Year on TikTok Music report 2023

06 December 2023 - Press release

Today, we're releasing our 2023 Year in Music on TikTok, a celebration of the artists and tracks that shaped TikTok in 2023. This includes the top songs that soundtracked the year, the most viewed UK artists accounts and our homegrown Breakthrough Artists.

In the last five years, TikTok has become the home for music discovery and place for artists at all stages in their journey, from emerging artists to global superstars. 

Countless artists have built careers, signed deals with major labels, achieved chart success and reached global audiences. 2023 has been just as special and it's been inspiring to watch our community find joy through music and bring new talent as well as music legends to the forefront of public consciousness and culture.

In 2023, 13 of 16 number ones on the UK Official Singles Chart had a viral moment on TikTok, and 13 of 18 Billboard Hot 100number ones were driven by significant trends on the platform.

 

THE 2023 HEADLINES

• Lewis Capaldi takes the No.1 most viewed artist spot: It’s official, Lewis is the ‘King of TikTok’ as our most viewed UK artist of 2023. The community has rallied round the singer this year with a groundswell of support for his music and live performances. Take a bow!

• Sprinter is a runaway hit: Dave & Central Cee fly the flag for UK rap as Hip-Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with ‘Sprinter’ used in 1 million video creations on TikTok.

• Girls run the world: 7 of our 10 Breakthrough Artists in 2023 are women, representing a diverse genre mix from classical all the way to DnB. Women also dominate our biggest UK tracks with hits from the likes of RAYE, Jain, Kenya Grace, PinkPantheress & Ice Spice & Doja Cat.

• A community of creativity: From mash-ups to creative effects to sped-up songs, this year, we once again saw fans putting their own spin on their favourite hits. A sped-up version of Justin Skye's "Collide” claimed the #2 spot on our UK songs list.

• K-Pop dominates the global list: K-Pop is taking over! This year half of our top ten most viewed global artists are K-Pop groups including BTS, BLACKPINK & NewJeans.

UK MOST VIEWED ARTISTS 2023

Lewis Capaldi takes the crown for most-viewed artist in the UK, receiving a groundswell of support from the TikTok community on his chart-topping singles 'Pointless' and 'Wish You The Best' as well as this summer's emotional and inspiring Glastonbury performance. Since joining the platform, Lewis described himself as  "King of TikTok", amassing 8.4 million followers, so we’re proud to make it official in 2023.

Sam Smith places second, having wowed the community with some incredible collabs with Charli XCX and Calvin Harris, making 2023 another massive year for the 'Unholy' singer. Meanwhile, third place goes to Central Cee, whose runaway hit  'Sprinter', featuring fellow Brit award winner Dave, dominated the charts for 10 weeks, shattering records for UK rap. 

This year has also seen a host of newcomers to our Hitmaker list. From rock and roll icons The Rolling Stones, who joined TikTok along with Mick Jagger at the beginning of the year, to emerging stars like Prinz, who broke into the mainstream backed by the TikTok community.

1. Lewis Capaldi @lewiscapaldi

2. Sam Smith @samsmith

3. Central Cee @centralcee

4. Anne Marie @annemarie

5. Ed Sheeran @edsheeran

6. Prinz @prinzmusic_

7. KSI @ksi

8. The Rolling Stones @therollingstones

9. Pink Pantheress @pinkpantheress

10. Calvin Harris @calvinharris

 

GLOBAL MOST VIEWED ARTISTS 2023

1. Kim Loaiza (@kimberly.loaiza): Mexican singer Kim Loaiza holds onto the crown for the most-viewed artist globally on TikTok for 2023, now boasting over 80 million followers on the platform.

2. Selena Gomez (@selenagomez): Pop princess and songwriter Selena Gomez is a TikTok favourite with 59.3 million followers. The artist regularly shares day in the life and makeup content with the community.

3. BLACKPINK (bp_tiktok): Leading the way as #KPop reaches 477 billion views on TikTok is BLACKPINK. With 47.1 million followers and a catalogue of viral sounds, BLACKPINK has built a community of die-hard fans on platform.

4. BTS (bts_official_bighit): An incredible year for K-Pop superstars BTS who became the first artists to use TikTok's 'New Release' feature as their BTS anniversary challenge reached 400 million views in a week.

5. Feid (ferxxo444): The community has been in their 'Feid era' in 2023. From scoring his first entry on Billboard Hot 100 Chart earlier this year, Feid has climbed to #5 ranked artist globally on TikTok with 13.1 million followers.

6. ENHYPEN (@enhypen): Fast-rising K-Pop group ENHYPEN debut on the Global Hitmakers list at #6 having wowed audiences on and off platform, including an iconic recent performance on Good Morning America.

7. KAROL G (@karolg): Latin Grammy award winning Columbian star Karol G is loved by the TikTok community with 'Qlona', her collaboration with Peso Pluma featuring in 1 million TikTok videos.

8. LE SSERAFIM (@le_sserafim): Another debut entry for a K-Pop group, LE SSERAFIM has been making waves on platform, with 8.3 million followers and trending songs 'Perfect Night' and 'ANTIFRAGILE' proving popular with the community.

9. NewJeans (@newjeans_official): Known for their captivating dance skills, NewJeans have caught fire on TikTok this year, with over 10 million followers leading them to become the fastest K-pop act ever to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify. 

10. Shakira (shakira): Queen of Latin music, Shakira took over playlists this year with her hit single ‘BZRP Music Sessions, Vol 53’ which racked up over 4.4 million video creations in app, with appearances from her and her dance team. 

 

UK MOST POPULAR SONGS

Our most popular song in the UK by video creations is 'Sprinter' by Dave and Central Cee, which immediately gripped TikTok creators and brought UK Rap to the global stage. Both Dave and Central Cee heavily engaged with the song on TikTok, with Central Cee using the song to soundtrack a video with his girlfriend, which racked up 21.1 million views. Dave also shared a lip sync video with his fans, which attracted 3.2 million views. When Sprinter was announced as our Song of the Summer, Central Cee said “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.”

Female artists also dominate the list, including Justine Skye, MEYY, PinkPantheress and Ice Spice, Kenya Grace, Doja Cat and RAYE. RAYE's 'Escapism' with 070 Shake found huge success on TikTok and topped the UK Singles Chart, powered by the popularity of multiple sped up remixes. 

1. Sprinter - Dave & Central Cee(655.3k videos): British rap heavyweights Dave and Central Cee took over FYPs and the global stage this year with their chart-topping single 'Sprinter'. The record breaking song has flown the flag for UK Rap in a year where Hip-Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary. After getting an early preview through TikTok UK’s #NewMusic feature, Sprinter ran away as TikTok's Song of the Summer and now takes the crown for the most popular song UK of the year.

2. Collide (more sped up) - Justine Skye ft. Tyga (3.3M videos):  Justine Skye's hit tune takes the number two spot in our playlist category. Featuring rapper Tyga, the track re-emerged after the sped up version went viral on TikTok earlier this year.

3. Cupid - Twin Ver. - Sped Up Version - FIFTY FIFTY (6.2M videos):  In March, a sped-up version of FIFTY FIFTY’s sophomore single ‘Cupid’ started going viral on TikTok. The quartet are only the second K-pop girl group after Blackpink to break into the Top 40, despite debuting just over a year ago.

4. Green Green Grass (Sped-Up) - George Ezra (1.5M videos): This sped up remix has generated wholesome family-led trends. The hashtag#greengreengrasshas hit nearly a billion views, showing the huge global reach of Ezra's catchy hit.

5. Makeba - Jain (1.7M videos): Although the song was originally released in 2015, Makeba became viral on TikTok at the end of June 2023. Performed by French singer-songwriter Jain, the song is about South African musician Miriam Makeba, who is well known for her activist music against apartheid in the country at the time.

6. Pretty (Sped Up) - MEYY (1.9M videos): Belgian pop star MEYY’s ‘Pretty (Sped Up)’ earned its place on our 'Songs of the Summer 2023' list. With over 1.9 million video creations for the song, it's clear to see why this hit tune has made it onto The Playlist this year. 

7. Boy's a Liar Pt. 2- Pink Pantheress and Ice Spice (1.8M videos): Originally released in 2022, the remix introduces Ice Spice's rap to the mix alongside PinkPantheress' unique voice, which is the recipe for a successful collab and dominated the platform earlier this year.

8. Strangers - Kenya Grace (1.1M videos): Kenya Grace took TikTok by storm this year with her debut single 'Strangers', making her the second British female artist to top the UK charts with a self-produced song. Prior to releasing the song, she shared various snippets of the track with her TikTok fans, with the sound eventually being used in over 1 million TikTok creations.

9. Paint The Town Red - Doja Cat (2.8M videos): First teasing the single on TikTok in July, Doja Cat dropped this new single as part of her. It even started trending as part of a niche hair trend, a dramatic colour transformation that has been coined#cowgirlcopper.

10. Escapism. - Super Sped Up - RAYE & 070 Shake (639.9k videos): Kicking off 2023 with a bang, RAYE shot to number one with Escapism. TikTok users wholly embraced the track, creating multiple sped up versions and trending remixes. RAYE jumped on the trend, releasing an official sped up and super sped up version which drove massive engagement off platform culminating in a number one single. 

GLOBAL MOST POPULAR SONGS 

On a global level K-Pop group FIFTY FIFTY had the top track on TikTok in 2023. Capitalising on the TikTok audience's affinity for sped-up songs, this version of "Cupid" was popular across the board as a backing track to food tutorials to outfit picks, with another sped up track, Justine Skye’s ‘Collide’ coming in third, showing the power of sped up remixes across the globe. 

Coming in second, a truly homegrown talent on TikTok, Mae Stephens swapped supermarket shifts for TikTok stardom, having topped our global Songs of the Summer list and now placing second in our global Playlist with her smash hit 'If We Ever Broke Up'. It’s been an incredible year for Mae, having also collaborated with The Chainsmokers and Meghan Trainor, her legion of TikTok fans continues to grow with 379k followers and 8.8m likes.

1. "Cupid – Twin Ver – Sped Up Version" - FIFTY FIFTY

2. "If We Ever Broke Up" - Mae Stephens

3. "Collide (more sped up)" - Justine Skye

4. "What It Is - Solo Version" - Doechii

5. "มองนานๆ" - FLI:P

6. "La Bebe (Remix)" - Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma

7. "LALA" - Myke Towers

8. "girls like me don't cry (sped up)" - thuy

9. "TQG" - KAROL G & Shakira

10. "Makeba" - Jain

UK & Ireland Breakthrough Artists

Not confined by genre or gatekeepers, TikTok continues to provide a platform for new and emerging artists to reach a global audience and find success. Our Breakthrough Artist category celebrates those artists that have transcended into public consciousness. Whether it's charting success, major award wins or sold out tours, these artists have achieved incredible success which are celebrated by the TikTok community.

Mae Stephens @maestephens_
“I have TikTok to thank for giving me the chance to achieve my dream! it gave me the chance to achieve my childhoods wildest aspiration! The platform is incredible for growth – growing from a few followers to such high exposure was such a quicky switch!
If you love it enough. do it. I went from working in an ASDA to living my dream! Push and work for what you want! You have to give it your all - everyone has a chance to succeed.”

CHINCHILLA @chinchilla_music
“TikTok is a really amazing tool as an independent artist that got my song out to so many people so quickly, there’s a reason the word ‘viral’ is what we use to describe it…. I feel really connected to the people listening to my music- I guess that can be a really positive side to social media, the immediate uninhibited social interactions.”

Jazzy @jazzyofficial
“Woooww🙉 I spend half my life on TikTok so I’m actually buzzing to be say I am in their top 10 breakthrough artists!!🙌  thankyou so much to all my tiktok fam for the support  couldn’t do it without yous 🫶🏽 big love ❤”

Caity Baser @caitybaser
“TikTok has helped me reach people all over the world with my music, tours, and everything else…It definitely helped me get my first top 40 single, sell out my UK tour, and I also see a big jump in streams after a video goes viral. But I've also connected on a personal level with a lot of fans: actually talking closely with them about what’s going on in their world, what they might be struggling with or whatever. It’s like I’m here for them, and they’re there for me.”

Cian Ducrot @cianducrot
“TikTok has been a huge part of my journey as a musician, allowing me to connect with fans around the world, bringing them closer into my world, my lyrics, my songs and my story. It’s an honour to be named as one of TikTok's Breakthrough artists of the year.  I’ve always loved the challenge of building an audience through social media as it takes a lot of perseverance, believing in yourself, you fail over and over but keep trying new things and most importantly can be yourself and having some fun with it!

Lola Young @lolayounggg
“My advice to anyone trying to make it in music is not to overthink how you portray who you are… your socials should feel like an extension of yourself and you should look at it and feel confident in posting what’s authentic to you. Don't feel pressured by what’s working to mould or change what feels instinctively right to you, and if you have a great idea be ruthlessly consistent and don’t give up just because it’s not working from the off!”

AntsLive @antslive
“TikTok has allowed me to find so many new fans of my music. I’ve been able to reach a whole new global audience. The algorithm is crazy. My video can get a million views in a couple hours. And people are tapping in from everywhere around the world.”

Prinz @prinzmusic_
“When it comes to releasing music, short form content is always my main priority and reaching as many people as I can with that content. The response on TikTok is always pretty positive and it seems to connect with people, that drives me to create more. I’m also grateful to the team over at TikTok for all their support in the past year. Content is the new promo, as long as you keep making content things will work out. 2023 has been life changing, big thank you to anyone who has supported me so far, bring on 2024!”

Anna Lapwood @annalapwoodorgan
“I feel so honoured to have been made one of TikTok’s breakthrough artists this year. Every year I spend on TikTok I find it is making me think more creatively about my music-making, both on the social media platform and also on the concert platform. I’m constantly getting ideas for how to create a sense of online community around in-person events…I never thought I would be playing with RAYE or Ministry of Sound, but seeing those concerts go mad on TikTok was so exciting! …If you’re a musician wanting to embrace TikTok my advice is to just do it, and be yourself!”

Kenya Grace @kenyagracebaby