Taking you behind the biggest TikTok trends of 2024
TikTok trends don't just happen – they're sparked, nurtured and launched into mainstream culture by the platform's most creative minds. Behind every dance, piece of content or viral sound that takes over the FYP is a user or brand that understands the platform and has an idea. In this blog post, we speak to these trendsetters, uncovering the stories behind their viral moments, the cultural impact of their content, and the reasons why brands should collaborate with creators who just get TikTok and understand their own niche audience.
These TikTok creators not only reveal how their trends began, but they also share insights on why certain aspects resonate so deeply with the TikTok community, as well as what's next for the platform and trends in 2025. Whether you're a brand looking to connect authentically with your audience or to understand more about TikTok's ever-changing culture, keep reading for a glimpse into the minds of the platform's top creators.
Emma Taylor (@westkengirl)
Creator of 'Good Morning London' soundbite
20k+ video creations
Tell us the story behind the trending sound you created.
I saw that people were sharing their morning routines in New York alongside this amazing 'Good Morning New York' sound. I was sad that we didn't have a sound like that for London. And then I thought 'Why don't I just create one?'. So it really was inspired by that. I imagined all these different people across London waking up and sharing their morning routines. I loved that it was about bringing people together and showcasing the beauty of London life. And now, it’s become this whole thing where people are sharing their little slice of the city!
What impact do you think this sound had on TikTok culture?
I think it made people feel empowered to showcase their morning routines! It really highlighted the diversity of London and gave people a way to celebrate their day-to-day lives. We're all so nosey! We want the details! Instead of just following another trend, people were connecting over this romantic idea of waking up in the same city. It’s like a love letter to London and its people, which I think is what TikTok is all about!
Why do you think brands should work with the originator/creator of a trend?
Working with the creator of a trend adds a layer of authenticity that brands just can’t fake. When they collaborate with the person who started it, they’re able to keep that original vibe that people loved in the first place. It’s such a unique moment when creators and brands come together like this. Everyone’s on the same playing field, collaborating in a way that feels like the brand really is listening/watching. That’s what makes it so powerful!
What was your favourite brand take that used the sound?
There were so many brands that jumped on the trend and it blew my mind! SpaceNK was one of the first, and they absolutely nailed it! Followed by Charlotte Tilbury, who did an amazing job, and Rhode used it for their London pop-up. Both their takes were so authentic to their brands but also captured the spirit of the city perfectly. Loved it!
Working with the creator of a trend adds a layer of authenticity that brands just can’t fake. When they collaborate with the person who started it, they’re able to keep that original vibe that people loved in the first place. It’s such a unique moment when creators and brands come together like this.
What do you anticipate taking off on TikTok in 2025?
People love finding their "tribe" on TikTok, and it’s only going to grow from here. I think in 2025 we'll be seeing more of these tight-knit digital groups form mini TikTok communities. I've made a TikTok community myself and it's the best! Putting out content can give you the worst imposter syndrome and then along comes your online community to hype you up! Brands are even taking their close online communities on brand trips now, which is so cool! It’s all about turning online connections and friendships into IRL meetups, and I’m SO here for it! I think TikTok will keep evolving with new features and creative tools that help people connect even more. People are craving more meaningful connections than ever before – TikTok will likely be the place to do it.
Find out more about the Morning [City] trend here and follow Emma here.
Kelley Heyer (@kelley.heyer)
Creator of the Apple Dance
18.1M+ video views
Tell us about the Apple Dance trend you created.
Charli XCX's album Brat had been out for about a week, and "Apple" was immediately one of my favourite songs. I felt like it wasn’t getting the love it deserved because it sounded a little different than everything else on the record and people were skipping over it. So I thought it would be fun to make my first-ever TikTok dance to the song! The beat is just so infectious. I made it in about twenty minutes in my bedroom. I posted it almost every day for two weeks. During those two weeks, it started to gain a small amount of traction, which was super cool, and then after that it just exploded in a way I never could have imagined.
What impact do you think this dance had on TikTok's culture?
I honestly think it brought back dancing on TikTok. There are amazing dancers who regularly share their talent on the app, but most non-dancers haven’t participated in a dance trend since 2020. The Apple Dance was easy and everyone could pick up on it. I’m not even a strong dancer myself, but because it’s so simple, people can really show off their personality or outfits or anything using the dance.
Why do you think brands should work with the originator/creator of a trend?
People want to see their favourite creators succeed. Brands feel like such large entities these days so when they misuse small creators' IP, people rightfully get really angry on behalf of the creator they care about. When a brand is willing to actually work with the originator/creator of a trend, it shows that they value the opinion of their customers.
What do you anticipate taking off on TikTok in 2025?
Authenticity for sure! People are tired of everything feeling so curated. We all want creators and brands to just be more honest and authentic with their content. Which honestly I also love because the stress of feeling like I have to be perfect on the internet can get to me sometimes. I want to be able to post what I love and share things about my life without worrying about the algorithm or if my editing is perfect or if the video I’m making is trendy. I just want to create what I love and post it for other people to enjoy. And I think viewers are tired of the manufactured videos as well. It’s all too stressful and everyone just wants to relax.
Follow Kelley here.
Tati (@illumitatiana)
Creator of the Office Siren remix
3.5M video views
Tell us the story behind your trend.
Most of my FYP is #CoreCore [an aesthetic aiming to capture post-2020 sensibilities] videos and really strange stuff. So part of me thought, "I haven't posted in so long", so I'm just going to make content that is really strange performance art and force myself to make the most weirdest and unapologetically Tati content possible.
My friends were also making weird content to promote music, I was watching them have fun with it and I was like "why don't I start posting weird stuff too?" I made it a challenge to myself to make a new genre of content and become a new type of creator. I was like "how can I make this? How can I have this crazy aura?" I didn't want to speak, I didn't want anyone to know anything about me, I just wanted it to be this weird elusive enigma of a page and to put out these weird pieces of art that can or can't be interpreted.
The third one took off like crazy and this was me in the ocean with the papers. I woke up at 5am, drove myself to the beach and sat in the water with a tripod. It was embarrassing to do, but I also really enjoyed making that piece of content. So I was like why don't I rinse and repeat and make weird content that makes me really happy. It was kind of like this journey to authenticity and making something that's me and fun.
What impact do you think your trend had on TikTok culture?
I can't tell whether it's collective consciousness, but I'm definitely seeing people make a style of content that I didn't see them do previously: these absurdist performance art vibes that I'm putting out as well. But it is interesting to see brands now coming out with Office Siren collections and wanting to collaborate with me. I just did a brand collaboration with [fashion brand] I AM GIA, with an entire office siren-themed collection, and I was just like, "woah, did I start this? Did I inspire this?"
Why do you think brands should work with the originator/creator of a trend?
Branded content performs like crazy when it doesn't appear like an ad. It seems so natural, and it's so satisfying for the audience to see the person who started it getting their flowers in a sense. Marc Jacobs is killing it, and it is a perfect case study of how to work with creators.
What was your favourite brand take on the trend?
Not specifically a brand, but this creator, Lexington Jones, recreated the trend. He films on a super low-quality phone, and he recreates every single one of my videos, and they are so funny. One of the videos he did got a crazy number views and he thanked me for starting this trend. I love that he kind of makes fun of it and I love when people on the internet do this but in a playful way.
What do you anticipate taking off on TikTok in 2025?
I think, as users, people are really sick of being overly advertised to, and I think that's a direct reaction to a poor type of "advertising" content. I think there's going to be this underbelly movement of anti-content content, and it's going to be about reaching smaller communities more than it is about going viral. For me, I'm no longer looking to have every video go viral, I'm just looking to continue posting really strange stuff. So I think we're going to see creators also shift into this and foster smaller communities instead of widespread reach. The best thing you can do is stop advertising and start bonding.
Read more about anti-content in our blog post. Follow Tati here.
To learn more about the trends and brands taking over the FYP, check out the Trend Digest Zine. For more creative inspiration, explore the Creative Centre and sign up for our newsletter.