By Kemet High, Michelle Hyun Kim, Vrinda Jagota, Jaelani Turner-Williams, and Leah Mandel of Third Bridge Creative

This week’s Trending Tracks report examines a viral rap song, a summery electric tune from a teen, a romantic 90's indie throwback, a feel-good R&B anthem, and a TikTok hit from a soft-rock sibling quartet.

Tee Grizzley and Skilla Baby: “Gorgeous”

Chartmetric Track Score: 84
Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
Country: U.S.

Skilla Baby, a new voice in Detroit’s rap scene, and Tee Grizzley, a seasoned vet in the city, are the duo behind the energetic track, “Gorgeous.” The song, released in late April and housed on their collaborative project Controversy, pairs The Motor City’s grungy production patterns with luxurious lyrics. In July, the City Girls added their high-rolling attitudes to the record, and together the remix has been used in over 133k posts on TikTok. The tracks have also done well on streaming services like Spotify, racking up over 5.5 million combined streams and editorial support on playlists like Out The Mud and No Cap.

juju<3: “Wasted Summers”

Chartmetric Artist Rank: 719
Genre: Pop
Country: U.S.

When Californian teenager juju<3 posted a TikTok preview of his song “Wasted Summers,” on July 12, it immediately reminded listeners of the 2017 film The Florida Project — mainly because the track featured vocals from his kid sister, who seemed to be around the age of the film’s lead character Moonee. Welcoming comparisons to Alex G and Current Joys, the wonky electronic indie rock track started to blow up on the platform as “the Florida Project song,” with the first preview video alone gaining 9.6 million views. Proving the power of association with a film that evokes childhood nostalgia, the song has gained 171k TikTok videos — almost doubling in the last week — and 9.43 million Spotify streams, shooting it to the top of Viral 50 - Global Spotify charts.

The Cardigans: “Lovefool”

Chartmetric Artist Rank: 1,659
Genre: Pop
Country: Sweden

Since its release in 1996, the dramatic yearning of The Cardigans’ “Lovefool” has enchanted everyone from film director Baz Luhrmann, who featured the song in his version of Romeo + Juliet, to Justin Bieber, who interpolated it in his song “Love Me.” The song masks singer Nina Elisabet Persson’s latent anxiety and heartache in a buoyant mix of bossa nova, and disco, making it a perfect TikTok sound. Users on the platform keep returning to it, whether showing off their outfits or making fan edits. Since July 26, the song has been used in thousands of TikTok posts due to a new trend where people joke about playing gory video games while listening to upbeat music. "Step on Me," another popular track on TikTok, is boosting The Cardigans' profile too: their Chartmetric Artist Score has increased by 8.6% since the start of the month, bringing them up 185 spots in the Chartmetric Artist Rankings.

Victoria Monét: “On My Mama”

Chartmetric Artist Rank: 1,712
Genre: R&B/Soul
Country: U.S.

R&B and pop singer-songwriter Victoria Monét is stepping out of the shadow of her previous writing credits for acts like Ariana Grande, BLACKPINK, and Chloe x Halle. The Sacramento-raised artist first teased her latest single, "On My Mama," during the finale of Spotify’s inaugural R&B First Nights in Los Angeles earlier this year. Officially released on June 16, the track has become her highest-charting hit yet, debuting at No. 16 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart. "On My Mama" is a recipe for success: sampling Chalie Boy’s 2009 breakout hit “I Look Good,” Monét offers feel-good affirmations over marching band-esque production, with a music video referencing Y2K style, Southern culture, and intricate choreography. The single is a clear summertime anthem earning placements in 28.1k TikTok posts and 3.9 million YouTube views.

Infinity Song: “Hater’s Anthem”

Chartmetric Artist Rank: 16,553
Genre: Alternative
Country: U.S.

Abraham, Angel, Israel, and Momo are the self-described “soft-rock sibling band” that make up Infinity Song. The group has been a fixture of the public music scene in New York City for almost a decade, most notably performing in subways and frequently at Central Park. In 2016, Jay Z signed them to Roc Nation. Since releasing a snippet of their track “Hater’s Anthem” two months ago, the sunny soundbite of them singing "I love the way it feels to be a hater" went viral. Their On July 20, a post of the song racked up 3.5 million views, and another on August 2nd earned 4.9 million views. "Hater's Anthem" (out August 25) has heightened the group's reach, landing them in Chartmetric's top 4k Alternative artists prior to the track’s official release.

Graphics by Nicki Camberg; data as of Aug. 25, 2023.

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