The Echo Vol. 16 - Justin keeps it up

LET’S GET IT

Hope you’re killing it in music and whatever else is important to you. Let’s get started with this week’s Echo.

GLOBAL TIKTOK TREND (SOUND) OF THE WEEK

LOCAL TIKTOK TREND (SOUND) OF THE WEEK
USA

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOCIAL MEDIA:
TikTok is testing a new positive-focused version of the app in Europe

TikTok recently rolled out a new app called TikTok Pro in parts of Europe (initially in Germany, Portugal, and Spain). This version strips away ads, shopping, and live‑stream features to instead focus on joyful, educational short videos and emphasize real-world impact.

A very cool thing built into Pro is the Sunshine Program, where users earn “virtual Sunshine” through charity-related actions (like sharing or following). They can then donate this Sunshine, and TikTok makes actual donations to partner NGOs such as MSF and WaterAid.

What exactly will come from this is of course very uncertain, but it’s possible that it might lead to an overall shift in short-form socials: from something potentially damaging to something extremely positive.

DATA | THE WORLD OF MUSIC QUANTIFIED

Spotify’s weekly global top 5 songs

— #1. Golden | KPop Demon Hunters Cast // 49.2 m weekly streams

— #2. back to friends | sombr // 36.6 m weekly streams

— #3. Ordinary | Alex Warren // 34.2 m weekly streams

— #4. DAISIES | Justin Bieber // 32.7 m weekly streams

— #5. Your Idol | KPop Demon Hunters Cast // 30.9 m weekly streams (NEW)

Spotify’s weekly global top 10 artists

— #1. Bad Bunny // Latin trap

— #2. Taylor Swift // Pop

— #3. Drake // Pop

— #4. Justin Bieber // Pop

— #5. The Weeknd // Alternative R&B 

— #6. KPop Demon Hunters Cast // KPop

— #7. Tyler, The Creator // Alternative Hip Hop (NEW)

— #8. Travis Scott // Hip Hop

— #9. Billie Eilish // Alternative Pop

— #10. Arijit Singh // Playback Singer (NEW)

TIKTOK VIDEO OF THE WEEK:
“When the customer goes off script”

Views: 23,600,000 | Likes: 4,600,000

A small coffee shop making a TikTok leads to over 20M views. Crazy right? Here’s how they did it:

— #1. No sound draws attention to the video. Since you don’t hear any music, you instantly go to the caption to understand what’s going on.

— #2. Outstanding caption people relate to. Even people who haven’t worked in a store know the feeling the video is trying to communicate (since almost everyone has had the reverse happened to them).

— #3. Excellent execution that builds more relatability. The girl in the video does a fantastic job acting this scene out, and we’d say almost everyone understands how she feels. You get a little startled, and suddenly you can’t do anything anymore. There’s also tons of movement which keeps things even more interesting.

— #4. Relatability makes people share. This is exactly the type of video people send to their friends.

— #5. Great lighting. The entire video has very nice lighting, making it look more professional. This increases the odds that someone will start and continue watching something.

— #6. Switching angles makes the video more engaging. That’s just how our brains work.

MUSIC EVENT OF THE WEEK:
Øya Festival in Oslo, Norway

The Øya Festival in Oslo, running from August 6-9, is one of the leading Scandinavian music festivals drawing over 100,000 people. It’s known for its diverse lineup spanning rock, pop, electronic, and hip-hop.

You’'ll find it in a beautiful park near Oslo’s center, and the festival features international stars like Charli XCX and tons of more local and upcoming talents. So if you want to escape some continental European heat you now know where to go :)

TIP OF THE WEEK
How to add movement to a static shot

Static shots can feel lifeless on TikTok, and when it comes to short-form content, lifeless means skipped. But you don’t need a gimbal, slider, or cinematic rig to make your content move.

Movement makes things dynamic, which helps keep a viewer’s attention. This isn’t about being flashy though. Sometimes, subtle shifts and cool illusions are enough to create the flow that hooks people in.

How to get it right

— #1. Use digital zooms and pans. Apply a slow punch-in or pan across your footage during editing to make things much more interesting. These effects add motion without moving the camera, which is perfect for monologues, product shots, or a B-roll.

— #2. Create movement with cuts. Hard cuts between different angles, zoom levels, or framings simulate motion and build momentum. Try filming the same shot from two perspectives and cut between them every 2 seconds to keep energy up.

— #3. Move elements within the frame. Even if your camera is still, something should be moving. This can be your hands, your hair, props, a swinging pendant, a fan in the background. It keeps the eye engaged and prevents viewer fatigue.

— #4. Shake things up (in small doses). A small, deliberate camera shake, such as holding your phone in your hand while shifting your weight, can add a raw and awesome feel.

— #5. Animate text and overlays. Motion graphics and kinetic captions give movement to otherwise still footage. Make your text slide, bounce, or pulse in sync with your audio. It pulls attention exactly where you want it.

PARASITION: Campaign breakdown

ROUND-UP 

— The global number one sound can be chill and nothing super exciting (if it’s still very good, of course)

— Songs that certain groups really like can spread very fast, since it can be easier to get initial traction that later gets replicated

— TikTok is testing out a new version of the app in a few European countries, with an aim to increase positive stuff (like education and charity) and limit negative stuff (excessive use and poor content)

— Relatable videos continue to be a pretty sure thing when it comes to creating trends

— Adding movement to a static shot is one of the absolute best ways to make the video more engaging

We hope you enjoyed this week’s Echo. We personally very much enjoyed putting it together :)

If you work in music and want to take your songs to new heights, reach out to us at Parasition, and we’ll make them more viral than ever through our organic advertising 🕺🚀