FOUR
Heat Waves by Glass Animals
“Heat Waves” is a song by English indie rock group Glass Animals, released as a single from their third studio album “Dreamland” on 29 June 2020. It was released alongside its music video. The song stayed relevant on TikTok for years, Its dreamy, nostalgic vibe became the perfect backdrop for storytelling, glow-up transformations, and travel montages. “Heat Waves” is the group’s most successful single ever. It has garnered over 3B streams on spotify and over 760M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. It reached number one in Australia, Canada, Lithuania, Switzerland and the United States, where it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 after a record-breaking 59 weeks on the chart.
THREE
Old Town Road by Lil Nas X
“Old Town Road” is the debut mainstream single by American rapper Lil Nas X, first released independently in December 2018, after gaining popularity, the single was re-released by Columbia Records in March 2019. The rapper also recorded a remix with American country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, which was released on April 5, 2019. Both were included on Lil Nas X’s second EP, “7” (2019). The song has been widely viewed as “country rap”, a somewhat rare musical style not often heard in the mainstream prior to this song’s release. The song initially gained popularity on the social video sharing app TikTok and eventually entered the Billboard charts in March 2019. It has garnered over 1.5B on spotify and over 710M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. The song was certified diamond by the RIAA in October 2019 for selling 10 million total units in the United States, the fastest song to be certified diamond. At the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, the remix (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) was nominated for Record of the Year and won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video.
TWO
Kiss Me More by Doja Cat feat. SZA
“Kiss Me More” has been described as a disco or rap influenced pop song. This track by American rapper and singer Doja Cat featuring American singer SZA from the former’s third studio album “Planet Her” (2021) was released on April 9, 2021, as the album’s lead single through Kemosabe and RCA Records. “Kiss me more” garnered immense streaming success and solidified Doja Cat’s status as a TikTok favorite. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (becoming both Doja and SZA’s first Grammy wins) and was also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It has successfully garnered over 2B streams on spotify and over 480M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. “Kiss Me More” became a number-one song in New Zealand, Mexico, Malaysia and Singapore, and reached the top five in eighteen countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States.
BONUS
Astronaut in the Ocean by Masked Wolf
“Astronaut in the Ocean” was originally released in June 2019 and then was re-released by Elektra Records on 27 October 2020. Following its re-release, the song achieved major success, peaking at number four on the Australian ARIA Charts and number six on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was released as the lead single from Australian rapper Masked Wolf mixtape called “Astronomical”. In September 2021, the song was added to the APRA billion streams list for its achievement. At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards, the song was nominated for Song of the Year, Best Hip Hop Release and Breakthrough Artist – Release. This song has garnered over 1.3B streams on spotify and over 400M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. About the lyrics, the rapper said, “‘Astronaut in the Ocean’ touches on mental depression, how I was stuck in a place of anxiety and feeling low.” Its versatile beat inspired everything from motivational edits to meme-worthy skits.
ONE
Stay by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber
Released through Grade A Productions and Columbia Records on 9 July 2021, as the lead single from Laroi’s reloaded mixtape, “F*ck Love 3: Over You”, “Stay” is a song by Australian rapper and singer the Kid Laroi and Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song marks the second collaboration between the two artists, following Bieber’s song, “Unstable”, a track from his sixth studio album, Justice (2021). Its emotional yet upbeat nature resonated widely, sparking trends like transitions, storytelling videos, and creative edits. It has garnered over 3B streams on spotify and over 900M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. “Stay” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Laroi’s first chart-topping single and Bieber’s eighth, and additionally topped the Billboard Global 200. At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards, the song won the ARIA Award for Best Pop Release, which resulted in Laroi and Bieber both winning the ARIA Award for Best Artist. At the APRA Music Awards of 2022, the song won the award for Song of the Year.
