You’ve probably seen the "Propaganda I’m Not Falling For" videos by now. If you haven't, your For You Page is basically living in 2024.
TikTok moves fast. Like, "blink and you missed a whole subculture" fast. By May 2025, the platform has shifted away from the hyper-polished "Clean Girl" aesthetic toward something much crunchier, more chaotic, and honestly, a bit more cynical. We aren't just dancing in kitchens anymore; we're deconstructing our entire lives through satirical audio and nostalgic filters.
If you’re trying to keep up with current TikTok trends May 2025, you have to realize that the "vibe" has changed. It's less about being perfect and more about being "in on the joke."
The Satire Era: Propaganda and "Machine" Energy
The biggest shift this month is the "Propaganda I’m Not Falling For" trend. Set to a specific Charli XCX audio—usually "i think about it all the time"—creators are listing things they’ve decided are absolute lies.
It’s not political propaganda. It’s lifestyle propaganda.
- "5 a.m. workouts make you productive." (Propaganda!)
- "Walking doesn't count as real exercise." (Absolute lies!)
- "You need a 10-step skincare routine to have clear skin." (We're over it.)
Then there's the Beyoncé "Like a Machine" audio. It’s everywhere. Creators use the clip where she says, "When I work, I don’t eat, I don’t use the restroom, I’m like a machine," to ironically show themselves doing the absolute least. Think: lying on the floor while a single email sits in the drafts. It’s the ultimate "anti-hustle" anthem of May 2025.
The Sounds Shaping May 2025
Music has always been the heartbeat of the app, but right now, it’s a weird mix of 2015 nostalgia and 1960s throwbacks.
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Hold My Hand by Jess Glynne
This is arguably the song of the summer. It’s been dubbed the "Jet2holidays song" because of a massive trend where people use it to soundtrack travel fails. Missed your flight? Your suitcase exploded? Someone proposed in the middle of your airport nap? Queue the Jess Glynne. It’s been used over 9 million times this month alone.
Pretty Little Baby by Connie Francis
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, this 1962 track is the go-to for "Analog Comfort." It’s used for slow-living vlogs, vintage outfit reveals, and "CatholicCore"—a niche trend specifically blowing up in Ireland and parts of the US that romanticizes the aesthetic of a grandparent's house (think lace doilies and tin whistles).
New Flame by Chris Brown
The beat drop is being used for "manifestation" videos. You repeat a phrase three or four times on screen—like "Flights under $100"—and sync it to the rhythm. It’s simple, it’s catchy, and it’s fueling the "lucky girl syndrome" 2.0 wave.
Niche Cultures: GaelTok, Carrot Salads, and Ibiza Bosses
The "Niches" are getting narrower. If you aren't part of a specific "Tok," you're missing half the conversation.
The Rise of #GaelTok
May has seen a massive spike in Irish content. It’s not just tourism; it’s a deep dive into Irish history and comedy. #AchillIsland saw a 300% increase in mentions because of basking shark sightings. If your feed is full of stunning cliffs and people speaking Irish, you’re in GaelTok.
The "Green" Food Obsession
Move over, cucumbers. May 2025 is the month of the carrot. Specifically, grated carrot salads and salt-and-vinegar "carrot chips." There’s also a weirdly specific obsession with everything green: matcha, pistachios, and pickles. If it’s green and edible, it’s trending. The "Dubai Chocolate Bar" (stuffed with pistachio) is still causing actual grocery store shortages in some regions.
The "Ibiza Final Boss"
Every month needs a main character. This month, it’s Jack Kay, nicknamed the "Ibiza Final Boss." He’s a partying Brit who became an overnight sensation for his sheer energy and "vibes." It’s a classic example of how TikTok can take a regular person and turn them into a demi-god of the For You Page in 48 hours.
Why the "10 Years Ago" Trend is Actually Important
The "Photo I Hesitated to Take vs. The Photo I Posted 10 Years Ago" trend is more than just a glow-up. It’s a collective mourning of the "Old Internet."
People are comparing their current, highly-edited, over-thought selfies with the blurry, high-flash, unbothered photos they posted on Facebook in 2015. It highlights a growing "content fatigue." We’re tired of being "on" all the time. This trend is a permission slip to be messy again.
Actionable Insights for Creators and Brands
If you're trying to leverage these current TikTok trends May 2025, don't just copy-paste. The algorithm is smarter than that now.
- Ditch the high production. The "When You Play Too Much at Work" trend (using Janet Jackson’s Someone to Call My Lover) works best when it looks like it was filmed on a lunch break. Low-fi is high-value.
- Use "declarative" text. Trends like "The Beat Says" or "Propaganda" rely on strong, polarizing opinions. Don't be "middle of the road."
- Lean into the "Green" aesthetic. If you’re a lifestyle or food creator, the color palette of the month is sage, forest, and pistachio.
- Try "Faceless Storytelling." One of the fastest-growing niches right now involves AI-generated narratives or "Nostalgic Tech Resurrections" (showing how old buttons and cartridges worked). You don't even need to show your face to go viral anymore.
The reality of TikTok in mid-2025 is that it’s less about a single "dance" and more about which "mood" you’re tapping into. Whether it’s the cynical satire of "Propaganda" or the cozy nostalgia of "CatholicCore," the most successful creators are the ones who feel like they’re just talking to a friend—messy hair, bad lighting, and all.
To get started, look through your camera roll for a "fail" video you were too embarrassed to post and pair it with Jess Glynne’s Hold My Hand. That’s the easiest entry point into the current cultural zeitgeist.