Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, your go-to source for an in-depth exploration of the songs, artists, intriguing curiosities, and emerging trends that are captivating the music industry. Some artists and tracks seem to appear out of nowhere, while others take time to build momentum, yet all of them have the potential to become cultural phenomena in the blink of a TikTok clip.
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This week, we see the remarkable impact of Director Danny Boyle’s go-to band as their streaming numbers surge following the release of his latest blockbuster sequel. Additionally, PinkPantheress shines with a new breakout hit from her highly acclaimed 2025 mixtape, while both “Whim Whamiee” hitmakers achieve individual viral success, and much more.
Viral Sensation: How the ‘28 Years Later’ Film Release Boosted Young Fathers’ Streaming Numbers
The Scottish indie band Young Fathers has been at the forefront of genre-blurring art rock for over a decade, earning substantial critical acclaim, especially within the U.K. music scene. They achieved a significant milestone with their album Heavy Heavy, which peaked at No. 7 on the Official Charts in 2023. Among their ardent supporters is acclaimed filmmaker Danny Boyle, who has consistently showcased their music, featuring several Young Fathers tracks in his 2017 film T2 Trainspotting, the long-awaited sequel to his iconic 1996 film Trainspotting.
In a significant collaboration, Boyle has elevated Young Fathers’ profile by having them compose and perform the score for his latest highly anticipated film, a dystopian horror flick that premiered to rave reviews and impressive box office returns on June 20. Following the film’s release, fans rushed to streaming services to experience the band’s gritty, unsettling soundtrack, resulting in an astounding 394,000 streams for Young Fathers within the first four days of the tracking week (June 20-23), marking a staggering 1,210% increase compared to the same timeframe the week prior, as reported by Luminate. While most of this surge originated from the film’s score, the band’s entire catalog also saw a boost, with a 55% increase in streams, totaling 47,000 for that period, excluding the 28 Years Later soundtrack.
Young Fathers is not alone in experiencing the positive ripple effect from the 28 Years Later film; the renowned post-rock band Godspeed! You Black Emperor also enjoyed increased visibility, particularly for their 1997 classic track “East Hastings,” which saw a 167% increase in streams, reaching over 11,000 during the same period. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER
Meet PinkPantheress: The Rising Star Embracing Another Viral Moment
PinkPantheress has become synonymous with the phenomenon of TikTok trends leading to significant streaming boosts. Her breakout single, “Boy’s a Liar,” achieved remarkable success, including an Ice Spice remix that propelled it into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2023. Just one month post the release of her impressive mixtape Fancy That, the lead track “Illegal” is gaining traction on TikTok, indicating the potential for yet another crossover hit.
Recently, TikTok users have taken to the platform to engage with the opening lines of “Illegal”—“My name is Pink, and I’m really glad to meet you / You’re recommended to me by some people / Hey, ooh, is this illegal? / Hey, ooh, it feels illegal”—creating a trending challenge where they lip-sync while shaking hands with an offscreen partner. As a result of this viral engagement, “Illegal” achieved an impressive 1.8 million official U.S. on-demand streams from June 20-23, reflecting a 61% increase compared to the previous week (1.11 million from June 13-16), according to Luminate. Should “Illegal” continue to gain traction, PinkPantheress is poised to secure her second Billboard Hot 100 hit as a lead artist, following her success with “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2,” which peaked at No. 3 two years ago. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
Pluto & YKNiece Achieve Individual Viral Success as ‘Whim Whamiee’ Climbs the Charts
As “Whim Whamiee” continues to navigate the mid-chart positions of the Hot 100 (currently at No. 63 as of the June 28-dated chart, after previously peaking at No. 51), breakout artists Pluto and YKNiece are gearing up with individual follow-up hits. Pluto’s track “Pull Your Skirt Up” gained momentum as a pre-release single from his newly launched project Both Ways, but a new dance trend initiated by food influencer and social media sensation Keith Lee has significantly propelled the song’s popularity.
On June 13, Lee shared a TikTok video from his wife’s account (@ron.geezy), showcasing him dancing along to the lyrics of “Pull Your Skirt Up”: “And we ain’t beefin’ ’bout no n—a, we want them racks / Hide your man or we gon’ f—k him on his deck / Pants tight, drop down, he’s a goner / Fake rich on the ‘Gram, we don’t want him.” The clip has since gone viral, amassing over 19 million views and 3.1 million likes, culminating in a dance trend that has attracted various Internet personalities, including Love Island USA Season 6 winners Serena Page and Kordell Beckham. The official TikTok sound for “Pull Your Skirt Up” has been featured in over 134,300 posts.
According to Luminate, “Pull Your Skirt Up” recorded over 880,000 official U.S. streams during the week of May 30-June 5. The following week (June 6-12), streams surged by 35% to over 1.19 million. By June 13-19, during the initial week of Lee’s viral video, streams soared over 62% to more than 1.93 million.
Meanwhile, YKNiece is riding the wave of success with a collaboration featuring BunnaB, whose track “Bunna Summa” was highlighted in a previous column. Titled “Innit,” inspired by the viral “I’m talmbout innit” ad-lib from “Whim Whamiee,” this track released on May 22 and racked up over 610,000 streams in its initial week (May 16-22). Approximately three weeks later (June 13-19), as the eating food/diving in it trend took off on TikTok, “Innit” surged by 62% to just over 992,000 streams. The official TikTok sound for “Innit” has been used in over 34,500 posts.
It appears that “Whim Whamiee” is only the beginning of what lies ahead for these two rising stars from Atlanta. – KYLE DENIS
Tinashe Collaborates with Disco Lines to Revitalize ‘Quantum Baby’ Track from Last Year
Last summer, Tinashe made a remarkable comeback with her first Hot 100 hit as a lead artist in a decade, thanks to the viral success of “Nasty.” This summer, she is once again aiming for chart success with her track “No Broke Boys” from the upcoming 2024 album Quantum Baby, which features “Nasty” as the lead single.
On June 6, Colorado-based DJ Disco Lines officially released his remix of “No Broke Boys,” which garnered over 2.6 million official U.S. streams in its first week (June 6-12), according to Luminate. The following week (June 13-19), streams increased by 19%, reaching over 3.1 million. The track continues to grow in popularity, with streams rising nearly 20% in the first four days of this tracking week (June 20-23), totaling 2.03 million streams.
Disco Lines initially teased the remix in a TikTok post on May 5, which has since attracted over half a million views. Tinashe joined the buzz with her own TikTok on May 31, captioned, “Feeling like the song of the summer idk.” The combination of Tinashe’s infectious energy and a danceable remix proved to be a successful strategy; the official “No Broke Boys” TikTok sound now has over 60,700 posts, while the official YouTube audio clip has gained more than 318,000 views.
Although the track is still on the rise, prospects look promising for Tinashe’s journey post-“Nasty.” – KD
