Top 10 TikTok Challenges That Went Viral
#10: The "Savage" Challenge
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Once much of the world began to shelter at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we all needed something to do that didn’t involve leaving the house. So the timing was perfect for a new TikTok dance challenge. The “Savage” Challenge was created by @keke.janajah (real name Keara Wilson) who posted a video of herself dancing to Megan Thee Stallion’s song “Savage” on March 10th, 2020. The artist herself performed the dance on Instagram just a few days later on March 16th, garnering millions of views in 7 days, and a trend was officially born. The end of April saw a remix featuring Beyoncé and a new #SavageChallenge dance.
#9: Recreating Movie Scenes
A 2012 Disney movie, “Radio Rebel”, had new life breathed into it when TikTok users began mocking Debby Ryan’s signature shy smile by recreating scenes from this film as well as parodying the actress’ other performances. The trend took off as did one in which users performed their own versions of a number of other iconic movie scenes from a variety of genres unrelated to the teen drama. While the over the top bits of acting are great, some of the funniest ones are the more subtle performances where the TikTok users somehow totally nail it.
#8: “Love Story” Challenge
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Everyone’s talking about Taylor Swift’s new surprise album “Folklore”, but one of her older songs is having new life breathed into it on TikTok in 2020. An unofficial Disco Lines remix of the tune has now been used in more than a million videos on the platform. User @ethanishung seems to have kicked off the trend by playing the song and doing a funny thrust of his hips, while @pokemonmasterzo added pushing the camera away partway through the video, which has now become a staple for the videos, with new dance moves being added all the time.
#7: “Paradise” Challenge
“Paradise” by Coldplay is a dramatic song, and makes for the perfect backdrop for this TikTok trend. In the most basic version, someone plays the song and puts a text conversation on screen that shows how they first bonded with the person they’re dating. They follow it up with a quick succession of cute photos of their relationship. While there are many sweet and romantic versions of this, people have of course made funnier videos as well, poking fun at the trend and twisting it to be more “comedy’ than “romantic comedy”.
#6: Duet Chains
All the way back in 2018, TikTok introduced a new feature that was a game changer for many users: the abilities to do “Duets”. This let you put two videos on screen side by side, which lent itself to a wide variety of reaction videos. But users got even more creative as time went on, taking the concept to the next level with Duet “Chains”. Now that it’s possible to put many videos in the same frame, the reactions and combinations have gotten even more outlandish - with some people using videos from other users and others using the concept to create compelling content featuring just themselves.
#5: The "Kissing Your Best Friend" Challenge
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This is perhaps one of the most controversial challenges to come out of the platform. In the "Kissing Your Best Friend" Challenge, users spring a smooch on their bestie to see how they react. Some result in romantic kisses while others conclude more comically with the other person reacting with shock or even disgust. Often, other types of videos are set up to “trick” the person into thinking they’re filming something else. We’re hoping that all of these were actually staged beforehand because kissing someone without their consent is not cool, challenge or no challenge!
#4: Couple Clothes Swap
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If you’re stuck at home with your significant other, odds are you’ve tried this one at some point. Using the song “Famous (I‘m The One)” by Mozzy and Iamsu! as the backdrop, TikTok users began swapping clothes with their loved ones to dance to this track and have some lighthearted fun. While some couples manage to pull it off while actually looking pretty good, on others, the results are a little more outlandish. We love how into character some of these users got and we always love to see guys respectfully embracing their feminine sides!
#3: The "Wipe it Down" Challenge
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In 2020, we really needed some activities to keep us busy while we were all quarantining at home. This particular trend seems to have kicked off with @rominagafur creating a video using Roddy Ricch's “The Box” and wiping down her mirror, changing her appearance partyway through. Other users caught on and the popular song to use became "Wipe It Down" by BMW Kenny. The transformations became even more dramatic as people went bigger and bigger with the idea, with some videos featuring some truly shocking switches.
#2: The “Vogue” Challenge
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While so many of the biggest TikTok challenges feature silly dances and are mostly done for fun and games, some take on more serious societal issues to make a point. In the “Vogue” Challenge, we get to see the cover of the preeminent fashion magazine with a diverse spin. TikTik users acknowledged the “whiteness” of typical Vogue covers by creating their own versions that featured people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Considering the negative attention that Condé Nast has received in recent months, this felt like a breath of fresh air. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Ben 10” Trend This Trend Was Inspired by an Animated Kids' Show "Beautiful People" Challenge Ed Sheeran Actually Started This Sweet Trend “Look at Him Tremble” Challenge Users Stumble Before Recovering for a Fierce Look Only Human Users Give Funny & Serious Reactions Showing That They're "Only Human" “POVs” Challenge Users Pitch Creative Stories in Just a Few Moments
#1: The “Walk-in Naked” Challenge
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This is another challenge that unsurprisingly took off during the global pandemic. These videos are shot from the point of view of the user as they surprise their partners by walking into a room completely naked to see their reaction. They often do this while their significant others are working, talking on the phone or gaming. Not to stereotype, but it seemed like dudes were more inclined to drop everything they’re doing to jump their partner’s bones. Women, on the other hand, tended to find the whole thing hilarious. Guys must just love that!
