Just Reel It: Songs that have gone viral on social media

The backbone for any viral meme or challenge has been music, be it the popular dialogue "Rasode main kaun tha" mash-up or the transformation challenges on the number "I'm so pretty and he likes that".

Mar 18, 2021, 3:15 pm ISTMusicIANS

With TikTok gone, Instagram Reels has been catching on among GenNow social media addicts, and the trend of posting videos on hit songs continues on the video-sharing platform. Currently on Reels, social media users are looking back songs old and new for viral challenges.

Here are the top songs that are currently going viral with user videos:

SEXY BACK

The Justin Timberlake hit was released over a decade ago -- in 2006 -- and netizens have suddenly made a viral dance challenge using it, where they perform on the lyrics in a group of four or five, standing in a circle and grooving with the lyrics and the beat of the song, where each group member gets a chance to perform on a line.

PUT YOUR HAND ON MY SHOULDER

This has to be the most popular song for the viral Silhouette challenge. The number is a mix of two songs -- Put your head on my shoulder by Paul Anka and Streets by Doja Cat. The concept of the challenge on this number is to shoot a video dancing as a silhouette, with a red filter covering the details of your body. Users generally start the video in front of the camera fully clothed. When the music changes, they appear nude in silhouette form, aided by a dark red and black filter. Bollywood actress Hina Khan was recently seen participating in the trend. Her video got over 28.4 million views.

DREAMUM WAKEUPUM

The number belongs to the 2012 Rani Mukerji-starrer "Aiyyaa". The song, picturised on Rani and Malayalam star Prithviraj Sukumaran, has suddenly gained momentum on Instagram with users doing their own choreography on the number. Bollywood dancer Lauren Gottlieb was seen dancing on this old track, which has now become one of the most popular numbers on Instagram. Her video currently has 4.5 million views.

BUSS IT

The number is by Texas rapper Erica Banks and it released last year. The song has been used for a transformation challenge requiring users to sport no a make-up look, dressed in regular homewear. As soon as the lines change, the follow-up clip shows them dropping low and twerking to Banks' chorus while dressed up with make-up. Bollywood star couple Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone were seen twerking on the number for the #Bussit challenge.

DON'T RUSH

Young T & Bugsey's hip-hop rap number dropped in 2020. The song requires participants to just groove on the number with choreographed steps. Several Indian celebrities such as Vicky Kaushal, Remo D'Souza and Samantha Akkineni have their versions of the #dontrush challenge on Reels and have gone viral.