Every year, as Billboard does with the charts, TikTok takes a look back at the songs and creators that made a mark on the year. At times, there’s significant overlap with the charts. After all, TikTok is a big driver of success in music nowadays, and labels and industry players are paying attention. At other times, especially if you don’t spend a lot of time scrolling through your For You Page, it feels like an alternate dimension.
The most popular TikTok song in Canada this year belonged to PARTYNEXTDOOR – no doubt a major Canadian hip-hop and R&B artist. But the version of his song “Her Way” that tops their list is not the original one, but a sped-up version attached to a dance challenge.
“The song’s accelerated tempo seemed to resonate perfectly with the fast-paced, dynamic nature of TikTok,” says Kat Kernaghan, Head of TikTok Music Canada, in an email to Billboard Canada. “And it’s not just about consuming the music; it’s about actively participating in the creative process.”
Alongside breakout international artists like PinkPantheress and FIFTYFIFTY, many of the biggest songs on the social media platform were the ones that people interacted, memed and played with the most. That can resurrect an older song, like Justin Bieber’s “Beauty and a Beat,” which was released over a decade ago in 2012. Kernaghan attributes the resurgence to a diverse range of user-generated content, from lip-synch performances to text-on-screen trends, but especially a series of choreography tutorials.
Sometimes, the song almost feels secondary. At the same time, TikTok often feels like it’s actively shaping the sound of popular music. It’s why the TikTok Billboard Top 50 is now such a valuable measure. TikTok was a major factor in this year’s rise of Tate McRae, for instance, the 20-year-old Calgary-born pop singer who had her first hit on the Canadian Hot 100 this year.
Here’s the full list of most popular songs on TikTok in Canada this year:
The Playlist: Most popular songs that soundtracked in Canada in 2023
2. “Eyes Closed” – Ed Sheeran:
3. “Collide (more sped up)” – Justine Skye
4. “Cupid – Twin Ver – Sped Up Version” – FIFTY FIFTY
5. “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” – PinkPanthress & Ice Spice
6. “Makeba” – Jain
7. “Swalla” – Jason Derulo
8. “Beauty And A Beat” – Justin Bieber
9. “Paint The Town Red” – Doja Cat
10. “What It Is (Solo Version)” – Doechii
When it comes to the most popular artists on TikTok in Canada this year, it’s an interesting mixed bag. As mentioned earlier, Tate McRae is on the list after a year that saw her transcend social media onto the stage of SNL and the cover of Billboard. She made her mark by being relatable on the platform, but her hit “greedy” went well beyond her hands. Kernaghan points to a boost from Tube Girl, a.k.a. UK-based creator Sabrina Bahsoon, whose public transit-filmed lip-sync clip hit 19 billion global views.
At the same time, artists like Lauren Spencer Smith, Alexander Stewart and Faouzia made intimate and emotional music that people related to so much they had to use the sound. Other artists, like Tiagz, blurred the lines between “creator” and “artist,” making content designed to go viral first, like translating a song’s hook into multiple languages, then chart later.
Walk Off The Earth are the veterans of the group. They went viral on YouTube over a decade ago with videos like their all-on-one-guitar version of “Somebody That I Used To Know.” They were clearly ahead of their time, because a similar schtick has found them a new home on TikTok.
Have a look at the list below, along with links to their accounts.
The Hitmakers: Most popular artists on TikTok in Canada in 2023
- 1. Lauren Spencer Smith (@laurenspencersmith)
2. Alexander Stewart (@alexanderstewart)
3. Dax (@thatsdax)
4. Ashley Sienna (@ashleysienna)
5. Walk Off The Earth (@walkofftheearth)
6. Tate McRae (@tatemcrae)
7. Crash Adams (@crashadamsmusic)
8. Connor Price (@connorprice__)
9. Tiagz (@iamtiagz)
10. Faouzia (@faouziaofficial)
