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How TikTok's Algorithm is Reshaping Music
With the looming threat of another TikTok ban, it’s time to give credit where credit is due. TikTok isn’t just a platform for viral dances and memes—it’s become a powerful force in reshaping the music landscape. Its algorithm has the unique ability to catapult new and obscure artists into mainstream music tastes or revive genres that have faded from popular culture. From shoegaze and slowcore to phonk, hyperpop, and folk, TikTok has played an essential role in expanding the musical tastes of its global audience.
Shoegaze
Once relegated to underground indie scenes, shoegaze has found a surprising resurgence on TikTok. Characterized by dreamy, reverb-drenched guitars and ethereal vocals, bands like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive act as the sonic background for nostalgic montages, aesthetic edits, and “main character” POV videos. This genre gained momentum around 2020 and 2021, as users gravitated toward dreamy, lo-fi visual aesthetics during the pandemic. Since then, new artists like Wisp and Novulent have found massive popularity on the app for their hazy, textured soundscapes, leading some to speculate that shoegaze might be the new indie.
Slowcore
Known for its minimalist instrumentation, slow tempos, and melancholic vibes, slowcore has quietly made its way back into the cultural zeitgeist. ‘90s bands like Low and Duster have come back into vogue for their moody, introspective sound — the ideal backdrop for TikTokers’ late-night musings, emotional confessions, and deadpan humor. Slowcore’s resurgence began around 2021, offering a raw, authentic contrast to the highly produced polish of mainstream music. Since then, Duster has released new music, including a full-length album in 2024, while newer artists like Sign Crushes Motorist (named after a Duster song) and lesser-known artists like Sour Widows continue the slowcore legacy.
Midwest Emo
While emo’s resurgence in the 2000s was marked by its mainstream success, the Midwest emo subgenre—characterized by its raw, introspective lyrics and intricate guitar work—has found a new life on TikTok. Bands like American Football, The Get Up Kids, and Cap’n Jazz were pioneers of the genre in the late '90s and early 2000s, with their emotive, guitar-driven sound often evoking themes of nostalgia, heartbreak, and longing. Today, bands like Mom Jeans and Michael Cera Palin have found a new wave of appreciation on TikTok, continuing the tradition of earnest lyrics and energetic, guitar-forward instrumentation. The genre’s revival is a testament to TikTok's ability to connect past and present musical movements, offering a space for both nostalgia and innovation.
Phonk
If you’ve ever seen an intense, heavily edited video packed with flashy transitions and gritty, choppy beats, you’ve experienced Phonk. Characterized by distorted basslines, lo-fi production, and chopped vocal samples, Phonk originated in 1990s Memphis as a hip-hop subgenre. It exploded in popularity on TikTok around 2021 and 2022, with tracks like “Murder in My Mind” by Kordhell soundtracking high-octane car edits, workout montages, and memes poking fun at the “sigma male” archetype. Phonk’s aggressive, raw energy is a natural match for TikTok’s fast-paced trend cycle, and its influence has extended beyond the app, with countless Spotify playlists dedicated to the genre’s evolving sound.
Hyperpop
Hyperpop’s rise is inseparable from TikTok, which served as an incubator for the genre’s explosive growth around 2019. While its roots trace back to the experimental pop scenes of artists like SOPHIE and A.G. Cook, TikTok almost singlehandedly catapulted the sound into mainstream consciousness. Its chaotic blend of glitchy synths, distorted vocals, and breakneck tempos perfectly complements TikTok’s meme-driven, fast-paced culture. Artists like 100 gecs, Glaive, Ericdoa, and Midwxst emerged as viral sensations, shaping the genre’s sound and trajectory. Hyperpop’s rejection of traditional pop polish and its blurred boundaries between artist and meme, sincerity and satire, makes it the perfect soundtrack for the internet’s ever-evolving landscape.
Folk
Even if folk never really went out of style, TikTok has played an integral role in helping newer artists find their audience. The platform’s short-form videos have made it easier for folk songs —rich in storytelling and acoustic melodies — to go viral, tapping into the growing demand for authentic, emotional music. This resurgence isn’t about traditional folk but rather a modern reinterpretation that blends indie, Americana, and even bedroom pop aesthetics. Artists like MJ Lenderman and Noah Kahan owe much of their viral successes to TikTok’s ability to amplify niche sounds. Trends like #frontporchsessions, in which artists or fans play stripped-down versions of songs, have helped catapult the genre back into mainstream popularity. Folk thrives on connection and storytelling, both of which TikTok delivers in spades, making it the ideal hub for the digital folk movement.
Edits — Slowed + Reverb / Sped-Up
As an honorable mention, TikTok has also fueled a trend of listener edits. The most popular of these are slowed + reverbed or sped-up remixes. Having gained momentum from 2020 onwards, these edits transform familiar songs into new experiences. Slowed tracks evoke dreamy, nostalgic vibes, while sped-up versions add a hyper, energetic dimension perfect for dance trends. From 2020’s viral slowed version of “Swing Lynn” by Harmless to more recent sped-up edits like The Strokes’ “The Adults Are Talking,” the trend showcases the creative ways TikTok users reimagine music to fit diverse moods, bringing together artists and listeners in fresh, dynamic ways.
