MUSINGS OF THE VIRAL MUSIC
PALAK DOSHI
THE SOCIAL MEDIA TUNES EVERYONE ’ S DANCING TO
Raise your hand if you ’ ve caught on to this bizarre habit of scrolling mindlessly through videos on Instagram .
Raise your hand if you saw an IG Reel video and you couldn ’ t stop playing it on a loop cause the song got stuck in your head .
Raise your hand if you are obsessed with a track from a Reels or Tik-Tok video .
Be it the flamboyant fledgling Instagram Reels or its earlier equivalent Tik-Tok , this form of thumb-stopping video content has received a resounding reception from Gen Y and Z . The internet has been hooked to this form of music throughout the pandemic !
Just an FYI in case you were quarantining under a rock , Instagram Reels was released in India on July 12 , 2020 . Users are to create and post short , 15-second videos set to music or other audio . They can be posted on their feed , and the top reels are shared on the Explore page , using a similar algorithm that currently presents the most popular posts .
Reels also curates an assortment of trending and classic tracks to suit your taste and mood . A visit to the Reels music library spoils you for choice .
Here ’ s a list of some of the top songs that made people scroll down a mile or , I don ’ t know , kilometres on the Reels Explore page for the first quarter of 2021 !
1 . Runaway : AURORA
The ' Runaway ' trend that became an instantaneous sensation was born from Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora ' s hit track ' Runaway ' which she wrote when she was all of 11 ! Though released in 2016 , the song has made it to a million IG reels and TikToks . With its wistful shades , gorgeous silhouettes and starstudded skies it has made millennials rediscover and fall in love with this track .
2 . Oh No : Capone
Astoundingly there ’ s an entire segment of people that have discovered this song and gotten addicted to it , courtesy TiK-Tok ! Raise your hand if you ’ re one of them unless your hands are aching by now . However , what few may know is that the OG ‘ Oh No ’ song roots back to more than five decades . The original composition is from ‘ Remember ( Walking in the Sand ),’ first recorded by The Shangri-Las in 1964 , later Aerosmith made a rocking cover of it too . A remix of the original by Capone is the version heard on TikTok .
3 . Everything at Once : Lenka
Adding to our list of eclectic revivals , here ’ s yet another old gold number that has taken social media by the storm recently - Australian singersongwriter Lenka Kripac ’ s ‘ Everything at Once .’ Known for her playful melodies , whimsical lyrics and dreamy vocals , this pop sensation ' s track was even used for Windows 8 and Disney commercials back in the day .
4 . Peaches : Justin Bieber ft . Daniel Caesar , Giveon
Post the début of Justin Bieber ’ s new song ‘ Peaches ’, his wife Hailey kickstarted the # PeachesMakeupChallenge , and her Insta fam went cray ! Pros and amateurs alike , everyone took up the challenge of creating some gorgeous peachy looks and grooves .
5 . Bajre Da Sitta - Rashmeet Kaur x Deep Kalsi x Ikka
Singers Rashmeet Kaur , Ikka and Deep Kalsi ’ s contemporary rendition of the
Punjabi folk wedding song ‘ Bajre Da Sitta ’ with its colourful pop vibe has won hearts across the Internet ( literally , so many double-taps !) A blend of folk and old school hiphop , it ’ s like a breath of fresh air making it the much-needed danceable number of the month , hands-down a kickass way of reintroducing the classic to the younger generation .
6 . Ava Max : Not Your Barbie Girl
A fierce feminist takedown of the 90s Aqua hit , the hyper-pop track “ Not Your Barbie Girl ” is created by American singer Ava Max who may look like a vivacious rainbow but can slice through steel . It was popularized via TikTok ’ s Barbie Girl Challenge where females across the world created videos about unrealistic beauty standards so much so that the # BarbieGirlChallenge has over 66 million views , emphasizing women empowering themselves .
You could easily find these on YouTube , Spotify and all other major music streaming apps .
Video creation platforms have not only become a casket full of content but also a powerful promotional tool for newly released songs . I mean it ’ s fun , it ’ s functional and it ’ s free . Imagine the enormous amount of investment these small-big music labels are saving while engaging directly with their key audience , not to forget how these tracks are helping brands and influencers make cooler content royalty-free . With the plenty of perks isn ’ t it obvious why everyone ’ s dancing to the tunes of social media !
The Score Magazine
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