TikTok has unveiled #YearOnTikTok 2021 in celebration of 2021-of-a-kind, which has been made possible by entertainment driven by its community.
This year-end celebration recognizes talent and looks back on creativity, trends, creators, movements, and moments that made 2021 one to remember in Nigeria.
Placed under different categories, #YearOnTikTok 2021 ranges from popular videos and songs that kept Nigerians on their feet dancing to creators who became voices of change and celeb/creator breakthrough stars of 2021 – and everyone has played a part in bringing creativity and joy to a platform and a world that needed it.
As seen this year alone, there is no doubt that TikTok is a unique place where culture starts and where creativity knows no bounds – where anyone can discover, create, and share content they love. In 2021, over 1 billion people turned to TikTok to be entertained, find and share their joy with others, and learn new things.
“It’s been incredible to see how Nigerians have continued to grow and support one another this year on the platform. We’ve seen trends such as the recent Love Nwantiti start and spread across For You feeds, globally. We’re humbled to see how much joy our community has brought us this year, and we’re excited to experience more incredible moments as we continue this journey together,” added Boniswa Sidwaba, TikTok Content Operations Manager, Africa.
“There’s something really special about TikTok’s diverse global community that people just can’t find anywhere else. For us, 2021 was a year for connection and we’ve seen people on TikTok laughing together, entertaining us, starting cultural phenomenons, and teaching us new things. It’s been incredible to see the depths of entertainment and creativity from this community, and we’re delighted to celebrate all the ways we’ve come together this year on TikTok,” said Vanessa Pappas, Chief Operating Officer, TikTok.
Without further ado, help us unveil the Year on TikTok 2021 report:
#MusicOnTikTok: Most popular music on TikTok in Nigeria
From homemade beats to classics making a comeback, the songs on your For You feed made you hit repeat. In 2021, trending songs on TikTok came from established, emerging, and breakthrough artists, spanning a range of genres as diverse as our community itself. Be it Afrobeats, hip-hop and rap, or electronic and dance, music starts on TikTok.
In 2021, these are some of the songs that were loved on the platform and got the country dancing:
1. Lie – Kizz Daniel
2. Big Thug Boys – AV
3. Bloody Samaritan Ayra Starr
4. Medicine – Jaywillz
5. Nobody – Kayblinkz
The Playlist: Popular songs
From homemade beats to classics making a comeback, the songs on your For You feed made you hit repeat. In 2021, trending songs on TikTok came from established, emerging, and breakthrough artists, spanning a range of genres as diverse as our community itself. Amapaino carried South Africa and here are a few of our community’s favorite songs this year.
1. Love Nwantiti – Ckay
2. Lie – Kizz Daniel
3. Big Thug Boys – AV
4. Bloody Samaritan – Ayra Starr
5. Medicine – Jaywillz
FYFaves: Popular videos
TikTok videos transcend cultures and borders to reach For You feeds everywhere. 2021 saw For You feeds filled with trending videos across beloved categories including comedy, nostalgia, animals, and family videos. Check out the videos that make up some of this year’s memorable moments.
1. @twinzloves – Family prank
2. @Jennifrank29 – The queen of slo-mo
3. @ashleykeno17 – TikTok’s favourite humorist
4. @CKay_yo – Global music sensation
5. @Beryl.ama – Viral TikTok star
Powered by Joy: Videos that brought so much joy
Whether TikTok videos make you smile or laugh in unexpected ways, one thing’s for sure: our community sparks joy. This year, family, celebs, and entertainment culture are some of the popular content categories that delighted our global community. Take in the good vibes from the videos that brought us so much joy this year.
1. Danceglitch – a goofy dance exchange
2. Itzzammie – Nigeria’s most famous smile giving a theatrical performance
3. Ediboons – A satirical look at the life of a mosquito
4. Emmyjake – Father’s Day love
5. King Beerah – A funny look into the domestic life of young Nigerians
Big Breakthrough: Creators, celebrities and public figures on the rise
If there’s anything that makes TikTok special, it is the open-ended feel of the platform and its knack for making stars off its users. 2021 has had its own fair share of breakthroughs and here are the TikTok creators who broke out and hit new heights this year:
1. @Ckay_yo
2. @Berby_Picxy
3. @Itzammie
4. @SoftMadeIt
5. @Liquorose
Only on TikTok: Trends powered by TikTok features
One of the key facets of the TikTok experience is joining a community of friends to partake in the trends and effects that the platform made its name with. Most of these effects are only available on TikTok. Here are some exciting ones from 2021:
1. Slow Reverse zoom – @itzzammieverse
2. TikTok Times – MarkAngelComedy
3. Real Me – @Ani_gifty
4. Face Zoom – r0dn3y_
Voice of Change: Creators, Celebrities, and Public Figures at the Forefront of Social Movements and Moments
This year, TikTok continued to be a safe space for creators and our community to come together, lift each other up, and support the causes they care about. Our global community supported causes they cared about throughout the year, including mental health, women empowerment and self-love. Find out more about the impactful creators and public figures who continue to fight for positive change.
1. _ _Iremide – Independence day pride
2. Symplypeace_- The creator speaking against gender-based violence
3. _ _Iremide – Africa To The World
4. Therealrhonkefella – Hometown Pride
Join us as we celebrate the talent that came out of 2021 on TikTok at the 2021 #TTCreatorFest takes place on Saturday, 10 December at 10:00 (SAST) & Sunday, 11 December at 09:00 (SAST) on TikTok.
To access the festivities, check out the Discover Page on TikTok and click on the #TTCreatorFest banner to access the sessions. Day 1 of the all-virtual conference-style LIVES will be dedicated to looking back at the most significant TikTok moments of 2021 and the trendsetters behind them. Day 2 of the fest will be dedicated to empowering new creators and sharing tips on how to become a success on TikTok in 2022 & beyond.
To celebrate your own year on TikTok, starting today, we’re also launching #AskOnTikTok, a new Q&A feature inviting you to look back on your most memorable moments in 2021.
Simply choose which questions you want to answer about your year in the app. People can choose a question like “What was your 2021 highlight?” or “what was your happiest moment of 2021?” and answer it in a new creation or by sharing a previous TikTok video.