Tik-Tok as a social media platform has become a dominant outlet for creating trends of all kinds. From fashion to food trends, people of all ages turn to the app for inspiration.
Another area Tik-Tok is making its impact is music trends. In Becky Hipsons article “Tik Toks Jukebox: how the platform revives older music,” Hipson says, “One undeniable aspect of tik tok is its ability to resurrect older music for younger generations.”
While this may seem trivial, this phenomenon has stirred up some controversy. One song that has recently been revived through the platform is Fleetwood Mac’s, “Silver Springs.” This hit from their 1977 Rumours album has gained a whole new generation of listeners. Interestingly enough, young Fleetwood Mac fans, like me, who have loved and appreciated their music before it became a trend, had some things to say.
I recently came across a Tik-Tok that stated, “I mourn for the Fleetwood Mac girls who loved this song since the dawn of time,” she continued to explain that between its use in the television series, The Summer I Turned Pretty and its rise in popularity on Tik-Tok, it will now merely become a trendy song amongst our generation. She further expressed her concern of people thinking, “We like this song because of Tik-Tok.”
As someone who became a Fleetwood Mac fan long before their resurgence of fame, I resorted to reposting this video in agreement. However, after further reflection I took it down from my page.
For as long as I can remember, music has always been a positive outlet for me. I enjoy discovering new artists (even if they’re older artists, they could still be new to me).
Music in my experience is not only a source of entertainment, but also a way to connect and form bonds with people. An article from Psychology Today, “How Music Brings People Together” by Shahram Heshmat, explained, “Music is a powerful tool that can bring individuals together and promote trust, empathy, and relief from stress.”
Despite initially agreeing with the post, I now recognize that Tik-Tok illuminates the purpose of music. It is meant to be appreciated by everyone who is willing to listen and for bringing people together.
Junior marketing student, Kylie Schadt, elaborated, “The trends of old music on Tik-Tok has exposed me to so many different kinds of music that I would normally never listen to.”
Tik-Toks that spread negativity in this way could prevent people from looking outside of their usual music taste and from discovering something they might really enjoy. With that being said, I do still find myself relating to the distaste of having people think I formed my own music taste from Tik-Tok or a cringey television show like The Summer I Turned Pretty.
When younger generations have an appreciation for older music that ends up repopularizing, their initial instinct is to want to “gatekeep” to preserve their unique style. “Gatekeep’’ is a term that means an individual will limit or withhold something they find valuable, in this case, a musical artists or song, in an attempt to stop it from becoming popularized or trendy. This is done to prevent seeming basic for following the mainstream.
Although it was a difficult task, I overcame this after reading some of the comments left on the video. Many of them were messages from people of an older generation stating things like, “I love and embrace the younger generations cascading into the wonders of this band” or “I’m glad a new generation is appreciating our girl Stevie.” With this, I was able to realize how beautiful it is that decades later Fleetwood Mac’s music is continuing to touch and connect with people.
Furthermore, music will only continue to bring people together. There are many people who feel that they connect with certain bands or artists on deeper levels than others. Nevertheless, everyone should still be allowed to listen to and appreciate whatever kind of music they want without being under scrutiny.
Junior communications student, Lily Cleary, said, “It feels like you create an automatic bond with someone who shares the same music taste as you no matter how popular or unpopular it may be.”
Ultimately, certain music will stand the test of time and resonate with a whole new generation of listeners. Whether you discovered that music on your own or through a trendy post, everyone deserves to listen and appreciate it.
