THE BEST OF TIKTOK, WEEK OF 7/2
by J. Simpson
7/1/21
Image by Levi Guzman on Unsplash
What's going on, Guardians? Y'all staying cool out there? Even if you're not, it's no worries as we've got more than enough cool music from TikTok to go around this week.
Whether you're looking for some existential electropop from Bo Burnham or your weekly reminder why Adventure Time was awesome, you'll find something here to help take your mind off the nuclear reactor in the sky.
Here's this week's Best of TikTok for the week of 7.2!
BO BURNHAM - SHIT
Using this three minute feature as it should be used. ##boburnham ##boburnhaminside
Of all the unlikely hits of the pandemic, Bo Burnham's Netflix special has got to be near the top. Burnham explores the madness, bleakness, and just bad vibes of being locked in your house for several years with a series of campy musical numbers, which have gone on to become hits in their own regard.
This last week, Burnham fans on TikTok have been doing a karaoke version of "Shit," a funky electropop banger about how hard it is to get out of bed in the morning. Fans have been using it as a way to express the sinking feeling of life during the pandemic, like going over the top of a rollercoaster. "How you feelin' today? I am not feeling good…"
TRINIDAD CARDONA - DINERO
We've said many times before on our Best of TikTok articles how surprisingly great the app is for finding non-English music. People use TikTok all over the world, after all, so it's a great way to hear some amazing music from other countries and cultures. This time's it's the gloriously smooth "Dinero" from Arizona's Trinidad Cardona.
"Dinero" telegraphs a sense of cool confidence, no matter what's happening. It's being used for everything from glow ups to running late to school to hot salsa dancing. It's truly a versatile sound for a wide berth of moods.
ADVENTURE TIME, OLIVIA OLSON - I'M JUST YOUR PROBLEM
The love story between Marceline and Princess Bubblegum was one of the most epic aspects of the series. If you'd been a fan of the series and watching along, the moment where they kissed is one of the most legendary moments in TV history.
This last week, a video appeared on TikTok to rival that moment's epicness. A fashion designer named @cowbuttcrunchies posted a tutorial detailing their process making an Adventure Time dress. It inspired others to proclaim their love for Adventure Time in everything from latte art to Marceline cosplay.
PHANTOGRAM - BLACK OUT DAYS
what do i do? ##FordMaverick ##fypシ ##text ##pretty
Sometimes it can be hard to express complicated emotions all at once. Sometimes things happen in life that make us a feel a rainbow of emotions and it can leave us at a bit of a loss for words. This is where music comes in handy.
This last week, a version of Phantogram's "Black Out Days" posted by PonderMusic has been making the rounds, detailing how difficult it can be to stay away from something, even when you know it's bad for you. The moody, brooding Cure-like bassline is the perfect soundtrack for your summertime blues.
AZEALIA BANKS - LUXURY
Azealia Banks is especially good at throwing shade. This week, if you want to tell someone to go eff themselves, Azealia Banks' "Luxury" is the song to do it with!
MEGAN THEE STALLION - THOT SHIT
One of this year's big questions, which remains to be seen for certain, is "is this going to be a hot girl summer?" (If you're anywhere on the West Coast, the answer to that is most assuredly yes.)
This week, influencers are doing their best to stack the deck yet again, getting Megan Thee Stallion's "Thot Shit" trending with its twerking instructions. Let the bootie shaking commence!
KOOL & THE GANG - SUMMER MADNESS
It's been hot this week. REALLY hot. Like, people cooking eggs on manhole covers kind of hot, and that's in the Pacific Northwest where it normally stays cool and melancholic pretty much year-round.
So, of course the summer songs are gonna come out. We must admit, Kool and the Gang's "Summer Madness" is a particular favorite with its far-out sci-fi synths. And of course, as is often the case when a song trends on TikTok, it'll end up getting used for unrelated topics, to hilarious result in a few instances. If you're ready to get stared down by a baby, now's your chance!
KRAMER - MISSTHERAGE
Speaking of epic synths, the searing soaring sawtooth lead of Kramer's "m i s s t h e r a g e" will take you to another galaxy. Or another level of Call of Duty: Warzone, which seems to be what most of these videos are about.
That about does it for another week of TikTok hits! Make sure to follow We Are: The Guard on TikTok, as well, for even more awesomeness from the WA:TG camp!
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.