May 2025 Top TikTok Trends
This month on TikTok, trends are blending humor with heart. We’re seeing creators tap into deep wells of nostalgia, celebrate their quirks, and spotlight the everyday moments that make us laugh—or cringe. From parenting predictability to decade-old photo regrets, these trends are tailor-made for brands looking to connect through cultural relevance and emotional intelligence.
Trend #1: Guessing My Kids' Responses
This wholesome parenting trend captures just how well parents know their kids. Creators lip sync in perfect unison to their children's predictable answers—often about snacks, routines, or silly preferences. It’s a lighthearted nod to the rhythms of family life, celebrating the small, repeated joys (and frustrations) of raising little humans.
Trend #2: That Was Rude
Sometimes, you just need to call it like it is. With a dramatic audio clip declaring “That was rude,” creators are spotlighting moments of social awkwardness, personal drama, or minor betrayal. The format is cathartic and wildly entertaining—tapping into a collective desire to name and share life’s micro-aggressions with flair.
Trend #3: The Photo I Hesitated to Take vs. The Photo I Posted 10 Years Ago
This carousel trend invites users to contrast a polished, recent photo with a hilariously unfiltered relic from a decade ago. It’s a glow-up story told with self-aware charm, celebrating growth, style evolution, and the cringe-worthy archives of early social media.
Trend #4: Nicknames
Creators are showcasing their personal identity through the nicknames they’ve collected—affectionate, absurd, or somewhere in between. With music and playful text overlays, these videos offer a feel-good glimpse into the relationships and inside jokes that define who we are to those who know us best.
Trend #5: Nooooooo
With emphatic energy and a theatrical “nooooooo” sound, this trend is perfect for rejecting ideas in a fun, exaggerated way. Whether it’s saying no to a bedroom TV or a fashion faux pas, the format delivers strong opinions with comedic timing—ideal for brands with a clear POV and a sense of humor.
Trend #6: How I’d Move If I Were Them
This trend lets creators strut into alternate personas—villain, criminal, celebrity—with exaggerated flair. Using the swagger-filled mashup “A Boss Approaches x Big Poppa,” users reveal how they’d walk, dance, or pose if they stepped into someone else’s shoes. It’s self-aware, stylish, and irresistibly performative—feeding TikTok’s love for POV storytelling and character play.
Trend #7: Like a Machine
This soundbite from Beyoncé—“When I work, I don’t eat, I don’t use the restroom, I’m like a machine”—has become a hilarious voiceover for creators exposing their own overcommitment, delusion, or sheer hustle. Whether it’s pretending they’re available 24/7 on a job application or justifying their princess lifestyle, the lip-sync gets paired with painfully real or wildly absurd work-life confessions.
Trend #8: I’ll Show You What It Feels Like
In this trend, creators respond to off-screen quotes like “I’ve never been slapped for lying” or “I’ve never had a girl memorize who I follow”—and then dramatically lip-sync Ellie Goulding’s “I’ll show you what it feels like.” It’s part call-out, part comedy, letting people flex their chaotic, loyal, or unhinged side with a wink. The format is versatile—playful, petty, or painfully real—and it taps into TikTok’s love for dramatizing relationship dynamics.
Trend #9: Gnarly Dance
The viral “Gnarly” choreography is taking over parks, kitchens, and sidewalks—everywhere friends can line up and vibe. Whether it’s the cheeky butt shake or group-sync magic, the dance has gone from niche to mainstream.
Trend #10: You Can Ask for Flowers
Connie Francis’ 1962 ballad “Pretty Little Baby” is the surprise retro hit TikTok can’t get out of its head. The track lends itself to dreamy, nostalgic, or curated aesthetic content—think vintage fits, quiet OOTDs, or mood-heavy clips that make you stop scrolling just to soak in the sound. It’s part of a bigger wave of analog comfort washing over feeds.
Trend #11: Sound In My Head
A chaotic Hannah Montana montage becomes the soundtrack to creators’ inner monologues. From social anxiety spirals to memory lapses, this trend nails the mental noise of modern life in a funny, familiar way. It’s fast, fragmented, and perfectly Gen Z—a sonic representation of distracted thinking turned into comedy gold.
Trend #12: Favorite Time of Day
This aesthetic-forward trend celebrates micro-joys—like pouring coffee, applying skincare, or simply checking the mail. Using the caption “My Favorite Time of Day,” creators turn everyday rituals into moments of calm, pleasure, or self-love. It’s a gentle reminder that delight often lives in the details—and it’s highly brandable for anything lifestyle-related.
Trend #13: What the New Flame Beat Says
Creators use the “New Flame” beat as a vehicle for delivering punchy, personal messages. They add on-screen text formatted like a declaration—“the beat says: take your PTO” or “let your wife build the garden”.
Trend #14: Holy Airball
This carousel trend uses the sound “ECE Marketing Airball” to showcase communication misfires. It opens with a slide like “told him I want to be a veterinarian,” followed by the other person’s clueless interpretation, and ends with the reality—often more intense or literal—plus the punchline: “#holyfckinairball.” The structure mimics a swipe-reveal format, highlighting how people wildly misread each other. It taps into the humor and frustration of being misunderstood.
Trend #15: I Don't Wanna Be Alive
Set to the emotional climax of Logic’s “1-800-273-8255,” creators are showing either genuine breakdown moments or everyday emotional drains that “kill them inside.” Some simply film themselves mid-spiral, while others add ironic text that reframes minor inconveniences.
Trend #16: Current Boyfriend Prank
Creators casually refer to their partner as their “current boyfriend” or “current husband” while vlogging, capturing the stunned reaction that follows. The phrasing plants the idea of an impending “next,” sparking brief panic before the reveal.
Trend #17: And For My Next Trick
Using the track “My Kinda Lover,” creators build swipe-through carousels that start with the phrase “And for my next trick…” followed by an unexpected flex—like “I’ll pull a girl way out of my league.” Each slide reveals the payoff, often a partner or accomplishment. While many show off romantic wins, others subvert the setup with lines like “I’ll pull a guy in my league—I know my worth.” It’s a versatile brag format, blending confidence with surprise.
Trend #18: Can Say Word in .01 Seconds
This one’s all about the fake-out. Creators claim they can say a word in 0.01 seconds—then cut to a dramatic slo-mo clip of them actually saying it. It’s dumb in the best way, and people are falling for it every time. A perfect loopable joke that rewards attention and timing.
Trend #19: Hunger Games Audition
The Hunger Games account asked TikTok to send in “audition tapes” for the new movie—and the internet delivered, just not how the studio probably expected. Instead of serious entries, it’s chaotic parody: bad wigs, made-up monologues, and Gen Z being completely unserious. It’s a masterclass in fan-driven hype.
Trend #20: Hey Are We Still On?
This trend hits in the feelings. A creator texts someone to confirm plans, gets the dreaded cancel reply, says “no worries”—and then quietly deletes the text app, along with every tab they had open related to those plans. Think Olive Garden menus, outfit inspo, vibes playlists. It’s funny, but also kind of tragic in a very relatable way.
Trend #21: Propaganda I Will/Won’t Fall For
TikTok is in its list era. People are ranking the viral stuff they will or won’t fall for, like slugging with Aquaphor or buying that one Amazon dress. It’s part roast, part confession, and super clickable. Basically, everyone’s self-aware but still kind of tempted.
Trend #22: Put a Pizza in the Oven
It started with a soft flex—“babe just put a pizza in the oven” cues a slideshow of home-cooked masterpieces. But now it’s pure chaos: burnt pizzas, frozen meals, or someone throwing a DiGiorno at their partner. It’s the internet doing what it does best—taking something earnest and absolutely wrecking it.
