. Junya's emotional vocals are a good soundtrack for something you're yearning for, whether that be a person or a $6 million mansion in Malibu. It also works as just a loop, though, as you can listen to the same 10 seconds over and over and over again… Either way, We Are: The Guard are predicting there will be 10x as many videos using "Do Ya Like" by next week - maybe even one of yours!
EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE - LET'S GROOVE
Honestly, we're a little shocked that we haven't seen Earth, Wind, and Fire show up in our Best of TikTok column before. Their discofied funk is built for coordinated dance challenges like no one this side of The BeeGees. Earth, Wind, and Before's muscular funk, with its irresistible horn section and early vocoder vocals, make The Gibb Brothers sound as pale as wonder bread in comparison.
We'll all be groovin' all night long when scrolling the "Let's Groove" trend. Dy-no-mite!
STEVE LACY - DARK RED
We'll round out our list for the lovers - Steve Lacy's "Dark Red." This last week, Lacy's weird, woozy r&b has been a soundtrack for slow dancing, for skin against skin, for finding excuses to stay up later.
Hopefully it gives people reason to look into Steve Lacy's discography, too, as he's worked with everybody from Devonte Hynes to Thundercat to Vampire Weekend. If you ever want a taste of modern jazz, check out Steve Lacy!
That wraps up another week of the Best Of TikTok! Make sure to follow We Are: The Guard on TikTok, as well, for even more trends, memes, and viral fire. And make sure to say hi! We like it when you say hi.
J. Simpson occupies the intersection between criticism, creativity, and academia. Based out of Portland, Or., he is the author of Forestpunk, an online journal/brand studying the traces of horror, supernatural, and the occult through music, fashion and culture. He plays in the dreamfolk band Meta-Pinnacle with his partner Lily H. Valentine, with whom he also co-founded Bitstar Productions, a visual arts collective focused on elevating Pop Culture to High Art.