TikTok songs of the summer 2023: Social media platform reveals top 10 songs globally and in UK

TikTok has revealed the most played songs across the social media website and app during summer 2023.

Most TikTok videos are set to a musical soundtrack, so it’s no surprise that the creators of the platform have compiled a list of the top ten songs used, both globally and in the UK. The lists are ranked according to how many total video creations each song got over the summer.

Mae Stephens, who swapped supermarket shifts for TikTok stardom earlier this year, topped the global list with her smash hit “If We Ever Broke Up”. She said: “I am truly honoured to have the global number one spot for TikTok's song of the summer. I mean I’m speechless, I never imagined it to climb that far.”

She also thanked her “incredible” fans for helping her achieve her success. “I cannot thank everyone enough who has supported the song, streamed, shared and given it a little boost. It proves that TikTok can really take someone and boost them so far! It is one of the most crucial parts of industry growth today.”

Other artists featured on the global playlist include Ariana Grande and Aqua. Check out what songs made the full list below.

TikTok’s Global Songs of the Summer 2023:

1. If We Ever Broke Up by Mae Stephens

2. What It Is (Solo Version) by Doechii

3. Girls like me don’t cry (sped up) by thuy

4. Cupid (Twin Version) [Sped Up] by FIFTY FIFTY

5. LALA by Myke Towers

6. Makeba by Jain

7. มองนานๆ by FLI:P

8. Everyday (featuring Future) by Ariana Grande

9. Barbie Girl by Aqua

10. Endless Summer by Alan Walker and Zak Abel

In the UK, the most popular song was “Sprinter” by Dave and Central Cee. The song was adored by many TikTokers, and also famous faces including  Shakira and Kylie Jenner who included the video in their videos.  It also inspired its own unique dance challenge, led by TikTok creator @davidvooo. The track topped the Official Charts for ten weeks, the first ever UK Rap song to do so, aided by its huge TikTok fanbase.

Cee said: "The TikTok community's reaction to Sprinter has been great and unexpected. I love when the community starts their own trends and you can see it taking off - there's some really cool creators on the platform. When I posted videos with the song on TikTok, I posted how I usually do - keeping it natural, no challenges or dance moves. I realised how impactful that was when the song's video creations jumped from 50k to 300k in a short space of time. The song did amazingly well.”

The list also includes the likes of Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice. Below you can see the full list.

TikTok’s UK Songs of the Summer 2023:

1. Sprinter by Dave and Central Cee

2. Makeba by Jain

3. Pretty (Sped Up) by MEYY

4. Endless Summer by Alan Walker and Zak Abel

5. Little Girl Gone by CHINCHILLA

6. It’s A Wrap (Sped Up) by Mariah Carey

7. Barbie World (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album] by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice

8. Never Felt So Alone by Labrinth

9. What It Is (Solo Version) by Doechii

10. Cupid (Twin Version) [Sped Up] by FIFTY FIFTY

Paul Hourican, Global Head of Music Content and Partnerships said: “You can never predict what’s going to be TikTok’s Song of the Summer and that’s the beauty of the platform. It’s been another summer of discovery with our community embracing a diverse mix of genres, sounds and incredible new talent.

"Mae Stephens is a fantastic new artist with an amazing success story, whose music has travelled from the UK to Asia and beyond, and made her track 'If We Ever Broke Up' a global phenomenon. It's given us a summer to remember, along with brilliant music - both new and rediscovered - from the likes of Myke Towers, Jain, and Ariana Grande, who have all had incredible success after connecting with the community on TikTok."