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Viral ‘Hostile Government Takeover' TikTok Gets Turned Into Best-Selling Dance Banger

Viral ‘Hostile Government Takeover' TikTok Gets Turned Into Best-Selling Dance Banger

Yahoo26-02-2025
Welcome to Billboard Pro's newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry's attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
This week: A viral TikTok is remixed into a best-selling protest song, an indie rock institution is introduced to younger fans (again) through a big movie synch and Philadelphia gets to celebrate yet another February win via a breakout rap hit.
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A few weeks after Donald Trump returned to the White House and started dismantling norms left and right, the TikTok user AGiftFromTodd recorded a 30-second video of himself getting ready to leave his house while crooning an original song that began with the line, 'We're in the middle of a hostile government takeover/ I wanna talk about it, but I'll be late for work.' Todd's soulful alarmism went viral, with thousands of likes and shares on TikTok upon its Feb. 4 upload, and while he posted a few new versions of the song in the following weeks, the one that's crossed off to streaming services in a major way is an EDM remix that pairs hopelessness with a club thump, courtesy of producer Vinny Marchi.
'Hostile Government Takeover' by AGiftFromTodd & Vinny Marchi spent a good chunk of last weekend at No. 1 on iTunes, selling 4,800 downloads from Feb. 21-24, according to initial data provided by Luminate. Meanwhile, its streams keep climbing — the dance remix earned 597,000 official U.S. on-demand streams over that four-day span, up from 153,000 streams from the previous Friday-to-Monday tracking period. As the song debuts at No. 13 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs this week — plus No. 2 on Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales and No. 12 on Digital Song Sales — and continues to spread, the good news for Todd Givens Jr. is that the next four years will offer plenty of new material to riff on for follow-ups. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
If there's one rock act from 20 years ago that doesn't especially need any more bumps from newfound Gen Z virality, it's probably New York's the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The trio, which reunited in 2022 for its first album together in nearly a decade, spent a stunning eight weeks atop the Billboard TikTok Top 50 chart last year for signature 2003 power ballad 'Maps,' racking up millions of streams a week for the revitalized (and re-viralized) hit. Now, the group is surging again with a catalog hit – though this time, it's not with another decades-old song, but rather a song from that reunion album.
'Spitting Off the Edge of the World,' which was the lead single of 2022's Cool It Down and featured an assist from acclaimed alt-pop singer-songwriter Perfume Genius, has gotten a big look in Apple TV's original movie The Gorge, released on Valentine's Day. The song plays during a pivotal love scene between the film's co-leads – played by film stars Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy – and it shot to near the top of the Shazam charts almost immediately after the film's release, still sticking around there a week later, as folks scrambled to find out what the doomy song playing in the action romance was.
A whole lot of those Shazamers undoubtedly ended up streaming 'Spitting' as well – as the song racked up 629,000 official on-demand U.S. streams for the tracking week ending Feb. 20, a 375% gain for the song from the previous week, according to Luminate. And many ended up purchasing the song, too: 'Spitting' sold nearly 3,000 copies in that week, a massive gain from the just-over-100 it moved the week before, and good enough for a No. 15 debut on the Digital Song Sales chart – the group's first-ever appearance on that listing. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER
Last fall (Sept. 9, 2024), a nameless TikTok account uploaded a snippet of a then-unreleased Skrilla song titled 'Doot Doot.' The snippet quickly rent viral due to his rambling opening verse, 1ellis' gritty production and his memorable delivery of the phrase 'six, seven.' Since September, the snippet has been used in over 126,000 TikTok posts, eventually giving way to an official DSP release on Feb. 7, 2024.
As the 'Doot Doot' snippet continued to make the rounds on TikTok going into 2025, the song earned an unforeseen supporter in Taylor 'TK' Kinney, a basketball star for RWE of the Overtime Elite league. Hailing from Newport, Kentucky, the baller has found a way to say 'six, seven' in Skrilla's cadence in nearly every interview from the past few months. The phrase is now synonymous with both TK and Skrilla on socials, and the two young men got to link up in person at an RWE game two weeks ago.
For weeks, TikTok users have been responding positively to TK's 'clip farming' — a practice that basically entails purposely doing something in hopes that it will be clipped and reuploaded across social media – by making edits of his game highlights that are soundtracked by his 'six, seven' quip merged with the 'Doot Doot' snippet.
According to Luminate, 'Doot Doot' earned 1.7 million official on-demand U.S. streams during its first week of released (Feb. 7-13). That figure shot up 105% the following week to over 3.5 million streams. The track has already racked up 3.2 million streams over the first four days of this tracking week (Feb. 21-24), according to initial data provided by Luminate, which marks an 88% jump from the same period the prior week.
With its official music video garnering over 1.26 million YouTube views in just over a week and no signs of slowing down on TikTok, there's tons of room for Skrilla's latest hit to continue growing. – KYLE DENIS
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Common pilates act that everyone is guilty of doing at some point
Common pilates act that everyone is guilty of doing at some point

New York Post

time23 minutes ago

  • New York Post

Common pilates act that everyone is guilty of doing at some point

An Aussie pilates instructor has called out an all-too-common exercise act that most of us are guilty of. Adelle Petropoulos, 30, teaches pilates full time and does four classes a week. After a recent class, the Melbourne woman took to TikTok to rant about something she sees in the studio all the time. 'If this ever happens in your pilates class, just stop moving. You've done your class, everyone's worked their little tushies off. The instructor put on harmonious music,' she said. 'Find your quiet, still space — that is not instructions for you to get up, take your straps off, and start cleaning your reformer.' She said all that can be heard throughout the quiet time at the end of the class are the sounds of cleaning spray and noisy personal items being bundled up. Petropoulos advised people to either leave before the quiet music or not come to the class at all, as it interrupts others who choose to stay. 4 An Aussie pilates instructor has called out an all-too-common exercise act that most of us are guilty of. photology1971 – Speaking to Petropoulos said that as an instructor, her job is to create the best 45-minute experience for every person in the room. 'When people start packing up before class ends, it disrupts that shared energy. It sends a message — intentionally or not — that the last few minutes don't matter, when in fact, they're often the most important: the wind-down, the breath work, the integration. Those moments are where the magic happens,' she told 'It's not just about etiquette, it's about respect — for the practice, the instructor, and most importantly, for the people around you who are still trying to be present. Everyone deserves that full experience.' 4 Adelle Petropoulos advised people to either leave before the quiet music or not come to the class at all, as it interrupts others who choose to stay. tiktok/@adellepetros She said she understood that most people didn't mean any harm by it, as they're just busy, but it can be incredibly 'disruptive' and 'pulls others out of the moment.' Petropoulos said most people agreed with what she said in the social media rant. Another action, from her perspective, that causes similar issues is using your phone in class. She mentioned that most people come in with great energy and respect for the space. 'Just a reminder that we're all human — no one's perfect! But if we can all stay present, support each other, and treat the space with care, it makes a huge difference. Pilates is about more than movement — it's a shared community-led experience, and when we all show up fully, the energy in the room becomes something really special,' Petropoulos said. Simon Ngo, from Flow Athletic, described Petropoulos' video as 'spot on and accurate.' He said while leaving during the cool down portion of the class at Flow Athletic, due to the relative intensity of the classes, it is quite rare it seems to be a fairly common occurrence in pilates in general. 4 'When people start packing up before class ends, it disrupts that shared energy. It sends a message — intentionally or not — that the last few minutes don't matter, when in fact, they're often the most important: the wind-down, the breath work, the integration. Those moments are where the magic happens,' she said. tiktok/@adellepetros 'I just feel like it's a 'what a shame' moment. It's as though you've gone to the effort of checking out the dessert menu but not ordered anything,' he said. 'Or more accurately, like you've ordered the dessert, it's arrived and you've decided to leave.' He said people should stick around for that part of the class, as it's part of it for a reason. 'If you don't start a class without a warm-up, why would you not finish with a cool down?' he said. 4 'It's not just about etiquette, it's about respect — for the practice, the instructor, and most importantly, for the people around you who are still trying to be present. Everyone deserves that full experience,' she continued. Somkiat – 'Otherwise, a class would have been advertised 5 minutes shorter. Plus, your instructors probably would have gone above and beyond to plan these Zen closing-out moments. 'As much as people are time poor and, rather because of it, these few minutes of slowing down and reconnecting with ourselves are the stress-buster and self-care everyone needs in these of world of being busy today.' He said in 2025, securing a spot in a pilates class almost rivals getting into the housing market so if you land a spot, 'stay for the full experience.'

We Are Drinking So Much Matcha That Supplies Are Running Out
We Are Drinking So Much Matcha That Supplies Are Running Out

Time​ Magazine

time24 minutes ago

  • Time​ Magazine

We Are Drinking So Much Matcha That Supplies Are Running Out

Matcha tea, a powdered Japanese green tea, has become a cultural phenomenon in the West, so much so that its popularity has resulted in a global supply problem. Western consumers have thirsted for the health option in recent years, a trend skyrocketed by social media—especially through Tik Tok. At the same time, Japan has experienced a mass tourism rise in the post-pandemic years—in 2024, Japan welcomed a record-breaking 36.9 million international visitors, surpassing the previous record of 31.9 million in 2019 — leading to many mass tea companies and local vendors to report shortages of supply. Back in October 2024, two well-known matcha companies—Ippodo and Marukyu Koyamaen—limited and/or stopped selling certain kinds of matcha, citing short supplies. 'Dear customers, We have been receiving an unexpected high volume of orders during the past few months. Taking production scale and capacity into consideration, we regrettably announce that availability for all Matcha products, regardless size and packaging type, will be limited from now on,' Marukyu Koyamaen's website still reads. Matcha comes from the same plant that many different teas come from— the camellia sinensis. The camella sinensis leaves can be made into green tea, oolong tea, and black tea. Though matcha originates from China, it has become closely associated and rooted in Japanese culture. Matcha is a type of green tea, but the processing, form and taste differs significantly, and is made specifically from tencha, a shaded green leaf tea. Matcha also only makes up a small amount of Japanese tea production—just 6%—according to the Global Japanese Tea Association. Yet, the demand has skyrocketed. And as a result, prices have also soared. According to Forbes, the matcha market is expected to hit about $5 billion by 2028, an expected growth of more than 10% since 2023. Further, the Japanese agriculture ministry has reported that the 2024 tencha output was over 2.5 times higher than 2014. The question is whether increased demand, small farmers trying to meet this demand, and a crop that is heavily dependent on weather patterns can keep up, even as the spring matcha harvest attempts to make up for the shortages of the past year. This year, though, the Kyoto region of Japan, which accounts for a large percentage of tencha harvest, was hit with a hot and dry harvest season, say farmers in the area. In 2025, Zach Mangan, founder of Kettl Tea, a Brooklyn-based company specializing in high-quality teas imported directly from farms in Japan, called this year's harvest a 'high-quality but lower-yielding harvest' in a blog post in May of this year—the kind of harvest that will boost demand and lower availability, potentially raising prices even further. Read More: The Surprising Reason Your Groceries Are More Expensive According to the Global Japanese Tea Association, the average price for tencha in late April reached 8,235 yen per kilogram, which is 1.7 times higher than last year's average. And according to producers, that can only be expected to continue. 'Over the past year, demand for matcha has grown beyond all expectations,' Ippodo updates customers on July 18. 'Unfortunately, supply constraints are likely to continue.'

38 Cool Products To Buy Yourself This Month
38 Cool Products To Buy Yourself This Month

Buzz Feed

timean hour ago

  • Buzz Feed

38 Cool Products To Buy Yourself This Month

Eos Cashmere Body Oil — yes, that's right, the astronomically TikTok-famous Eos "cashmere" body lotion now comes in body oil form, so you can lock in that ridiculously compelling whipped vanilla, musk, and soft caramel scent *and* lock in that all-day moisture with a lightweight, velvety finish. A pack of instant cold-stirred foam caramel iced lattes so you can get all that delicious, decadent ~froth~ you love so much right from the comfort of your own home. Considering the price of a fancy bev these days, this is a STEAL at a buck per drink. A holy grail, internet-beloved 5-in-1 Edgelift Curl Brush to define curls, waves, and coils, help prevent frizz, and create precise parts and sections. Reviewers of all curl and wave types are just short of shouting in the comments about how they never found a brush that worked as well as this one, and parents are especially grateful for how easily this untangles their kiddo's hair! A cult-favorite Creamy Coconut fragrance rollerball reviewers compare to the pricey Sol de Janeiro version. 👀☀️ This is from TikTok-famous small business brand Kuumba Made, known for its luxury scents at ridiculously affordable prices, so you know they're on their game — reviewers especially love how ~beachy~ and long-lasting this sweet but elevated fragrance feels and how nicely it plays with other scents! A limited edition (!!) Eos Marshmallow "Super Balm" lip treatment from the brand's "secret menu" so good that reviewers say it's better than Carmex for healing and better than Summer Fridays for quality. Lip care that also tastes like you're perpetually eating a s'more for less than $5?? My friends, life is good. McCormick's Potato Topping Seasoning for anyone who's not afraid to get a little feral about their air-fried, mashed, and baked potatoes — this blend of salt, garlic, and asiago cheese is so mouthwateringly delicious that you'll be dumping it on everything from popcorn to grilled cheese to guacamole. A copy of Burn After Writing, a guided journal countless TikTokers swear by — through a series of questions and thought experiments, it encourages people to take time away from their screens to explore their feelings, both new and old, so they can embrace meaningful ones and try to let others go. Dove's Coconut Milk & Sugar Lychee Body Wash so moisturizing, gentle, and decadently-scented that you're going to feel fully transported to your ~happy place~ every time you lather it on. This is especially lovely for sensitive skin, since the plant milk base is nutrient-rich and sulfate-free to keep your skin feeling eeextra soft and loved. A mini Bob Ross paint-by-numbers kit for anyone on their "happy accidents" beat — this itty bitty set comes with everything you need to create three tiny masterpieces of your very own. A bottle of Elizavecca hair treatment, an Olaplex-like repairing mask infused with collagen ingredients and protein extracts that will help restore hair health and reduce shedding (*without* the $30 Olaplex price tag). All you gotta do is apply it on wet hair after a shampoo, wait five minutes, and rinse it out. A set of DEET-free handy mosquito-repelling bracelets for the ultimate in genius summer investments — these use essential oils, including citronella, to help stop those teensy vampires in their tracks. A NeeDoh "Dream Drop," another release from the *elite* Needoh sensory fidget toy line for anyone who wants to add more calm and focus to their day. This goo-filled, delightfully colorful fidget has a satisfying squish with a "slow rise" before going back to its original shape. Reviewers also love that it doesn't have the kind of stickiness that picks up debris and makes it hard to clean. A set of cheerful Lego botanical "happy plants," aka your new favorite coworkers. How can capitalism bring you down when these two are smiling up at you all day long? All the joys of having an office plant without the shame of your coworkers being like, "Shouldn't you ... maybe ... water that??" Laneige's Neo Blurring Powder to absorb oil and blur pores so effectively that you'll be like, " Might be the only explanation for how this can matte-ify your complexion while still keeping it radiant and glowy like the fresh spring dew. ✨ Spooky Summer, another beloved stress relief coloring book from Southern Lotus, a brand that's made itself famous on TikTok for its cozy, relaxing, easy-to-draw themes. This one is full of happy little spooks enjoying their favorite summer ~haunts~. Dr Teal's "Hawaiian Bliss" Epsom salt magnesium soak, a ~limited edition~ blend of red sea salt, papaya, and hibiscus, reviewers are so in love with that a ton of them are buying extra bags (or literally hoarding them) before the brand runs out. One reviewer went so far as to call it "heaven in a bag!" Yankee Candle's Midsummer's Night, or what I like to call a "goth summer candle," as a perfectly moody way to usher in the warmer weather if you're not a big fan of sweetness and floral. Reviewers compare this alluring blend of musk, patchouli, sage, and mahogany to a soft cologne. An SPF 50 Airy Sunstick Smoothing Bar, a K-beauty staple with a curved balm stick style that makes it super easy to apply, and a non-sticky, white cast-free formula that plays ABSURDLY well with makeup. If you're looking for a lightweight "soft matte" sunscreen to protect your skin, this is your new BFF. A set of limited edition Band-Aids with retro flower patterns so the next time you get a little ouch, you can be like, "wound care, but make it summer-y." Vacation Orange Gelée SPF 30 Gel, a luxurious "balm to oil" blend designed to smell and look so good that you'll wonder how the SPF even got in there. The iconic orange tint blends perfectly into all skin tones and leaves a glossy shine, and the scent is nothing short of decadent — a "French Riviera" scent that blends sandalwood, bergamot, saffron, patchouli, and clove. Suddenly, putting on sunscreen doesn't feel like a chore!! A set of spicy margarita instant cocktail tea bags — all the sophistication of tea and the 😜 of a cheeky cocktail, without the exorbitant bar price tags or the sugar crash. All you have to do is add three ounces of cold water, 1.5 ounces of hard liquor, and the tea sachet into a glass, and you'll have a delicious cocktail in one minute. Lumify Eye Drops, a product so beloved by TikTok that despite being more $$ than other brands, it's the number one selling brand on Amazon right now. Reviewers swear by this for instant reduction in redness in their eyes, with visible differences within a minute of use. A 3-in-1 charging cord to juice up your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at the same time. (It's giving witchcraft??) This just solved all your "welp, everything's dying and there's only one outlet in this car/on this flight/in this teensy hotel room" problems for good. A "spray and go" enzyme-based laundry stain remover that works its magic in one wash to help you instantly get rid of all that discolored dried sweat, oil stains, or deodorant residue on your favorite clothes, so you don't have to do any heavy scrubbing yourself. A strapless maxi dress designed with such high-quality material that reviewers are *delighted* by how easy it is to transition this from a casual shopping look to "oh boy, I've been invited to a fifth wedding this summer" look. A bladeless, oscillating Dreo Tower Fan reviewers especially love for their bedrooms and offices because it is SO so so whisper-quiet. This remote-controlled fan with nine different speeds and four modes is basically the height of summer luxury — especially because it uses sensors to adjust wind speed as the temperature shifts throughout the day. Catrice "Instant Awake" Under Eye Brightener, which became the internet's holy grail — now in four shades! — for concealing and brightening dark circles under your eyes so fast that everyone's old concealers are doing double takes. This lightweight color-adapting formula is designed for truly ~invisible~ coverage that makes a drastic difference. A delightfully affordable instant foot peeling spray for anyone ready to go full YEEHAW!! on a pedicure, without the big salon price tag. This not only helps gently remove dead skin, but moisturizes dry and cracked heels, so you'll really get some refreshing bang for your buck. A "flossing toothbrush" with two layers of bristles — regular firm bristles and longer ones that are ten times thinner to clean deep in between your teeth and gums to mimic flossing. Reviewers love how deep the clean feels, and also how soft it is on sensitive teeth! A family-friendly mini waffle maker machine so you can have a genuine but manageable god complex making your own "mini Eggos" from the comfort of your home. (Shoutout to the cinnamon toast ones, which were peak '90s breakfast.) An app-controlled hybrid air purifier and nightstand with a HEPA filter for anyone playing Olympic levels of "making efficient use of space." This is an absolute game-changer for pet owners or allergy-prone humans, helping deodorize air and pick up pet dander (it even has a handy Pet Mode!). Reviewers love this for living areas and bedrooms alike. A set of Victoria's Secret–inspired seamless "invisible" underwear so soft and stretchy your butt will want to *sing* when you slide them on. This is a true holy grail underwear that doesn't show, doesn't ride up, and somehow manages to look cute all at the same time. An outdoor grilling caddy that's simply thought of everything — it has room for all your condiments, a magnetic strip to keep tools and cutlery in place, two paper towel rolls or aluminum roll holders, and adjustable, removable grids so you can optimize it to your exact needs. No more ducking into the house for odds and ends when you should be going to clown town on a burger! An absolutely darling Kate Spade lunch tote at such a reasonable price point that honestly, it's worth buying just to make your coworkers jealous alone. Let the office lunch thief TRY and take snacks out of the chic bag that everyone knows is yours! The Game of Life Goals, the card game version of the OG beloved (if not very stressful) Game of Life board. This version rubs a little TOO close to your existential fright with the tagline, "You can't control the card you're dealt, but you can choose what to do with them!" (Or you can just cope by turning off autonomy on The Sims, you do you.) Dr. Melaxin "Peel Shot," a K-beauty staple for serious exfoliation that buffs out dead skin and leaves your complexion looking glowy and refreshed. If you're looking for an effective way to kick dead skin cells, blackheads, and sebum to the curb, this deeply penetrating rice water extract formula is just the ticket. Tree Hut Coco Colada Hand Wash infused with hyaluronic acid and ceramides to help hydrate and restore skin health so your hands can be super clean *and* super nourished. Now all you have to do is prepare to have the link to this handy whenever guests come over and are like, "WHERE DID YOU GET THIS DELECTABLE SOAP??" A trendy, oh-so-comfortable cinched jumpsuit a ton of reviewers *swear* by as the ultimate travel and lounge piece, since it is easy to pack as a "one and done" outfit, matches any kind of shoe or outer layer vibe, and is ridiculously cozy to boot.

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