The Echo Vol. 17 - Being famous continues to work

BUCKLE UP

Let’s hit play on 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:
Instagram launches Friend Map

Instagram has launched an opt‑in Instagram Map, that shows your most recent active location (only when you open the app) and only to friends you’ve specifically selected. It’s accessible from the top of your DMs. It will be very similar to Snapchat’s friend map, which is the biggest one out there.

The map also highlights location‑tagged content like Reels, Stories, and “Notes” from friends and creators at nearby spots.

For music marketers, we think there’s plenty of long-term opportunity here for real time events. Just like with Snapchat, if you see everyone you know at an event, you’ll probably want to go there as well.

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

Spotify’s weekly global top 10 artists

— #1. Bad Bunny // Latin trap

— #2. Taylor Swift // Pop

— #3. Drake // Pop

— #4. The Weeknd // Alternative R&B 

— #5. Justin Bieber // Pop

— #6. KPop Demon Hunters Cast // KPop

— #7. Fuerza Regida // Regional Mexican (NEW)

— #8. Billie Eilish // Alternative Pop

— #9. Arijit Singh // Playback Singer

— #10. Morgan Wallen // Country (NEW)

TIKTOK VIDEO OF THE WEEK:
“Tag your favorite cousin”

Views: 19,000,000 | Likes: 2,200,000

This TikTok is almost ridiculously simple, so why did it become one of the most popular? Sure, it’s made by a pretty big creator, but that doesn’t mean everyone can’t learn from the following:

— #1. High pace (sped up). The video is super straight to the point and you don’t even have time to scroll before you know what it’s about. The fact that it’s so short also makes many people rewatch it by accident.

— #2. Clear call-to-action that makes sense. The creator wants people to tag their favorite cousin, and he makes it make sense to do so since it apparently is “national cousins day.” People sharing is gold for the algorithm.

— #3. Extremely good filming. This creator is decently famous, but even if you’ve never seen him before you instantly see that he’s good at what he does. The lighting is fantastic, the background is clean, the camera work is brilliant, and the list goes on.

MUSIC EVENT OF THE WEEK:
Untold Festival, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

The Untold Festival in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, running from August 7–10, is one of Europe’s biggest electronic music events, attracting over 400,000 fans. Held inside a stadium and city park, it blends EDM, pop, house, techno, and more across epic, fantasy-themed stages.

Here, you’ll catch global stars like Martin Garrix, Swedish House Mafia, and Post Malone, alongside plenty of local talent of course. If you’re chasing big energy and wish to go on a trip to Transylvania (if you’re not already there), this is definitely a place to visit.

TIP OF THE WEEK
Basic psychology to increase video performance

The truth is that most people scroll TikTok like they’re sleepwalking. If your video doesn’t interrupt that autopilot state, it’s gone in a flash. That means your job isn’t just to entertain, it’s to disrupt.

But you don’t need shock value or clickbait to do it. Instead, you can try these smart psychological cues that get the brain to stop, pay attention, and lean in.

How to get it right

— #1. Open a curiosity loop. Start with a line that feels like the middle of a story and not the start. Something like, “I didn’t think this would actually work…” or “So here’s what no one tells you…” It creates an open loop in the viewer’s brain, and they’ll stick around just to close it.

— #2. Make eye contact in the first frame. Humans are wired to respond to faces, and especially eyes looking straight at them. A tight shot where you're centered and looking directly into the lens instantly builds connection and makes your video feel personal, even if it's just 3 seconds long.

— #3. Disrupt the visual pattern. Pretty much all feeds are talking heads and dancing hands. That’s why you should try to do something off to break the rhythm, like filming upside down, holding an unusual object, or wearing something unexpected. That break gets noticed.

— #4. Whisper the hook. Instead of shouting to grab attention, do the opposite. Drop your voice. Start with a whisper. Quiet audio makes people physically lean in or turn up the volume. That interaction = engagement. And that’s how you win the algorithm.

— #5. Say something (mildly) controversial. You shouldn’t be toxic, but being opinionated is a great way to stand out. Open with: “Hot take: this is why morning routines are a scam.” That little hit of friction taps into the viewer’s need to agree, argue, or at least keep watching. Instant engagement, no dancing required.

PARASITION: Campaign breakdown

ROUND-UP 

— Versatile hip hop beats continue to be among the best performing for short-form social media

— Songs with clear content fit (like being funny) can do really well and often have an easier time sparking trends

— Instagram is launching a Friend Map (like Snapchat’s)

— Very simple TikToks that are easy to replicate can be number one trending. Focus on getting the basics right and standing out

— Opening a curiosity loop, making eye contact, disrupting the visual pattern, whispering the hook, and saying something controversial are all highly effective psychological tricks to increase performance

We hope this week’s Echo was a nice read!

Are you in the music marketing business? Then reach out to us at Parasition, and we’ll help make your tracks more viral than ever 🕺🚀