This is down to the success of TikTok’s personalised ‘For You’ page, which like any algorithm-driven success story reflects your own tastes back at you. Kate Bush has quickly settled into her rightful place on so-called ‘WitchTok’, with ‘Babooshka’ soundtracking content about tarot cards, love potion making and gothic-inspired videos with dramatic outfit changes, not too dissimilar from her original music video. Even 18 Year-Old Tennessee-based TikTok fantatic Sydney Rose White (aka on the app), whose video using the sound has accrued more than 344,000 likes, admits to NME that she had never “heard of her or listened to any of her stuff before”. 200,000 TikTok videos have featured the song in some form or other (including a trending cover for which actor and musician Tobee Paik adds metal guitar) and Twitter is flooded with Gen-Zers delighted at having discovered Kate’s discography. Take Kate Bush’s 1980 banger ‘Babooshka’, for example. However, this is definitely not the case for every viral vintage tune. Talking about his own recently-revived track, ‘Life Without Buildings’ guitarist Chris Evans chalks its return up to its ability to “take you somewhere or to a certain somebody – it can also be a wilful thought, say if you’re singing along in the backseat of your stepdad’s car.” TikTok tribes Ronald Riggio, who specialises in adolescent psychology, credits “greater involvement by parents” as a factor, with parents spending more time sharing their own interests and tastes with their kids, causing Gen-Z-ers to take to TikTok to create content soundtracked by songs from their childhood that trigger good memories.Īnd maybe that nostalgia doesn’t even have to be tired to a particular memory of a song, but more a vibe that puts you in a reflective mood. California-based psychologist and writer Dr. The cross-generational appeal of these songs could instead be a reason for their success. It would be naïve to believe that we’re living in a world where the younger generation don’t know timeless anthems such as ‘Dreams’, or Bowie’s ‘Starman’ (the latter has amassed over 14,000 videos since being added to the app on his birthday). With 41 per cent of users between the ages of 16 and 24, we hit up musicians, psychologists and some of the app’s biggest creators to find out why the app is bringing back tracks that outdate even their parents. Now ancient sea shanties are even going viral on the app, as is – perhaps more improbably still – The Wombat’s 2015 electro-pop tune ‘Greek Tragedy’.
But how about the revival of an old one? Last year saw TikTok revive vintage hits, from ‘70s classics such as Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’ to ‘00s deep cuts such as legendary Glasgow indie band Life Without Buildings’ ‘The Leanover’. With the power to launch careers with one viral clip, we’re seeing the birth of a new star every day.
You don’t need us to tell you that TikTok now has a huge effect on the music industry.
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