Boyz II Men, The Verve, And The Police: Currently Trending Songs

What songs are currently trending online? Well, the path to virality, chart domination, and social media hits is no longer reserved for new, popular songs. The industry has seen an uptick in renewed interest around classic tracks that re-emerge in pop culture thanks to social media, soundtrack syncs, and commercial placements, and sometimes purely by chance. Look no further than the time a man went cruising on his longboard listening to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” This column will break down all of the older songs that are trending again (and explain why they became popular one more time).

December 18

Boyz II Men – On Bended Knee

In 1994, Boyz II Men’s “On Bended Knee” completed a rare feat, with the single replacing the group’s previous chart-topper “I’ll Make Love To You” in the No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the first time an act had replaced itself at No.1 since The Beatles in 1964. The song, which was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, stayed in the top spot for six non-consecutive weeks, its tale of a man pleading with his ex to come back to him striking a chord with the public. The track is experiencing a resurgence thanks to two trends on TikTok. The first sees friends try and hold another person back as they lip sync the lyrics, with Boyz II Men’s Wanya Morris and comedians King Bach and Jo Koy taking part in it recently. The second, meanwhile, sees creators lip-sync a key part of the song in response to situations they explain in the text on the screen.

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Boyz II Men - On Bended Knee

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December 11

The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony

Since its release in 1997, The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” has become one of the defining songs of the Britpop age. Based on a sample of an orchestral version of The Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time,” it combined creative reinvention with an anthemic chorus and a whole lot of swagger. After receiving great acclaim at the time, it has only grown in stature, frequently named on ‘Greatest Songs Of All Time’ lists, including Rolling Stone’s 2015 Best Britpop Songs ranking, on which it finished third. It is experiencing a resurgence after appearing in Amazon Prime’s TV adaptation of Cruel Intentions – a callback to its use in the 1999 film’s final scene. It is also the focus of a growing trend on TikTok in which creators use the lyric “I’m a million different people from one day to the next” to highlight the evolutions of actors and characters over the years.

The Police – Every Breath You Take

In 1983, The Police released a beast – “Every Breath You Take,” the song that would become their biggest track ever. Frontman Sting wrote it in the middle of the night and said in a 1993 interview with the Independent he “didn’t realize how sinister it is” at first. The song promises to “be watching” a lover with “every breath you take/And every move you make.” It is trending on social media following Sting’s appearance on NBC’s The Voice, during which he played bass for the Top Eight artists as they performed some of his most beloved songs. It is also central to two current TikTok trends – one in which creators share sad quotes about their breakups and another that uses images of Paul Mescal, Phoebe Bridgers and Daisy Edgar-Jones to highlight what people have versus what they want.

December 4

The-Dream – Rockin’ That S__t

“Rockin’ That S__t” led The-Dream’s second studio album, Love vs. Money, in 2008, bringing early success to the record. It peaked at No.22 on the Billboard Hot 100, scoring Top 10 placements on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rhythmic charts, too. Now, it is at the center of two trends on TikTok – one in which users dance to the track to show what they would do for different items, and a festive variation based around holiday gifts.

Big Boogie – Pop Out

“Pop Out” featured on Big Boogie’s 2022 album UnderRated (Deluxe) and found the rapper detailing a tryst with a lady. It is experiencing a resurgence on TikTok as part of a dance trend performed in pairs.

Louis Prima – Pennies From Heaven

Penned in 1936 by Arthur Johnston and Johnny Burke, “Pennies From Heaven” has been recorded by numerous stars over the decades, including Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Billie Holiday. Louis Prima’s version was released in 1957 and appeared on his collaborative album with Keely Smith, The Call Of The Wildest. It later featured in the movie Elf and is trending on social media as the holidays approach once again.

November 27

Alessia Cara – Here

Alessia Cara emerged in 2015 with her debut single “Here,” immediately garnering interest for its combination of soulful and lethargic sounds, and relatable lyrics about social anxiety. The song detailed an experience at a house party where the Canadian singer-songwriter could only think about how much she wanted to leave, and it became a sleeper hit, climbing to the top of the Billboard Pop Songs chart over a stretch of 26 weeks.

November 20

Nelly Furtado – I’m Like A Bird

Nelly Furtado’s “I’m Like A Bird” might be a noughties pop classic now, but on its first release, it took a while to reach the huge levels of success it has since found. The slow-burning track was released in September 2000, but it wasn’t until the next year that it found international acclaim, hitting the top spot in Portugal and reaching the upper echelons of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S. The track is currently experiencing a resurgence, thanks to it being featured in the seventh episode of Prime Video’s new original series, Cross, and a new TikTok trend in which people share situations that make them feel free.

LPB Poody – Batman

West Orlando rapper LPB Poody first rose to fame in 2019, before signing a deal with Chameleon Entertainment and Interscope Records. In 2021, he released his third single under the deal, “Batman,” in which he told a potential partner: “No, I can’t be your Batman ‘cause I be robbin’.” Four months after its initial release, a remix was shared, featuring Lil Wayne and Moneybagg Yo. The track is trending on TikTok as part of a trend dubbed “women in male fields” that sees women treat men like men treat women.

Listen to all the best viral tracks on TikTok on Apple Music and Spotify.