TikTok has revealed its 2025 Year in Review, and KATSEYE sits at the top of the platform’s music landscape. The group was named TikTok’s Global Artist of the Year, a major milestone for the six-member act that debuted in 2024.
In just over a year, KATSEYE—made up of Megan, Yoonchae, Sophia, Manon, Lara, and Daniela—has grown into one of the most dominant music groups online. Their songs have inspired over 30 billion views and 12 million user-generated videos on TikTok, momentum that helped them break into the mainstream. The group earned two Grammy nominations, including best new artist, and landed two singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Gabriela” reaching No. 31.
TikTok had already recognized their rise, awarding them the 2025 Breakthrough Artist of the Year trophy earlier this year. They now lead the platform’s global top-artist list, followed by Alan Arrieta and ENHYPEN, with major names such as Bad Bunny, Stray Kids, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift also appearing in the top 10.
Another unexpected viral standout this year was Connie Francis’ “Pretty Little Baby,” which exploded across the app more than 60 years after its original release. TikTok users turned the track into 2025’s most-used song worldwide and in the U.S., generating 28.4 million creations. The renewed interest was fueled by celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian, as well as a new remix by Lizot and a rollout of the track in multiple languages for the first time.
Francis joined TikTok in June before passing away in July at age 87.
Alongside the headline categories, TikTok named several other notable winners:
• Taylor Swift as the year’s most-saved global artist
• sombr’s “back to friends” as the most-saved track
• Tate McRae’s So Close To What as the most-saved album
• Doechii’s “Anxiety” as the music trend of the year
• EJAE as songwriter of the year
TikTok continues to be a massive cultural force despite competition from YouTube and Meta. Pew Research reports that by 2024, one-third of U.S. adults used TikTok, and more than half of American teenagers logged in daily—many of them turning to the app for entertainment, viral music, comedy, fashion, recommendations, and even news.
The platform also released detailed “Top Songs” lists for both the U.S. and global charts, with “Pretty Little Baby” topping them all.
SOURE: Billboard