Alya Mehrtash staff writer
There’s no doubt that TikTok has come to dominate many students’ spare time with countless entertaining videos, but it has also become a strategic platform for many musicians to draw more attention to their work. Some of these now-popular pieces have sparked the creation of a new, officially unofficial genre of music: “TikTok songs.” A plethora of playlists have been created to compile many of these songs, but below are a few notably popular pieces.
 
“Lottery (Renegade)” by K CAMP
“Lottery (Renegade)” by K CAMP became the soundtrack to one of the most popular dances, if not the most popular dance, on TikTok. The “Renegade” dance challenge became a hallmark of TikTok, and part of it had to do with the way the song and the dance matched each other. In many rap songs, rappers fail to compliment their vocals with the beat. K CAMP, on the other hand, perfectly complemented the fast but consistent beat on “Lottery” with his lyrics to make an incredibly catchy song that is sure to make you want to move. However, while certain parts of the song, like the viral introduction, are quite unique, other parts are very basic in terms of rap music, which ultimately takes away from the quality of the song. 
Overall, Highlights gives “Lottery (Renegade)” by K CAMP a 7/10.
 
“death bed (coffee for your head)” by Powfu ft. beabadoobee
“death bed (coffee for your head)” by Powfu ft. beabadoobee has a beautiful mix of rap and a mellow background. Powfu’s lyrics reflect the sad story of someone who seems to be dying, and who is wishing well on his significant other while reliving all of their memories growing up together. Similar to many other “chill rap” songs, the slow yet consistent beat allows Powfu to get his message across effectively to listeners, who are likely to feel emotional due to the meaning of his lyrics. In fact, the song has been used on many more heartwarming videos on TikTok, including videos of users’ dogs, babies and significant others. beabadoobee’s soft style and Powfu’s melancholy and nostalgic lyrics perfectly enhance each other’s effect and make for a very catchy, yet emotional song. 
Overall, Highlights gives “death bed (coffee for your head)” by Powfu ft. beabadoobee a 9/10.
 
“Like That” by Doja Cat ft. Gucci Mane
Doja Cat has found significant musical fame on TikTok, with more than one of her songs going viral. Her songs have recently dominated the app, with at least two viral dance challenges to her songs. In fact, in the music video for yet another TikTok-famous song of hers, “Say So,” Doja Cat featured Haley Sharpe, a TikTok star who created a viral dance for the song. “Like That” by Doja Cat ft. Gucci Mane is one of the most catchy songs to go viral on TikTok. It’s upbeat and fun, with playful lyrics that all come together to make a perfect combination that’s sure to make listeners want to dance. While it is still catchy, Gucci Mane’s feature did not flow as well with the rest of the song.
Overall, Highlights gives “Like That” by Doja Cat ft. Gucci Mane a 9/10.
 
“Needs” by Verzache
In “Needs,” Verzache skillfully complemented the song’s good beat with background instrumentals that added a pinch of vintage funk. However, despite being catchy, the song has one main issue: it’s way too repetitive. “Needs” is not the only TikTok song to have this problem. Other artists who have found momentary fame through the app tend to have the same issues. For example, “They Call Me Tiago (Her Name is Margo)” by Tiagz is an incredibly catchy song, and is very easy to sing along to–not just because it’s fun to listen to, but because it is essentially the same lyric over and over again, even more so than in “Needs.” A certain extent of repetitiveness is always good in music, because it allows listeners to catch on quickly and be able to sing along easily, but artists like Verzache and Tiagz have pushed it a little too far. When songs are excessively repetitive, it’s harder to enjoy them for a longer period of time. Listeners are likely to get tired of the song after three to four days. 
Overall, Highlights gives “Needs” by Verzache a 6/10.
 
“Supalonely” by BENEE and Gus Dapperton
“Supalonely” by BENEE and Gus Dapperton is an incredibly fun song to dance to. However, there is no doubt that the chorus is the best part of the song, and that without it, the entire track would not be very appealing. BENEE’s style of singing during the verses is very different, and not as satisfying to the ear, as that during the chorus. Aside from the vocals, the background music of the song, with its upbeat tempo, distinctive drum beat and very fun mix of sound, significantly enhances the quality of the song and adds to its enjoyable features.
Overall, Highlights gives “Supalonely” by BENEE and Gus Dapperton an 8/10.
 
Overall, TikTok is filled with good music, most of which is fun and easy to dance to. If you’re ever in need of new music, TikTok has now become a new medium for artists to share their art, and could be the perfect place to find a variety of songs to add to your playlists.