Aug 29, 2025
by Parasition x Hugo
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Like always, our trend and sound insights are from Hugo - Parasition’s AI music marketing platform.
GLOBAL TIKTOK TREND (SOUND) OF THE WEEK
1.5M+ likes
ACELERADA | sma$her & MXZI
Genre: Phonk
Video style: Dance trend
“ACELERADA” by sma$her & MXZI is built around a sharp, pounding beat that makes dance moves look more powerful and intense.
The sound has quickly become tied to fast, precise choreography. What we see time and time again is once a specific dance trend locks in, the sound instantly goes viral. Here, there are also many tutorials so others can join in on the trend.
Takeaways
— This sound genre thrives on high-energy, fast-paced visuals (cars, edits, dances), and this track is perfect for that
— Spanish/Portuguese sounds tap into a massive audience on TikTok, even when they don’t speak the language
LOCAL TIKTOK TREND (SOUND) OF THE WEEK
United States
200k+ likes
wfgt (feat. Burna Boy) | Gunna
Genre: Hip hop
Video style: Random
“WGFT (feat. Burna Boy)” by Gunna moves at a slower tempo with a softer beat, making it less about intense movement and more about what’s written on screen.
The humor comes through the lyrics themselves. They’re blunt and vulgar in a way that pairs perfectly with dark or extreme jokes.
Takeaways
— A slower tempo makes the caption the star, giving creators space to set up jokes or ironic scenarios without being overshadowed by the beat
— Vulgar lyrics can fuel a humoristic, dark edge, making it perfect for extreme jokes or meme-style content
Hugo spotlight
Last week we introduced Hugo, Parasition’s new AI platform that’s built to rethink how music marketing works.
Hugo doesn’t just scrape tags or captions—he actually watches and listens to over 100,000 TikToks a day. That means he catches viral dances, sudden spikes, or meme moments as they happen, and instantly links them to the right track.
From there, Hugo can scan an entire catalog, pick out which songs fit the trend, and recommend the next move: who to target, what creative to use, and when to launch.
👉 If you haven’t yet, you can still join the waitlist for early access here: https://hugo.love/
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOCIAL MEDIA:
Spotify relaunches DMs and TikTok shows music commitments
This week brings a few platform updates that could have a real impact on how music is shared and discovered online.
— Spotify is rolling out in-app messaging (again), letting users (16+) share songs, playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks directly inside the app. The feature also includes emoji reactions and privacy controls like blocking or opting out. For artists and marketers, this creates a new organic sharing loop that could fuel direct track recommendations among fans.
— TikTok launches its “Music Discovery” campaign, which spotlights how the platform drives breakout hits and fan-led movements. A key feature promoted is the Add to Music App tool, making it easier for listeners to save TikTok tracks directly to streaming services. The campaign shows TikTok’s role as the launchpad for music culture worldwide.
DATA | THE WORLD OF MUSIC QUANTIFIED
Spotify’s weekly global top 5 songs
— #1. Golden | KPop Demon Hunters Cast // 54.6 m weekly streams
— #2. back to friends | sombr // 38.5 m weekly streams
— #3. Ordinary | Alex Warren // 32.5 m weekly streams
— #4. Your Idol | KPop Demon Hunters Cast // 30.5 m weekly streams
— #5. Soda Pop | KPop Demon Hunters Cast // 29.9 m weekly streams
Spotify’s weekly global top 10 artists
— #1. Taylor Swift // Pop
— #2. Bad Bunny // Latin trap
— #3. Drake // Pop
— #4. The Weeknd // Alternative R&B
— #5. KPop Demon Hunters Cast // KPop
— #6. Justin Bieber // Pop
— #7. Fuerza Regida // Regional Mexican
— #8. Billie Eilish // Alternative Pop
— #9. Arijit Singh // Playback Singer
— #10. Morgan Wallen // Country
TIKTOK VIDEO OF THE WEEK:
Leaving for college
Views: 73,000,000 | Likes: 18,400,000
The fact that this video has crossed 70M views says it all. On the surface, it’s just a mom lining up toys to say goodbye as her son leaves for college, but it’s executed in a way that hits every emotional and creative note perfectly:
— #1. Great caption that builds anticipation. The setup (“leaving for college and my mom made a surprise”) instantly makes you want to see what’s coming next, keeping viewers hooked from the start.
— #2. High relatability. Millions of people are heading off to studies right now, so the theme resonates deeply with both students and parents. Timing is everything on social media.
— #3. Strong filming and emotional sound choice. The video is well-shot, with smooth pacing and music that heightens the emotion, making it feel cinematic and more engaging.
— #4. A cool, heartfelt concept. The idea of toys saying goodbye is both beautiful and entertaining. It’s unique enough to stand out, yet simple enough for everyone to connect with.
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MUSIC EVENT OF THE WEEK:
Gympie Music Muster, Australia
Picture from Gympie Music Muster
Australia’s Gympie Music Muster is pulling in around 50,000 fans this week, making it the country’s biggest country music gathering. Beyond the festival itself, it shows just how strong the genre’s community remains in the region.
It’s important to remember that country isn’t just a thing in the US — there’s real audience energy in Australia worth tapping into. It’s also a reminder that sometimes the biggest opportunities sit in markets you might not follow closely.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Upload your short-form content everywhere
Too many treat TikTok as the only place to post short-form content, but that’s leaving reach on the table. Reels and Shorts are growing fast, and cross-posting is one of the simplest ways to build a bigger audience without making extra content. Just keep in mind that each platform rewards slightly different things.
Tips for cross-platform posting
— #1. TikTok → The creativity hub. It’s trend-driven, so lean into sounds, quick edits, and authenticity that feels native to the feed.
— #2. Reels → More polished and community-focused. Strong visuals, captions, and Story tie-ins help drive engagement back into your profile.
— #3. Shorts → A search engine in disguise. Shorts can keep pulling views weeks later, so optimize your titles and descriptions with keywords.
— #4. Audio & CTAs → Sounds don’t always transfer across platforms, so pick audio that works everywhere or adjust it per app. And adapt your asks: perhaps duets on TikTok, comments/DMs on Instagram, and subscribes on YouTube.
PARASITION: Campaign breakdown
175k+ likes
Another Chance | Allertz
Genre: Dance / EDM
Video style: Random
Allertz’s EDM track “Another Chance” is an emotional, melodic dance record with strong streaming potential, so the campaign focus was on creating engaging clips that matched its energy.
Here, our creator nailed the execution with strong lighting and a great angle, giving the clip a polished look. A reaction-driven caption boosted visibility, while subtle movement kept the video dynamic without pulling focus from the track.
Campaign learnings
— We adjusted the brief mid-campaign to tie into an upcoming local event, making the content more timely and driving stronger results
ROUND-UP
— High-energy sounds drive movement. ACELERADA shows how the popular phonk genre thrives when tied to sharp choreography and fast-paced visuals.
— Captions can be the hook. Gunna’s WGFT trend proves how slower beats leave space for humor and text-driven creativity.
— Seasonal moments connect. The viral “college goodbye” video shows how tying content to life milestones (like back-to-school season) can spark massive relatability and global reach.
— Spotify relaunches DMs, while TikTok pushes its new music discovery campaign.
— Cultural timing boosts results. Adjusting campaigns to match local events can deliver a major lift.
We hope this week’s Echo gave you some cool ideas and plenty of inspiration. And remember: the fastest way to catch these shifts is with Hugo — our AI built to spot trends before they peak.
