If you've scrolled on "mature goddesses with eroticism and sublimity"TikTok in the past week you've likely heard the refrain "And when I'm back in Chicago" over, and over, and over again.
The snippet comes from the platform's latest runaway hit, Djo's 2022 song "End of Beginning." It's soundtracked a whopping 2.2 million videos and counting on the app — a truly spectacular jump from last month's 18,000.
SEE ALSO: Why the internet stans IrelandWith users addicted to nostalgia, its unsurprising that the cinematic, dream-pop song took off on TikTok. It lends itself to yearn-posting for a city you've since moved away from, fan edits of The Bear, and it has the added bonus that it's written by someone the platform already loves, Joe Keery — the actor who plays fan-favorite Steve Harrington on Stranger Things.
But there's one thing about the virality of "End of Beginning" that's different, making it virtually inescapable on the platform.
At the end of January, Universal Music Group (UMG) pulled its catalog from TikTok after negotiations dissolved between the music giant and the social media platform. UMG cited "appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok’s users" in an open letter as three key issues TikTok failed to address. In February UMG removed all songs controlled by Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), which includes any song that a UMG signed-artist wrote or co-wrote. TikTok estimated that UMG owned 20 to 30 percent of the popular music on the platform.
The ubiquity of "End of Beginning" is the first death knell for post-UMG TikTok. It's a moving song, but its omnipresence is a sign of the lack of music on the app. In the past, there could have been a dozen songs going viral on TikTok in any given week, and now our FYPs are either repetitive or music-less. It's long been an engagement hack to use a trending song for an unrelated video, and with only "End of Beginning" and a couple others that don't compete with its stats ("Austin" by DASHA has been used in 353,000 videos, Madison Beer's "Make You Mine" sits at 236,000 videos, even Beyoncé's"TEXAS HOLD 'EM" is only at 644,000) what used to be a hub for music discovery now sounds stale and monotonous.
Frustrated users took to making videos about the oversaturation of several songs on their FYPs. One TikTok about "End of Beginning" reads, "Realize that bro's song was good until people started over using it" — and it has garnered 3.8 million views and nearly 400,000 likes. Another user, @itstweedle.dee, posted a video, pleading, "TikTok please don't make me block these songs." She went on to say, "I'm talking like every single video...back to back to back. I cannot breathe. My ears cannot breathe." The video received 2 million views and 200,000 likes.
On X / Twitter, a user posted the lyric "When I'm back in Chicago" with a video of someone being shot to convey how sick of hearing the song they are. The post scored 18,000 likes.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Without UMG's catalog, the platform must adapt or users may turn elsewhere.
Topics Music Stranger Things TikTok
Apple MacBook Air deal: $899 at Best Buy
Borges vs. Alcaraz 2025 livestream: Watch Australian Open for free
Meta is reportedly laying off 3,600 employees
Sabalenka vs. Bouzas 2025 livestream: Watch Australian Open for free
Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets 2025 livestream: Watch NBA online
Best TV deal: Save $200 on Amazon Fire TV 55
Samsung outlines pre
Webb sees shockwave continuing hundreds of years after supernova blast
AC Milan vs. Feyenoord 2025 livestream: Watch Champions League for free
Best Pokémon TCG deal: Surging Sparks Zapdos triple blister is $20.69 at Amazon
Best Dyson deal: Save over $100 on Dyson V11 Origin cordless vacuum
Best smart home deal: Save $20 on Amazon Echo Show 5
Meta is reportedly laying off 3,600 employees
Watch SpaceX set free Blue Ghost and ispace moon lander in space
Hands on with Lenovo's 'rollable' display laptop at CES 2025
Webb sees shockwave continuing hundreds of years after supernova blast
NYT mini crossword answers for January 16, 2025
Wordle today: The answer and hints for January 16, 2025
NYT Connections hints and answers for February 1: Tips to solve 'Connections' #601.
Tesla is already building the new Model Y in Berlin, reports say
Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark: Everything you need to knowApple confirmed that it removes Iranian apps because of U.S. sanctionsThe HBO hackers just sent us the end of 'Game of Thrones' Season 7Amazon is lowering prices at Whole Foods starting this MondayCynthia Erivo, Nikolaj CosterA hilarious new Taylor Swift meme reminds everyone Beyonce is the queenEven more ideas for 'Kevin Can Wait' season 2 by me, a genius TV executiveThis is the fanciest McDonald's burger box we've ever seenWhy are they called the 'dog days' of summer?WeWork raises $4.4 *billion* to continue its worldwide expansion'Game of Thrones' soundtrack provides finale cluesSome guy connected an electroshock bracelet to Twitter and let the world have at himTaylor Swift drops new single 'Look What You Made Me Do'John Legend is going back to high school to help teens redefine what it means to be a manWatch this amazing Optimus Prime toy actually transform on its ownGoogle and Walmart team up to take on a common enemy: AmazonOld Taylor Swift is dead. May New Taylor Swift forever reign in terrorThis is the fanciest McDonald's burger box we've ever seenEven more ideas for 'Kevin Can Wait' season 2 by me, a genius TV executiveMale Hollywood type James Cameron dismisses 'Wonder Woman' as just more male Hollywood BS Australian Open tennis players affected by bushfires as air quality hits hazardous levels 'Watchmen' will not be getting a second season Can you imagine ‘The Office’ without Creed? He was almost fired in Season 2. Reddit user created a mind Gwyneth Paltrow's 'The Goop Lab' is a glossy infomercial for woo Bang & Olufsen's new wireless earbuds are improved in every way that matters Why fitness trackers may not give you all the ‘credit’ you hoped for J.K. Rowling shares touching Mother's Day message, comforts fans Report: Grindr, OkCupid send your private data to third Netflix renews 'You' for third season: What we want to see 10 things named after Sir David Attenborough Val Kilmer can't stop tweeting about Cate Blanchett and it's unsettling Women are calling men out for their ridiculous birth control opinions The United Nations works with artists to forge a new frontier in online activism Leaked photos steal the thunder from Samsung's Galaxy S20 debut Bitcoin whale moves $1.1 billion in bitcoins for an $80 fee Girl uses Tinder to make money and you'll wish you thought of it first India blocks 'The Danish Girl' from airing on TV Samsung's new Galaxy Xcover brings its removable battery to the U.S. Ignore this guy's dumbbell trick and check out the NBA star grandpa behind him
2.6064s , 10196.1640625 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【"mature goddesses with eroticism and sublimity"】,Unobstructed Information Network