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During the past year, TikTok served to spotlight viral pop newcomer Katseye , a singing legend of the ’50s and ’60s, and much more music in between.
The Los Angeles-based girl group Katseye was named TikTok’s Global Artist of the Year, winning more than 30 billion views and 12 million creations using their music on the social video platform.
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Made up of six members – three from the U.S. and others from Philippines, South Korea and Switzerland – Katseye also earned two Grammy nominations last month including Best New Artist. The group’s song, “Gnarly,” spawned 2.4 million video creations including ones from Camila Cabello and K-pop stars Enhypen , Le Sserafim , Tomorrow X Together .
“Gabriela,” the song that earned them a Best pop duo/group performance Grammy nomination, set off a TikTok dance trend leading to 2.8 million creations and 9.8 billion views. Also, a Katseye collaboration with the Gap – a dance clip synced to the song “Milkshake” by Kelis – has garnered 151 million views and led to multiple popular remake versions.
“We had an unforgettable year on TikTok, and it was all because of the EYEKONS who showed up for us every single day,” the group said in a statement within the TikTok news release . “You turned our songs, our moments, and our chaos into something truly global, and we are so grateful for this community.”
Connie Francis , who joined TikTok in June just more than a month before she died in July 2025, said in her first TikTok video she was “flabbergasted and excited about the huge buzz” her 1962 recording of “Pretty Little Baby” got on the platform.
TikTok named the song its Global Song of the Year and its top U.S. song after users made more than 28.4 million videos with song as the soundtrack, generating more than 68.6 billion views. A video Kylie Jenner made with her daughter Stormi has been viewed more than 132 million times.
Traffic on TikTok led to the song getting more than 130 million streams on Spotify and sending it onto the Billboard Global 200 chart. The song “was adopted by a new generation,” said Tracy Gardner, global head of music business development at TikTok, in a statement .
Taylor Swift was TikTok’s Global Most-Saved Artist in 2025, with millions saving songs including those from her latest album “The Life of a Showgirl” from TikTok to music streaming services.
Other TikTok 2025 awards:
“TikTok has become the industry’s most powerful engine for music discovery, the place where beloved classics find a second life and new voices break through – particularly those of women, who dominated music on TikTok in 2025,” Gardner said. “TikTok connects global audiences to the artists and the music they love, and that ability to spark fandom for every kind of artist and genre is what continues to set us apart.”
Here’s more of TikTok’s top artists for 2025.
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & [email protected]
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