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 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 Singapore, our journey unfolded through shared experiences with friends and family, as we indulged in the best of food, fashion and edutainment.

“Year on TikTok 2023 is a way for us to honor some of the standout moments that have happened on TikTok throughout the year. It’s a window into stories that have inspired, entertained and educated over 1 billion people around the world. Thank you for another year of bringing joy to our community and sharing your creativity with us,” said Adam Presser, Head of Operations, TikTok.

“As we celebrate the unforgettable trends, creators and moments that defined the year globally and in Singapore, we hope for our community to continue to discover new things, be inspired and experience joy on our platform,” said Doreen Tan, Creator Community and Content Partnerships Lead at TikTok Singapore.

Join us for a stroll down memory lane, looking back on an incredible year that saw us learning, laughing, inspiring, imagining, entertaining and exploring – as we scroll back to this year’s most memorable trends, creators 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 mesmerized by Dollievision’s makeup routine, that Capybara song and the brilliance of sheep dogs – so many good memories, you can almost hear it! In Singapore, we took time out of our busy schedules to capture gorgeous sunsets—the hobby of 2023 that’s been elevated thanks to Yik Keat (@YK)’s vision and guidance. Keep on reading to discover the most popular videos and trends that had everyone saying, ‘have you seen that TikTok about…?’ this year.

Singapore

• @dharnimusic: Hoping for even half the beatboxing talent of Dharni and her friends!
• @doctortristanpeh: You’ve heard of the pen pineapple apple pen, but have you heard of the candy pen?
• @jazephua: 2023 is the year of Capybara fever
• @yk: Elevate your sunset photo skills with insights from the camera maestro
• @farahlola: The comedic take you didn’t know you needed

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 6:00 am.

From catchy pop tunes to comeback tracks, TikTok artists gave us the soundtrack of 2023. This year, our most popular song was “Cupid – Twin Ver – Sped Up Version” by FIFTY FIFTY. Capitalizing 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 and outfit picks to CapCut memes, which have been hugely popular this year. The trends drove millions of streams, resulting in the first Billboard 100 entry for the K-pop girl group. Turn up the volume and check out TikTok’s most popular songs of the year.

Mae Stephens (maestephens_), whose hit “If We Ever Broke Up” landed #2 on this year’s list of most popular songs on TikTok globally, was able to quit her supermarket job this year to make music full-time.“I have TikTok to thank for giving me the chance to achieve my childhood’s wildest aspiration! The platform is incredible for growth – growing from a few followers to get high exposure was such a quick switch – I went from working in a supermarket to living my dream! Push and work for what you want – everyone has a chance to succeed on TikTok,” she said.

Singapore

• “C’est la vie” – Khaled: Algerian rai singer Khaled’s hit “C’est La Vie” has unofficially become the anthem for all things soccer-related, amassing 323.2K videos on the platform.

• “Cupid – Twin Ver. – Sped Up Version” – FIFTY FIFTY: With over 20 million creations, “Cupid – Twin Ver” by K-Pop group FIFTY FIFTY is the biggest song on TikTok in 2023. Capitalizing on the TikTok audience’s affinity for sped-up songs, this version of “Cupid” was popular across the board as a backing track to food tutorials to outfit fit picks.

• “Eyes Closed” – Ed Sheeran: Having previewed ‘Eyes Closed’ exclusively on TikTok, Ed Sheeran’s first single to his album Subtract saw massive success on the platform, hailing 1 million creations with his song globally.

• “California (feat. Jackson Wang & Warren Hue) [Remix]” – 88rising & Rich Brian & NIKI: Jackson Wang breathes new life into the ‘Head In The Clouds 3’ single with a downbeat verse, making a guest appearance that took TikTok into a frenzy.

• “What It Is – Solo Version” – Doechii: With an insatiable hook derived from an interpolation of Trillville’s “Some Cut” (a TikTok hit in its own right), in 2023 Doechii builds on her previous TikTok successes and breaks out into the mainstream with “What It Is,” earning her first Billboard Hot 100 chart appearance, as well as a spot opening for Beyonce’s Renassiance Tour.

• “มองนานๆ” – FLI:P: A T-Pop phenomenon breaks through and achieves one of the most popular songs globally on TikTok in 2023 with “มองนานๆ,” which translates roughly to “Look For A Long Time,” by FLI:P. The group, consisting of three members Winnie the Pooh, Belle, and Meiji, are known for their dance moves, the very element that made the song so popular on TikTok across the globe.

• “Broken Angel (feat. Helena)” – Arash: Proving to be a tastemaker once again this year, the 15-year-old song Broken Angel by Arash featuring Helena has made its way to the top of Singapore’s charts, catapulting the Iranian-Swedish singer to the spotlight.

• “It’s a Beautiful Day” – Evan McHugh: “It’s a Beautiful Day” by Evan McHugh has made a resurgence after a decade since its release, as TikTok users in the region take this song as a backdrop for their happiest moments in 2023.

• “girls like me don’t cry (sped up)” – thuy: Vietnamese-American thuy’s break up anthem “girls like me don’t cry” hit TikTok and became an instant success, but it was the sped up version of the track that became synonymous with everything from DIY and makeup tutorials.

• “FLOWER” – JISOO: It’s no surprise that BLACKPINK’s Jisoo is consistently setting records on major music platforms, but she takes the cake this year with “Flower” garnering 10B views on TikTok, making it the most viewed song by a Korean soloist on TikTok.

Around the world

• “Cupid – Twin Ver – Sped Up Version” – FIFTY FIFTY: With over 20 million creations, “Cupid – Twin Ver” by K-Pop group FIFTY FIFTY is the biggest song on TikTok in 2023. Capitalizing on the TikTok audience’s affinity for sped-up songs, this version of “Cupid” was popular across the board as a backing track to food tutorials to outfit fit picks.

• “If We Ever Broke Up” – Mae Stephens: Mae Stephens was working in a supermarket when she posted a 15-second clip of “If We Ever Broke Up” that went completely viral, earning her a record deal through EMI. The track, which has become a break-up anthem for TikTok’s broken hearted, went on to be used in over 15 million videos, making it the second-most popular song on TikTok in 2023.

• “Collide (more sped up)” – Justine Skye: TikTok continues to demonstrate its power to breathe new life into older music releases with Justin Skye’s “Collide.” Originally recorded in 2014, when a sped-up version of the track became an earworm popular among every type of TikTok creator imaginable, it soared to over 13 million creations on TikTok and made Skye an RIAA Gold-Certified artist, and earned her a late night appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

• “What It Is – Solo Version” – Doechii: With an insatiable hook derived from an interpolation of Trillville’s “Some Cut” (a TikTok hit in its own right), in 2023 Doechii builds on her previous TikTok successes and breaks out into the mainstream with “What It Is,” earning her first Billboard Hot 100 chart appearance, as well as a spot opening for Beyonce’s Renassiance Tour.

• “มองนานๆ” – FLI:P: A T-Pop phenomenon breaks through and achieves one of the most popular songs globally on TikTok in 2023 with “มองนานๆ,” which translates roughly to “Look For A Long Time,” by FLI:P. The group, consisting of three members Winnie the Pooh, Belle, and Meiji, are known for their dance moves, the very element that made the song so popular on TikTok across the globe.

• “La Bebe (Remix)” – Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma: TikTok was instrumental in helping Mexico’s Peso Pluma become one of the biggest worldwide breakout stars of 2023, where “La Bebe (Remix)” feat Yng Lvcas earned millions of creations worldwide, becoming the most popular of the many tracks by Pluma to trend across the globe this year.

• “LALA” – Myke Towers: Becoming one of the biggest tracks ever from Puerto Rico’s Myke Towers, “LALA” cracked the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to its popularity on the platform. The trend was heavily promoted by Towers himself, who frequently shared clips on the road throughout his big year.

• “girls like me don’t cry (sped up)” – thuy: Vietnamese-American thuy’s break up anthem “girls like me don’t cry” hit TikTok and became an instant success, but it was the sped up version of the track that became synonymous with everything from DIY and makeup tutorials.

• “TQG” – KAROL G & Shakira: Featuring two of the top 10 biggest global artists on TikTok, it’s no wonder that “TQG,” which became an instant hit among TikTok users due to its culturally-relevant lyrics, and in turn, one of the top 10 most popular songs worldwide on TikTok in 2023.

• “Makeba” – Jain: Breathing life into songs from the past is TikTok’s special, but thanks primarily to a CapCut filter featuring comedian actor Bill Hader, “Makeba” by French singer-songwriter Jain rose to new heights in 2023, becoming a global top 10.

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 the iconic #TubeGirl aka Sabrina Bahsoon (@sabrinabahsoon) to a cute border collie named Pluto and Singapore’s comedy maestro, Syafiqah (@syapls), here are the breakthrough creators, celebrities and artists who made it on and beyond TikTok in 2023.

Singapore

• @syapls: Well known as that funny hoodie girl with a pikachu glasses online, Sya is your go-to creator for entertaining skits and hilarious Singaporean content.

• @midiforreal: Our internet mom and go-to source for invaluable parenting tips, tantalizing cooking showcases and refreshingly real relationship advice.

• @enrui_t: Often described by his friends as Jekyll and Hyde, En Rui leads 2 distinctive lives as both a Lawyer and Fashion Content Creator.

• @supercatkei: Sharing slices of her vibrant lifestyle, Denise is your ultimate gaming guru.

• @orchardroadfashion: A passion driven initiative, Orchard Road Fashion is dedicated to spotlighting local and unique fashion styles of streetgoers along Orchard Road.

• @thepantryboy: King of #easyrecipes in Singapore, The Pantry Boy has become a household name for yummy and aesthetic food recipes for home cooks to try.

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. In 2023, we had Selena Gomez (@selenagomez), BTS (@bts_official_bighit), and Kim Loaiza (@kimberly.loaiza) on repeat and repeat. These artists topped the charts, including some from our very own community like Benjamin Kheng (@benjaminkheng) and Sezairi (@sadboysezzles). Here are the most popular artists whose songs took over our ears and For You feeds in 2023.

Singapore

• DJ WUKONG (@wukongofficial) – Deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture, WUKONG has a bigger goal of promoting Chinese culture and values to the world, and prides himself on being a new breed of performer.

• Josh Makazo (@joshmakazo) – Josh Makazo is a singer-songwriter and producer who recently went viral with his song “half of my heart,” amassing 5.3 million views on TikTok.

• Benjamin Kheng (@benjaminkheng) – The Sam Willows’ Benjamin Kheng is a Singaporean musician, actor and content creator on TikTok with over 400K followers on the platform. Apart from his extensive discography, Benjamin is also known for his ‘One-Man Choir’ series on TikTok, where he adds choirs to popular songs.

• Daniel Sid (@danielsiddy) – Some may know 28-year-old Daniel Sid as a comedian and the king of turning emo bands Singaporean on TikTok. The rising singer-songwriter has come a long way since paving his music career as a street busker.

• Glenn Yong (@glennyqh) – Glenn is a Singaporean actor and singer. He has amassed over 400 thousand followers on the platform, and regularly shares content surrounding his daily life.

• Sezairi (@sadboysezzles) – Sezairi is a Singaporean musician and singer-songwriter who rose to prominence after winning the third season of Singapore Idol in 2009. Sezairi released his newest album ‘Self Soothing’ recently, and tapped on various TikTok features as part of the album promotion.

• Tyen Rasif (@tyenrasif) – Tyen is a personal trainer, singer-songwriter and internet personality. Her content on TikTok revolves around her love for music and fitness.

• Iman Fandi (@imanfandi) – Iman Fandi is a Singaporean model and singer-songwriter, signed to Universal Music Singapore.

• Annette Lee (@annetteandafish) – Annette Rochelle Lee is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, scriptwriter and YouTube personality. She is known for her short video series on social media such as #ChatsWithChantelle and #AsianParentTings.

• Joie Tan (@joiebaoz) – Joie Tan is a singer, songwriter and content creator in Singapore. Joie released her debut album in 2018, and cites her parents as the inspiration behind her love for music.

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, #SmallBusiness, #TikTokShop, #SingaporeSmallBusiness and #SupportLocalSg, we discovered a dad’s t-shirt designs from the 80s and 90s and free lawn mower service to Sydney locals by the one and only Tim Parker. Closer to home, we have local businesses like a luxurious furniture store owned by two brothers and some of the best feminine hygiene products on the market. Here are some of the most beloved small businesses that inspired us in 2023.

Singapore

• @tablematterssg: Founded in 2019, Singapore-business Table Matters sells a diverse range of tableware designs that are made with high-quality ceramic certified for safe use under international standardisation. With intricate designs and something for everyone, the brand is well loved by many households.

• @blessbrothers: Founded in Singapore with over 12 years of export experience, Bless Brothers is recognised for bringing the latest luxurious furniture designs at affordable prices.

• @houze.com.sg: Brien Chua founded local home accessory brand HOUZE, to re-examine how they could reduce carbon emissions during the production and shipping process. HOUZE currently sells quality and affordable homeware products.

• @mawarrose.sg: A make-up noob, Hanis discovered Mawarose in 2020 as a makeup hack & was surprised to know there’s MANY WOMEN OUT THERE who also struggle to look presentable fast! Experiencing the pain point first-hand, Hanis decided to bring Mawarose into Singapore to help more women on their self-care journey.

• @arorahproducts: Arorah began when a couple discovered their signature scent. This discovery led to encouragement from their friends and family to embark on entrepreneurship to provide more scents for the market. As a result, Arorah was born- bringing unique and captivating scents to the market.

• @get.blood: Founded in 2014 by husband and wife duo Tan Peck Ying and Caleb Leow, Blood has a mission to provide innovative, high-performance, and body-safe solutions for menstrual health and wellness.

• @tomazsingapore: Tomaz SG is the passion project of a dynamic husband and wife duo. Specialising in Italian leather shoes, luxury bags, watches, and chic blazers, the store embodies the couple’s commitment to timeless elegance.

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, and #CleanTok showed us the most helpful household hacks. In Singapore, school was back in session as we learnt about our climate and wildlife through resident virtual guru Just Keep Thinking (@justkeepthinking). Discover the most popular trends, tricks and how-to’s that made our lives even better in 2023.

Singapore

• @skingapore: Dr. Samuel, a general practitioner, combines his expertise as a public health educator with his role as a medical storyteller, crafting content focused on eye health, skincare, and medical science

• @clara.slays: Clara has grown to be one of SG’s top beauty creators. Known for her honest beauty reviews and impressive makeup skills, she is quick to tap on pop culture trends.

• @jeremytanmagic: Jeremy, a magician and content creator, shares the wonder of magic in his TikTok videos, showcasing his tricks and revealing the secrets behind them, enabling his viewers to replicate the magic themselves

• @happytotshelf: Fynn, the founder of Happy ToT Shelf, is dedicated to assisting parents in nurturing joyful young learners at home by creating informative videos featuring activities that facilitate their development.

• @justkeepthinking: Known for her quirky and candid videos, MJ founded Just Keep Thinking, a Science and Environment channel that educates audiences about topics like wildlife and climate in a fun and interesting manner!

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. This year, we all loved sharing our versions of Girl Dinner, acting like we were in a Wes Anderson film, raising our red, green and beige flags and experimenting with AI portraits. Here are the most popular trends made possible by unique features — and our creativity — in 2023.

Singapore

• @re_chiropractic demonstrated the widely loved AI Portrait effect.

• @ohdione explored the popular Aged filter, predicting one’s appearance in old age.

• @funnypunjabiguy ‘interacted’ with the popular Capybara AR effect.

• @leeshuhadah used the location tagging feature to document her ‘proposal’ in Korea.

• @asingaporeanabroad shared her halal dining experience at a rooftop bar during the Food Fest through location tagging.

• @justkeepthinking utilized the location tagging feature to share her exploration trip to Antarctica.

• @chefbob shared his culinary journey using Photo & Texts on International Chefs Day.

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.

• 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.

In 2023, creators continued to push boundaries, inspiring others to learn something new and advocate for causes they care about. Whether it’s an advocacy for sustainable fashion as seen from VintageWknd (@vintagewknd) or being a Mental Health advocate like Jeannette (@chillbynette), these creators are making a huge difference around the world. Here are the changemakers who are using TikTok to spark good this year.

• @adelimey: Adeline is an inspiring content creator who bravely and authentically shares her journey with alopecia.

• @chillbynette: As a mental health advocate with a master’s degree in counseling, Jeannette shares valuable wellness tips, insights, and advice to empower and support the mental health journeys of all individuals.

• @itsalyssalie: Alyssa intertwines her skills as a singer-songwriter with her role as a mental health advocate, sharing her inspiring journey of overcoming trauma, often touching on Asian-specific experiences
• @chinchilla.vintage: 90% of Nicole’s wardrobe is upcycled, thrifted or reworked fashion. She shares how to style a bold midi skirt upcycled from scarves.

• @vintagewknd: A sustainable fashion label in Singapore, VintageWknd shares how to style their reworked tapestry corsets.

Year on TikTok 2023 is based on internal research and trends analysis conducted from January to October 2023.