Ever feel like your brain is just a jukebox for 15-second clips? If you spent any time on the app last year, you know the feeling. One minute you're trying to figure out what to cook for dinner, and the next, you’re humming a sped-up K-pop bridge while staring at a bag of pasta.
Popular tiktok songs 2023 didn't just happen. They weren't just "background noise." These tracks literally rewrote how the music industry works, turning bedroom producers into overnight millionaires and making us all collectively obsessed with a song about a 1960s French activist. Honestly, it was a weird year for music.
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Why Cupid and Sped-Up Remixes Owned Your Feed
You couldn't escape it. "Cupid" by FIFTY FIFTY was everywhere. But here's the kicker: it wasn't the original version that blew up. It was the "Twin Ver." — specifically the sped-up one.
TikTok users have this weird, almost religious devotion to high-pitched, fast-paced audio. It fits the "energy" of a scroll. In 2023, this trend reached a breaking point. Artists started releasing official "sped-up" versions of their own songs just to keep up with the fans who were already doing it themselves.
FIFTY FIFTY became the first K-pop girl group to really crack the Western mainstream code this way, following in the footsteps of giants like Blackpink but doing it through sheer algorithmic luck. Or was it luck? Their label realized early on that a catchy, English-language hook played at 1.5x speed was basically digital catnip.
The Weird Revival of Jain’s "Makeba"
If you saw a video of someone dancing in front of a green screen or a travel montage featuring a vibrant African aesthetic, you heard "Makeba."
Jain actually released this song back in 2015.
It’s a tribute to Miriam Makeba, the legendary South African singer.
But in 2023? It became the anthem of the summer because of a Bill Hader dance meme. That’s just how the internet works now. A comedian’s goofy dance from a years-old SNL sketch gets slapped onto a French pop song, and suddenly, Jain is topping global charts nearly a decade after her song debuted.
It proves that on TikTok, nothing is ever truly "old."
The "Big Three" of 2023: Flowers, Paint The Town Red, and Boy's a Liar Pt. 2
While indie artists were fighting for scraps of the algorithm, the heavy hitters were also leaning into the platform.
- Miley Cyrus - Flowers: This wasn't just a song; it was a movement. The "self-love" anthem fueled millions of videos of women buying themselves flowers or working out. It tapped into the "divorce glow-up" subculture that TikTok loves.
- Doja Cat - Paint The Town Red: Doja is a native of the internet. She knows how to make a "moment." By the time the song officially dropped, the "Bitch, I said what I said" line was already a core part of the app's vocabulary.
- PinkPantheress & Ice Spice - Boy's a Liar Pt. 2: This was the ultimate collaboration. You had the UK "alt-pop" queen meeting the "Princess of Drill" from the Bronx. The result was a short, 2-minute track that felt like it was engineered in a lab to be replayed.
Short songs were the law in 2023. If a track was over three minutes, it felt like a marathon. Most of the popular tiktok songs 2023 were incredibly brief, designed to loop perfectly without you even noticing.
The Rise of "Regional" Goes Global
We saw a massive shift toward non-English tracks hitting the U.S. mainstream.
Look at Peso Pluma. The Mexican artist dominated with "La Bebe (Remix)." Before 2023, a regional Mexican track might have stayed within its niche. On TikTok, the "Corridos Tumbados" sound exploded globally.
Then there’s "LALA" by Myke Towers. You didn't need to speak Spanish to get the "LALA" part stuck in your head for three days straight. The platform has basically killed the language barrier for pop music. If the beat hits and the hook is "mimicable," it's going to trend.
How to Actually Use 2023's Lessons for 2026
It's easy to look back and just see a list of hits, but there's a strategy here if you're a creator or just someone who wants to understand why your "For You" page looks the way it does.
- Hook is King: You have exactly 3 seconds to grab someone. In 2023, the most successful songs had a distinct "audio signature" right at the start.
- The "Relatable" Factor: Songs like Mae Stephens' "If We Ever Broke Up" succeeded because they gave people a script for their own lives. People used the audio to tell their own stories.
- Sped-up isn't a fad: It’s a tool. Even now, in 2026, we see the "nightcore" aesthetic lingering because it provides a different emotional texture to a song.
Basically, the music industry isn't about albums anymore. It's about "moments."
If you're looking to find the next big thing, stop looking at the radio. Look at the "Commonly Used" section of your video editor. That's where the real power lies.
Next Steps for Your Playlist:
Go back and listen to the full versions of these viral snippets. You might be surprised to find that many of the songs you know from 15-second clips actually have incredible second verses or bridges that never made it to the "For You" page. Start by checking out the "Year on TikTok 2023" official playlist on Spotify or Apple Music to see the full scope of what you missed while you were scrolling.