How songs explode online

The Sun

a day ago

YOU hear Nunca Muda? Once on Instagram, then again on TikTok. Next thing you know, the chorus or beat is stuck in your head and you do not even know the song's name or who the artiste even is. That is the power of virality.
In 2025, a song does not need to be played on the radio or be featured in a big movie to become a hit. It can take off in a matter of hours thanks to short videos, streaming algorithms and the power of online fans.
But what exactly makes a song go viral today?
TikTok is new radio
In the past, record labels pushed songs to radio DJs. Now, they pitch to TikTok influencers and hope for a dance trend. Just 15 seconds of the right chorus is all it takes.
Old songs such as Fleetwood Mac's Dreams and Lady Gaga's Bloody Mary saw renewed popularity after trending audio clips spread online, years after their original release.
Once a clip gets picked up by enough users, the algorithm will start pushing it forward and further. According to TikTok's own analytics in 2021, 75% of the short video platform users said they discover new artistes through TikTok, while 63% of its users heard new music they never knew about through the platform.
Relatable lyrics or catchy hooks win
However, before a song becomes viral, it usually needs to check one of two boxes:
➤ It has to be relatable, in some form or another, by often being tied to emotions such as heartbreak.
For example: Olivia Rodrigo's Drivers Licence.
➤ It needs to have a catchy, repeatable hook.
For example: NewJeans' Super Shy, Moliy and Silent Addy's Shake It to the Max and its different remixes, or ATLXS' Passo Bem Solto.
Ultimately, the song does not need to be deep. It just needs to be memorable and infectious within a 15-second time frame.
Streaming algorithms do heavy lifting
Once songs meet the two criteria above, people will start searching for it. This is where platforms such as Spotify, YouTube Music and Apple Music come into play.
These platforms also have algorithms of their own, which push songs that are trending or frequently repeated, especially on user-generated playlists.
A track that does well on TikTok will likely appear under 'Viral Hits Malaysia' or 'Top 50' lists, which helps increase exposure, often internationally.
Global trends shape local charts
Gone are the days when music was siloed by country. A song from Korea, Nigeria or Indonesia can be just as likely to go viral here as one from Kuala Lumpur. The best example in the past year alone is Hanumankind's Big Dawgs.
Its heavy and hard beat, accompanied by a unique rap style that pays homage to American rapper Project Pat, helped the song explode beyond Hanumankind's native India into the global scene, breaking charts across the board. It currently sits at just over 460 million plays on Spotify.
The trend proves that today's music scene has been made even more borderless and catchy beats do not need translation.
Fans, memes make difference
Sometimes, it is not the music itself but what people do with it. Think of sped-up remixes, parody versions, fan edits or even comedic lip-syncs – all of which keep a song circulating for weeks or months.
Fans are no longer just listeners. They are part of the marketing engine. A viral moment can come from an ordinary teenager dancing in a rural town just as easily as from a major label-backed multi-million dollar campaign in New York.
There is no fixed recipe for virality, as the ingredients are clear:
➤ A catchy or emotional hook
➤ Visibility on TikTok or Instagram
➤ Momentum on streaming platforms
➤ And most importantly, fan interaction
In this digital age, any artiste, from a bedroom singer in Penang to a K-pop giant in Seoul, has a shot at blowing up overnight. All it takes is one well-timed post and the right 15 seconds of music.