15 Hyped Songs On TikTok To Boost Your Vocabulary
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Lately, more and more people confess that one of their learning purposes of English is to understand songs finally. We mean, who hasn't been in a couple of awkward situations singing one of the nasty songs from TikTok in the wrong places? Now we are talking, girl. But God forbid it to happen again.
Watching TikTok is fun till the trending song gets stuck in your head. And if you don't really have a clue what some words from the song mean, the consequences can be catastrophic. Moreover, if you do TikTok yourself, it's your responsibility to understand the song fully. Otherwise, people in the comments can cancel you as a creator if you hop on the trend without checking the song lyrics.
But let's put all the fears aside and talk about the bright side of popular songs on TikTok for English learners. Songs have always been an excellent source of useful vocabulary. And listening to lyrics dozens of times while watching videos on TikTok can help you to memorize new words, phrases, and slang effortlessly. That is why we collected the most popular songs on TikTok and fished the lexicon you may not know but definitely should know there. So please, put your phone away now and jump into reading the article!
Reasons Why We Don't Understand Lyrics in Viral Songs On TikTok
It is completely normal not to be able to get every single word or phrase in an English song! Believe it or not, we are not trying to calm you down or make you feel better here. Songs are a powerful but challenging tool for learning English. Even in your native language, you might not understand 100% of the lyrics because of the music and singing manner of the artist.
There are three most common reasons you don't understand every word or phrase in English songs - overemphasizing vowel sounds over consonant sounds; use of slang, expressions, contractions, and abbreviations; and music interference.
Singers need to play with their voices to make their singing pleasant for our ears. Keeping that in mind, they drag, merge and skip some sounds in words to stick to the rhythm and hit the note. And when they do so, it may worsen the perception of the words in a song, leading to the lyrics' incomprehension.
Another crucial thing can be the lack of modern expressions, slang, abbreviations, and phrasal verbs in your vocabulary. There is no way you know all words and phrases in all English songs. Even native English speakers sometimes wonder what was that when they listened to modern artists` songs.
Your best shot to fix understanding the lyrics of the songs is to learn pronunciation, stay up to date with various words and phrases and listen to one song on repeat till you understand it better than the songwriter.
Trending Songs On TikTok: What They Are Singing About
It is still a mystery how songs get popular in general, but on TikTok especially. Some people claim that there is a formula for writing a song that makes it go viral. Like, songwriters know more and just don't share that with the public. It seems like it may be true.
However, a song has some general requirements to make it trending on TikTok. First, the song should be easy to dance to. A dance challenge is always a good idea. Second, the song should have catchy hooks that make it TikTok-friendly. Third, the song lyrics should be true to life or fun enough to be acted in a scene. So, creators could make different types of videos with one piece of the song.
Speaking of the devil, creating a cool TikTok video or just understanding the content of the creators on the platform needs you to get familiar with vocabulary from the most used songs on TikTok. To do that, we vocabulary list with lexicon from viral TikTok songs of all times.
"Beggin" by Maneskin
"Beggin'" became popular on TikTok after Italian band Maneskin won the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. Of course, it is not the original song of the artists; it is only a cover of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. But it got trending in the band's implementation.
Riding high – to be very successful in something, for instance, in a career.
Easy come and easy go – something that was achieved easily gets lost easily as well.
An empty shell – to be a superficial and hollow person with no depth inside.
A shadow over someone – to ruin a good situation by making someone feel hopeless and disappointed.
To do Devil's dance – to behave immorally and recklessly in a risky manner.
A basement – a place in the building or a private house that is partly or entirely below ground level.
To embrace – to keep something close; to accept something enthusiastically.
A con – a person who tricks someone to get their money or manipulates someone to do what they want.
To fade black – to disappear, to exit, to die.
"Don't" by Ed Sheeran
"Don't" was written in 2014 but went viral only in 2021. The chorus has become a trending sound in all kinds of videos, especially those that show how hot someone is.
To jump in – to get involved in something suddenly, quickly, and unexpectedly.
To reckon – to analyze and make assumptions about something or someone.
To swing by – to visit a place on your way really quickly.
To drink away the days – to drink so much to forget something to the point when you didn't notice that several days passed.
To put on – to start, activate or make something work.
"Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles
"Watermelon Sugar" is a true summer hit of 2021. It became a bit scandalous but won people's hearts because of its theme. As Harry Styles confessed, he sings about female orgasm. On TikTok, the sound is widely used for transition videos and in stitch with another sound, "baby, knew you wanna be mine. "
To go without – to manage love or hold on without something a person usually has.
Watermelon sugar high – the slang word that emphasizes a female orgasm.
"Up" by Cardi B
"Up" is another naughty song from Cardi B. Creators on TikTok use it for lipsync to empower women.
Once upon a time – at some point in the past.
Racks stack up – making money.
Shaq height – refers to the height of the former professional American basketball player Shaquille O'Neal. In the context of the song, the lyrics "Racks stack up Shaq height" means to make a lot of money.
Lit – awesome and astonishing.
Bussing out – in US slang, it means kissing someone.
It's up / it's up, then it's stuck – it means reaching a new level in something, getting popular and talked about.
Capenese – in slang, it is to tell lies.
Gram – a short form from Instagram.
Pink eye – usually is an eye infection that happens in your eyelid, but in slang, it means a vagina.
"Maniac" by Conan Gray
"Maniac" by Conan Gray is used on TikTok for romantic videos of any kind. People ask someone out, show their affection or demonstrate how adorable they are being in love with it.
The alcohol kicked in – to start feeling euphoric, more fun, and relaxed when the alcohol reaches your bloodstream and affects your well-being.
A shovel – a tool with a broad blade and a stick for digging soil or moving snow.
To be trash – a worthless person who often comes from a low-income family and has terrible manners.
A stalker – a person who follows and watches another person with bad intentions.
To wreck – to destroy or completely damage something.
To wipe off – to get rid of something by making it disappear.
"Praise God" by Kanye West
The song "Praise God" intro is used for transition videos on TikTok. It demonstrates before and after someone dresses up.
To flex – to show off.
To get someone pipped – to annoy someone.
A bop – a good song that you enjoy a lot.
An opp – in street slang, it generally means "opposition" or "enemy", but when it is used in a rap song, it refers to a "snitch" or "police informant."
Dawg – a close male friend, the same as the dude.
To praise – to express respect, admiration, and gratitude towards someone.
To go tripping – taking drugs.
Lookout – a person who watches for danger.
Bada bada boom – to let someone know that something was easily completed; a phrase used to highlight what was said before.
To channel – to communicate through a psychic connection or on a spiritual level.
Totting totes – to carry bags by hand.
"Woman", by Doja Cat
"Woman" has its own dancing trend. Along with it, creators use the song to show who is the real woman.
To give tenfold – to be ten times better than someone.
A womb – the organ in the person's body where the baby is carried before birth; the uterus.
To reciprocate – to feel the same way towards someone they feel about you.
To worship – to express the feeling of reverence, to adore someone.
To jiggle – to shake quickly or move from side to side, up and down.
To pit against – to make a person compete against someone.
A tomboy – a girl who behaves manly and is considered boyish.
Divine – gorgeous, God alike.
"Circus" by Britney Spears
This one is an oldie but a goodie. "Circus" by Britney Spears popped out of nowhere on TikTok as one of the trends. The music and lyrics' energy is so powerful that the chorus got used for "dialogue" or "Q&A" types of videos.
A ringleader – a leading person in a group that does something harmful or illegal.
To call the shots – take the situation under your control to decide how something should be done.
To put on a show – to make a scene, scandal, to turn something into a drama.
All eyes are on me – everyone is looking at someone.
To crack a whip – to use your power and authority to make someone do what you need, work harder, or behave better.
To trip – to stumble or fall because of something on your way or under your foot.
To run a tight ship – to firmly and strictly control the work of an organization or people.
A firecracker – a person that is considered to be energetic, creative, and full of ideas.
“Fancy Like”, by Walker Hayes
"Fancy Like" went viral the singer Walker Hayes and his eldest daughter Lela posted a video dancing to the song on their porch. Folks loved the lyrics and the dance, which led to a huge success.
Banging – sexually attractive.
To be low maintenance – to have low expectations, to require very little time, money, or effort.
Now and then – sometimes.
Fancy – expensive.
Bougie – luxurious in lifestyle and humble in character.
An Alabama jamma – having intercourse in the back of a pickup track.
A Dixieland delight – a lover; the phrase refers to the song about an Alabama jamma.
Popular Songs On TikTok 2022: Are They For Real
Millennials and Gen Z made sure that English learners struggled with understanding the lyrics of the top songs on TikTok 2022. At least, it seems so! But we can help you to get around all the unknown terms and phrases with the trending songs on TikTok right now.
"Teenage Dirtbag" by Wheatus
"Teenage Dirtbag" by Wheatus on YouTube
With "Teenage Dirtbag," creators on TikTok show their teenage photos claiming they haven't always looked that good and put together.
To ring a bell – to sound familiar.
To rock – it is a slang word used to show approval of someone or something.
Teenage dirtbag – a kid in their teen years who doesn't seem to fit in, goes unnoticed and unappreciated.
Lo and behold – unexpectedly, out of the blue.
"Betty (Get Money)" by Yung Gravy
"Betty (Get Money)" by Yung Gravy on YouTube
TikTok creators use the lyrics "Da*n, Gravy you so vicious, You so clean, so delicious. How come you ain't got no misses? Count that paper, count the riches" of the song "Betty (Get Money)" in their "transition" videos.
To desert – to abandon someone.
A crib – a baby's special bed with barred sides.
Shawty – a cute and attractive person, usually a girl.
To gaze out – to look at someone or something carefully for a long period in amazement.
To snap out – to stop being sad and unhappy; to feel better about your mood.
To get dough – to make money.
To hop off – to begin an intense activity.
A griddle – someone's face or personal space.
To get belittled – to feel "little" and unimportant.
To lose the sauce – to get so excited with something (money, fame, women) that you lose the connection with reality and get the star in your head.
To slay someone – to do something really good, to impress with something.
To take an L – to lose.
"Glimpse of Us" by Joji
"Glimpse of Us" by Joji on YouTube
"Glimpse of Us" is a song on TikTok that captures romantic moments with the right accompaniment. Every video becomes so touching with the beautiful singing of "glimpse of us."
To live in the blue – to let yourself dive into the unknown.
A glimpse – a moment of seeing something or someone very briefly.
To savor – to focus attention on the positive aspects of something.
"Unholy" by Sam Smith & Kim Petras
"Unholy" by Sam Smith & Kim Petras on YouTube
"Unholy" went viral long before it was released on streaming platforms. Sam Smith presented a piece of the song on his TikTok page, and magic happened. People created more than 1,5 videos with the song showing hot they are or someone else is. Sam Smith said "Unholy" is about one of his friends.
To get hot – to turn on, to get sexually excited.
The Body Shop – a strip club.
Unholy – wrong, sinful, unfaithful.
To talk on the scene – to gossip.
To keep your business clean – to keep something a secret.
Drop the addy – an address that is not your primary place of living, usually a for-sale house or a hotel.
AM – before noon.
Under the covers – in secret.
"Made You Look" by Meghan Trainor
A good dance to a good song is equal to success on TikTok. So no wonder "Made You Look" went viral in no time.
With nothing on – wearing nothing, nacked.
To have on – to wear.
To make a double take – to look twice at someone because you recognized a person or something caught your eye.
To get a taste – to start liking or appreciating something after trying it or having experience with someone.
"Victoria's Secret" by Jax
"Victoria's Secret" is a song that tells the truth about the creator of the brand "Victoria's Secret" and helps women to feel better about their bodies. The singer emphasizes that women shouldn't try to fit into any beauty standards; they are beautiful the way they are now.
Itty bitty – extremely small.
A bummer – something disappointing or unpleasant- can sometimes be applied to a person.
To cash on – to convert into money, to profit from something.
Thighs of thunder – someone's fat thighs but in a positive way.
How To Level Up My English With Promova And Top Songs On TikTok?
To better understand songs on TikTok, you must constantly work on your vocabulary. The Promova app can become your best friend in learning up-to-date slang, phrasal verbs, idioms, and abbreviations. All you need to do is to download Promova on your smartphone and dive into our bite-size lessons for 10-20 minutes per day. You can study on public transportation on your way to and from work, when drinking a cup of coffee in the morning, on a lunch break to switch your mind from work tasks, etc. You will see results in no time.
However, since learning by yourself might feel a little frustrating, we recommend you take advantage of the Promova tutoring program. As a top language learning platform, we offer English tutors for different goals and skills to be improved. So, if you want to have fun during the class by learning English through the songs trending on TikTok, book the lesson with a Native English speaker, American English tutor, conversational English teacher, British English tutor, and Australian English tutor. They will prepare a themed lesson, and you will hit two birds with one stone – learn English and watch TikTok.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you can watch videos on TikTok and listen to the trending songs understanding what they are about as you wrote them yourself. We helped you figure out some lexicon from different topics in famous songs on TikTok, but you still should do more research with other songs by yourself or with a teacher. Remember, if the song became viral on TikTok, its vocabulary would come in handy. So, don't be lazy and look up the lyrics to learn new words and phrases.
FAQ
How do songwriters choose words for the lyrics of their songs?
Songwriters don't really choose words for their songs. The process of writing a song differs from writing an SEO text, for instance. There is no list of words and phrases that absolutely must be used in the song or the album. But it happens that songwriters struggle to find the right word to fit better with the rhythm; they may use a thesaurus. In general, inspiration for the lyrics comes from the songwriter's personal life and experience. That is why when the song is true to life; it goes viral on TikTok. Fun fact, the most common word in English songs is “you.”
Does singing in English improve my language skills?
Yes, singing helps to improve some skills in English. First, you get exposed to the right pronunciation. That helps you get used to the accents and speech speed of native English speakers, which improves your listening skills. Second, through songs, you get familiar with modern English. Songwriters tend to put the same words and phrases in their songs that people use every day. There won't be complex terms like in "Grey's Anatomy," for instance. Third, lipsync and singing aloud help to master your pronunciation, articulation, and general speaking skills in English. So, feel free to sing even if you think you have no great talent for it. You are not Adele or Damiano David from "Maneskin," and we are not "Spice Girls" or "Jonas Brothers," and guess what. That's fine. Use popular songs on TikTok to master your English.
Can rap help in improving my English?
You can really benefit from rapping in English. We would say that's another level of working on your pronunciation, articulation, and speaking skills. Use rap as an exercise to familiarize yourself with English phonetics and to train your tongue, mouth, and face muscles to make you sound clear and to start morphing sounds. Morphing is linking some words together that seem to be one word. The examples are "hafta" (have to), "doncha" (don't you), and many more. Practicing rap will make you sound more natural and fluent in English and train you to understand even Eminem or Cardi B.
Which song is the most viewed on YouTube in the world?
According to Wikipedia, Baby Shark Dance leads the list of the most viewed songs on YouTube, with more than 11,64 billion views. The song is also ranked as one of the most popular on TikTok. Users have made more than 5,5 million videos with it. Some are related to kids` content; as it happens on TikTok, some were made to hop into the trend.
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