2023 was the year we learned a new life hack (or two!), laughed out loud, and couldn’t stop thinking about the Roman Empire. Our global community of over 1 billion people, including 8.5 million Australians, and 350,000 Australian businesses, continues to come together to connect on TikTok, positively influencing culture and impacting lives.

From foolproof recipes to funny skits, throwback tracks and thriving small businesses, the TikTok community continued creating, connecting and celebrating authenticity on TikTok throughout 2023. In Australia, we saw everything from camels to frogs, outback guides to style icons, impressive impersonators to talented buskers, chef extraordinaires to sports stars, tasty recipes to beauty tips, and more.

“2023 has been another memorable year on TikTok, and the biggest yet for our Australian community. We have been so inspired by the incredible creators who are the beating heart of TikTok, and this is an opportunity to celebrate those who have made their mark this year. A massive thank you to our community who show up every day as their true authentic selves and who made 2023 one for the history books – bring on 2024!” – Lee Hunter, General Manager, TikTok Australia and New Zealand.

Join us as we scroll it back and reflect on an incredible year of the most memorable trends, creators, songs and moments with our community.

In 2023, trending content took over For You feeds around the world – especially in the entertainment, lifestyle & education, and sports categories. We were mesmerised by Dollievision’s makeup routine, that Capybara song and the brilliance of sheep dogs – so many good memories, you can almost hear it! In Australia, our love of animals, a new beauty hack and a good party (good enough to win the 2023 TikTok Video of the Year award) shone through, accompanied by our renewed obsession with garlic bread.

Australia

• @andydavie – Fitzroy blokes’ garage sesh goes global and takes the 2023 TikTok Video of the Year award.
• @daenskitchen – Mouthwatering ASMR garlic bread… bon appétit!
• @unknowndazza – The tale of Frodrick the Frod, and his 3D printed house.
• @ybsbrodie – Ever dared to dive into the secret lives of whales?
• @robertirwin – Cuteness overload – Robert Irwin introduces us to Australia Zoo’s very first quokka.
• @himynameispriya – The secret to beautiful lashes and brows? A scorched almond – who knew!

Around the world

• @seanthesheepman: #FarmTok lives on with Sean the Sheep man and his dogs Kate, Storm, Echo and Monty, showing the brilliance and intelligence of sheep dogs.
• @kirbyquimado: Discover a super easy and creative way to make a yummy snack using bread!
• @jazephua: Groove to the infectious beat of 2023 viral Capybara Song!
• @unknowndazza: Here’s the tale of Frodrick the Frog – and his 3D printed house.
• @gabryellurlan: Being grateful for the day while listening to birds arguing at 6:00am.

Whether it was pop tunes or comeback tracks, TikTok artists gave us the soundtrack of 2023. This year, one of our most popular songs was “Cupid – Twin Ver – Sped Up Version” by FIFTY FIFTY. Capitalising on the TikTok audience’s affinity for sped-up songs, this version of “Cupid” was a viral sensation, kicking off a number of trends from food tutorials to outfit picks, which have been hugely popular this year. Turn up the volume and check out TikTok’s most popular songs of the year.

Australia

• Collide (more sped up) – Justine Skye, @unicewani.
• Cupid – Twin Ver. – Sped Up Version – FIFTY FIFTY, @adelemareee.
• Sprinter – Dave & Central Cee, @taylebwillis.
• Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2 – PinkPantheress & Ice Spice, @tazandalessia.
• Her Way (Sped Up) – PARTYNEXTDOOR, @_angelomarasigan.
• White Tee – Summer Walker & NO1-NOAH, @erinvholland.
• NASTY – Russ, @rachevren.
• girls like me don’t cry (sped up) – thuy, @zaraliang.
• Open Arms (feat. Travis Scott) – SZA, @cleanwithnessa.
• Makeba – Jain, @tomharrisfootball.

Around the world

• “Cupid – Twin Ver – Sped Up Version” – FIFTY FIFTY.
• “If We Ever Broke Up” – Mae Stephens.
• “Collide (more sped up)” – Justine Skye.
• “What It Is – Solo Version” – Doechii.
• “มองนานๆ” – FLI:P.
• “La Bebe (Remix)” – Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma.
• “LALA” – Myke Towers.”girls like me don’t cry (sped up)” – thuy.
• “TQG” – KAROL G & Shakira.
• “Makeba” – Jain.

Every day, a star is born on TikTok. This year, we were entertained and inspired by an entire galaxy of creators, who remain the beating heart of our platform. From recently crowned 2023 TikTok Creator of the Year Indy Clinton and her fellow nominees Angelo Marasigan and Tom Forrest (Outback Tom); here are the breakthrough creators who made it on and beyond TikTok in 2023.

Australia

• @_angelomarasigan – Famous for entertaining parodies and Kardashian impersonations… bible.
• @indyclinton – TikTok Creator of the Year 2023, chaotic queen and young mum sharing her relatable family antics.
• @outbacktom – Behold the journalist extraordinaire, musical prodigy, and thanks to his Outback Grandad’s help, an Aussie guide and chef.
• @andy_cooks – Chef extraordinaire and author, sharing restaurant-quality recipes for aspiring at-home cooks.
• @sophadophaa – Australia’s ‘it girl’ and Gen Z style icon making waves with her new brand, ‘All for Mimi’.
• @biteswithlily – Your go-to food guide, revealing top eats from fine dining to convenience store snacks – you’ll never wonder where to eat again.

Around the world

• @sabrinabahsoon: The iconic Tube Girl, aka Sabrina Bahsoon, has transcended the globe with her London Underground-inspired aesthetic.
• @chefmaxmariola: Chef Max transforms each culinary creation into an entertaining show, such as his recipe for a Gricia—give it a try to witness the magic!
• Iimeeto: Known as one of the best comedy creators in the Middle East, Mohammed Shami is famous for his hilarious and relatable family-inspired skits.
• @mygoldenpartner: Pluto, a cute 5-year old border collie, makes everyone smile with their quick ability to pick up new tricks, overseas adventures, and exciting experiences with other furry friends.
• @boakeadamsson: Bo Åke is a 82-year-old Swedish painter, sculptor and graphic artist, who was convinced by his son Carl to join TikTok and now inspires almost a million followers as he showcases his art everyday.

TikTok is a musical playground where artists and songwriters come together to propel tracks and trends at the speed of culture. Australian artists topped the charts, including global superstar Troye Sivan, Aussie’s favourite popstar / pixie and Music Creator of the Year 2023 Peach PRC, and our resident ‘Free Broccoli’ king Go-Jo. Here are the most popular artists whose songs took over our ears and For You feeds in 2023.

Australia

• @troyesivan set fire to the Aussie music charts with Rush (21.2K videos made) and One Of Your Girls (55K videos made).
• @oxlee and Kayla are the dynamic sibling duo you didn’t know you needed! They collaborate on trending songs, like YOU.
• @hannahbahng’s debut Perfect Blues MV (4M VV) and follow-up OLeander (2.2M VV) has left her 4.5 followers wanting more.
• @timmytrumpet stole the show at 2023 Tomorrowland, blending his trumpet magic with John Summit & Hayla’s hit EDM song Where You Are.
• @deanlewis, the self-proclaimed “sad song king”, pleasantly surprised fans outside a theatre with an acoustic rendition of Trust Me Mate.
• @heyimgojo turns streets into stages, with his viral live performances. If you’re ever stopped by him, be prepared to sing his hit song Mrs Hollywood (15.4K videos made).
• @peachprc is Australia’s very own “manic dream pixie”, delivering the bubblegum pink vibes which won her Music Creator of the Year 2023
• @melroseavenue_ , punk rock sensation, gained a loyal TikTok following of 1.7M with iconic covers of popular songs. Now, fans stream and sing along to his original single Suffering (290K VV).
• @cultshotta – Western Sydney’s rap duo, childhood friends Rapper E11even and Hypeman Lil Golo, keep things colourful and prove that being unique pays off.
• @shirinaholmatova1 has serenaded over 5.6M viewers via TikTok LIVE, with an astounding 275 hours of melodious busking.

Around the world

• Kim Loaiza (@kimberly.loaiza): Mexican singer Kim Loaiza holds onto the crown for the most-viewed artist globally on TikTok for 2023, now boasting over 80 million followers on the platform.
• Selena Gomez (@selenagomez): Pop princess and songwriter Selena Gomez is a TikTok favourite with 59.3 million followers. The artist regularly shares day in the life and makeup content with the community.
• BLACKPINK (bp_tiktok): Leading the way as #KPop reaches 477 billion views on TikTok is BLACKPINK. With 47.1 million followers and a catalogue of viral sounds, BLACKPINK has built a community of die-hard fans on platform.
• BTS (bts_official_bighit): An incredible year for K-Pop superstars BTS who became the first artists to use TikTok’s ‘New Release’ feature as their BTS anniversary challenge reached 400 million views in a week.
• Feid (ferxxo444): The community has been in their ‘Feid era’ in 2023. From scoring his first entry on Billboard Hot 100 Chart earlier this year, Feid has climbed to #5 artist globally on TikTok with 13.1 million followers.
• ENHYPEN (@enhypen): Fast-rising K-Pop group ENHYPEN debut on the Global Hitmakers list at #6 having wowed audiences on and off platform, including an iconic recent performance on Good Morning America.
• KAROL G (@karolg): Latin Grammy award winning Columbian star Karol G is loved by the TikTok community with ‘Qlona’, her collaboration with Peso Pluma featuring in 1 million TikTok videos.
• LE SSERAFIM (@le_sserafim): Another debut entry for a K-Pop group, LE SSERAFIM has been making waves on platform, with 8.3 million followers and trending songs ‘Perfect Night’ and ‘ANTIFRAGILE’ proving popular with the community.
• NewJeans (@newjeans_official): Known for their captivating dance skills, NewJeans have caught fire on TikTok this year, with over 10 million followers leading them to become the fastest K-pop act ever to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify.
• Shakira (shakira): Queen of Latin music, Shakira took over playlists this year with her hit single ‘BZRP Music Sessions, Vol 53’ which racked up over 4.4 million video creations in app, with appearances from her and her dance team.

TikTok is a place where you can start small, but think – and achieve – big. No one knows this better than our small business owners who truly felt the positive impact of our community in 2023. Thanks to trending hashtags like #SMB and #SmallBusiness, we discovered local Australian booming businesses like Fayt The Label, Sarah Jade Hair (TikTok Business of the Year 2023) and QCamel – a busy, working farm which is home to 110 camels. Here are some of the most beloved small businesses that inspired us in 2023.

Australia

• @dimsimlim – Move over Belfort, this is the real ‘Wolf of Wok Street’.
• @yasminbrisbane – Did you know camels respond to their own names?!
• @sarahemiliaofficial – These transformations will have you calling your hairdresser and demanding a refund. Based near Bondi? Treat your hair to a trip to TikTok’s Business of the Year 2023.
• @brittney_saunders – From influencer to CEO, meet the beauty (and brains) behind your favourite brands.
• @timthelawnmowerman – The grass is always greener… if Tim pays a visit. This generous firefighter provides free ‘Random Acts of Mowing’ to those who need a helping hand within the Aussie community.

Around the world

• @pluck_and_plant: Pluck and Plant, a bistro in Ikejiri-Ohashi that was losing ¥1 million every month, quadrupled its sales in just three months after using TikTok. The company won an award in the gourmet food category at the TikTok Trend Awards 2023.
• @lazy_butt_club: San Diego-based Lazy Butt Club is run by father-son duo Michael and Daniel Jay. With the help of TikTok Shop and a few viral videos, the father and son team grew their business and sold thousands of their t-shirts featuring their iconic lounging, lazy characters.
• @newmartina: Carmen Fiorito aka New Martina is known as the cell phone cover queen, who has turned her everyday job focused on mobile phone decorations into a thriving business.
• @timthelawnmowerman: The grass is always greener… if Tim pays a visit. This generous firefighter provides free ‘Random Acts of Mowing’ to those who need a helping hand within the Aussie community.
• @isma_rugs: Ismael is an artist from Oaxaca, creator of amazing handmade rugs.

With so much educational content, we learn while we scroll on TikTok! In 2023, #BookTok taught us that reading is cool again, #CleanTok showed us the most helpful household hacks. In Australia, we learned that Aussies definitely appreciate a handy kitchen hack and that the plant parents among us won’t look past a good growth tip either. Discover the most popular trends, tricks and how-to’s that made our lives even better in 2023.

Australia

• @katclark – No clip needed! Kat Clark teaches us a new way to close those pesky frozen bags.
• @askellenbeauty – All the tips for getting red carpet ready!
• @supercars – Let’s take a lap of Mount Panorama, and learn some fun facts on the way.
• @brad – How to supersize your Pilea plant, from the expert!
• @joshandmattdesign – Everyone’s favourite design duo shares tips on how to design the perfect backyard.
• @heykatzam – Travel without travelling, as Kat Zam takes us on an educational trip to a Miniature village in Canberra.

Around the world

• @mrbeandamatematica: Rafael Bastos aka Mr Bean da Matemática shows us a trick to make division much easier!
• @james.bok: Canadian creator James Bok captured global attention with a revelation that resonated with practically everyone: the art of selecting the perfect watermelon, a foolproof hack to fruit selection.
• @rijksmuseum: In a video created by the Dutch national museum in Amsterdam, The Milkmaid, a 17th century painting by Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer, is brought to life and explained from an artist’s perspective.
• @patriciafedz: Patricia Fernández is a Spanish creator whose pop culture, history and literature mashup videos provide an endless source of entertainment for her fans.
• @jack.designs: Jack Callaghan shares handy #CleanTok hacks along with other cleaning and household wellbeing tips.

This year, the TikTok community continued to bring their creativity to life and push the boundaries of self-expression through a diverse array of community effects, sounds, filters and more, with over 25 billion videos created using community effects to date. In Australia, we kept close to the CommBank Matilda’s during their time competing for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, engaging directly with our favourite players who have since been named TikTok Sports Creator of the Year! Here are the most popular trends made possible by unique features – and our creativity – in 2023.

Australia

• Winners of Sports Creator of the Year 2023, the @matildas took TikTok by storm this year during the FIFA World Cup. They answered fan questions via their #AskMatildas series.

• Hilarious brother duo @lukeandsassyscott use the ‘Initial’ creative effect to take part in a fun challenge in their backyard.

• POV: Your guilty pleasure is illegal – @elleray__ uses the viral Cayo la Ley effect to show us what happens next.

• @scottoscotto lets this creative effect reveal his beige flags.. Hey bestie!

• Heartbreak High star @chloeshayden describes her ‘red flags’, using the soundboard creative effect for fun, dramatic flair!

Around the world

• Red, green and beige flags (8.5b views): This trio of filters created by Laura Gouillon helped creators identify the best, worst, and slightly annoying aspects of their and their loved ones’ personalities – the signals one can’t ignore.

• #WesAnderson (2.7b views): From the composition, to the colour grading, music and editing, Wes Anderson’s iconic movies inspired creators’ inner Hollywood auteur.

• 0 Aged filter (800m views): This filter allowed creators to turn the clock forward, giving them a hilarious and heartwarming glimpse at what they could look like in a few decades’ time.

• AI Style (615m views): The AI style filter inspired creators to cartoonify themselves, adding a creative twist to their videos.

• The Sim Simma Challenge (25m views): Inspired by a decades-old dancehall hit, this global phenomenon was embraced by creators around the world, including The Kardashians, Ciara, and in this case, The Toronto Argos, a Canadian football team.

TikTok brings fans together to celebrate their shared love of sports, music, entertainment, gaming, fashion – and even Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce(!). Whether it’s an interest in reading, gaming, music, sports or food, there is no shortage of communities building authentic connections around the world. In Australia, #MumsOfTikTok and #WomenInSports grew in popularity. In fact, #WomenInSports has amassed 3 billion views globally and 78 million views in Australia over the past three years, and the Matilda’s World Cup campaign was so successful that it generated 66.1 million video views and over 5 million engagements.

Australia

• @theshamelessbookclub – You can count on #BookTok for your next reading recommendation.

• @aimeemassie – 2023 was the year for #WomenInSports, and we can’t get enough!

• @craphousewife – Parenting can be a challenge at times, but sharing is caring – so we love to see the #MumsOfTikTok sharing their tips.

• @reapz316 – #GamingOnTikTok brings gamers together to share their reactions, tips and experiences.

• @tom.smallwood – Delicious recipe inspiration for your next feed on #FoodTok.

• @old_mervs – Looking to discover new music? Check out #newmusic to hear from artists of all genres.

(Source: TikTok)

(Image: Troye Sivan)