The Echo Vol. 7 - Weird dances continue

WASSUP?

Had a good week? We sure hope so :)
Let’s get right into this week’s Echo!

GLOBAL TIKTOK TREND (SOUND) OF THE WEEK

LOCAL TIKTOK TREND (SOUND) OF THE WEEK
France

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOCIAL MEDIA:
Trend with no specific sound attached goes viral on all short-form platforms

The “Propaganda I’m Not Falling For” trend has gone viral on all short-form platforms (TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts). Essentially, it’s where a creator lists a bunch of things they reject. This could be cultural norms, products, food, trends, fashion, etc. There’s usually a satirical / ironic tone, and the videos are always paired with a sound that’s meant to amplify the message and / or spark interest.

Why this matters for music marketing

What we think is most important about this trend is that there’s not a specific sound attached to it. Usually, trends have a song that goes with it, like in the global viral example in the beginning. This means that you can use the “Propaganda I’m Not Falling For” trend to promote virtually any song. Just make sure that the video is good :)

DATA | THE WORLD OF MUSIC QUANTIFIED

Spotify’s weekly global top 5 songs

— #1. Ordinary | Alex Warren // 39.9 weekly streams

— #2. Die with a smile | Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars // 36.5 m weekly streams

— #3. Birds of a Feather | Billie Eilish // 33.8 weekly streams

— #4. sombr | back to friends // 26.4 weekly streams

— #5. APT. | Rosé & Bruno Mars // 26.2 m weekly streams

Spotify’s weekly global top 10 artists

— #1. Bad Bunny // Latin trap

— #2. Morgan Wallen // Country

— #3. Taylor Swift // Pop

— #4. The Weeknd // Alternative R&B 

— #5. Drake // Pop

— #6. Fuerza Regida // Varied // Regional Mexican

— #7. Billie Eilish // Alternative pop

— #8. Kendrick Lamar // Hip hop

— #9. Lady Gaga // Pop 

— #10. Ariana Grande // Pop

TIKTOK VIDEO OF THE WEEK:
Ms. Honey teacher

Views: 55,800,000 | Likes: 8,100,000

Seems like we’ve got a pattern here? This week our top video pick is also a very wholesome one.

This time it’s from a relatively unknown account that posted a video about her teacher that meant a lot to her. She even went as far as getting a tattoo to remember him. Here’s why this video has blown up in only a few days:

— #1. Outstanding filming, which makes the video look very professional. This acts as an instant hook, since it increases the odds of you sticking around to see what’s going on. The lighting is excellent, and so is the angle, background, and everything really

— #2. The sound creates recognition or interest. For those who know about Ms. Honey from the Roald Dahl book Matilda, you immediately know what’s going on. Many people probably don’t know about this though, but the sound sets the tone for something serious yet wholesome to take place

— #3. No large caption, which makes you see for yourself what’s going on. The creator has written “my ms.honey,” but many people will likely not notice it or not know what it means

— #4. Wholesomeness makes you stick around and re-watch the clip. This is something the algorithm loves

— #5. Engagement-creating since many won’t understand what’s going on. This gets people to read the comments (meaning longer watch time) and perhaps even posting their own (creating engagement)

MUSIC EVENT OF THE WEEK:
Tyler, The Creator: CHROMAKOPIA THE WORLD TOUR

Tyler, The Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA THE WORLD TOUR is set to be a major highlight for UK music fans with his headline show at Manchester’s Co-op Live on May 28, 2025. The venue, which is now the largest indoor arena in the UK with a capacity of 23,500, is designed to bring fans closer to the stage than ever before with world-class acoustics and immersive design.

Tyler’s performance is expected to draw a massive crowd and generate major buzz on social media, as fans flock to see one of hip-hop’s most innovative and dynamic performers in a venue that’s redefining the live music experience in the UK and beyond.

TIP OF THE WEEK
How to “loop” short-form videos to increase watch time

Here’s a slightly sneaky tip to use if you feel like it. People don’t like being mislead, but a good loop is a great way to increase watch time for short-form videos. And as you probably know, more watch time = higher chance of going viral.

How to get it right

— #1. Start and end a video with the same lyric or beat — Can be using the last word of a phrase to lead directly back into the first word, such as “it’s all just noise” loop → “noise in my head”

— #2. Combine with a visual loop — Match the video beginning and ending so it becomes a full circle. For example, you can walk into the frame at the start, and walk out at the end in reverse

— #3. Cut on the beat — It’s usually best when the transition point lands on a strong downbeat or lyrical drop, since it makes the look feel more intentional and a bit musical

— #4. No hard intros or outros — Obviously don’t start with “hey people” and don’t end with “thanks for watching”

PARASITION: Campaign breakdown

ROUND-UP 

— Trends with a specific dance continue to create the global trends

— Sounds don’t need to be super special to trend, just being good is enough

— Concepts can trend on short-form socials without a song attached

— Wholesome videos consistently rank among the most liked and viewed on TikTok and other platforms

— “Looping” short-form videos is a great way to increase watch time, and it’s pretty simple to get right

Thanks for sticking around til the end! Or maybe you just scrolled down… Either way, we’re glad to have you here :)

If you’re someone who works with music marketing and wants to make your songs even more viral, reach out to us at Parasition — we specialize in doing just that 🕺🚀

// The Echo Team