London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jan 31, 2026

Tion Wayne and Russ Millions' Body named TikTok UK song of 2021

Tion Wayne and Russ Millions' Body named TikTok UK song of 2021

TikTok has named Body by Tion Wayne and Russ Millions as its most popular track by UK artists in 2021.

It means more videos were created to this song than any other this year, and it's the first time a drill song has taken that title.

Tion Wayne told Newsbeat: "TikTok is the new thing, man.

"It's great to see everyone get together and make trends go viral. Everyone got involved, we appreciate it."

The track's remix featuring ArrDee, E1 (3x3), ZT (3x3), Bugzy Malone, Buni, Fivio Foreign and Darkoo was the version most used by creators on the app. You couldn't scroll far on TikTok without hearing ArrDee's viral verse this year.

The hashtag #bodyremix has more than 200 million views on the app.

Body also broke boundaries earlier this year when it became the first drill song to reach number one in the UK official chart.

The ten most popular songs in the UK with TikTok users in 2021 are:

1. Body (Remix) - Tion Wayne & Russ Millions feat. ArrDee, E1 (3x3), ZT (3x3), Bugzy Malone, Buni, Fivio Foreign & Darkoo

2. Like I Can - Sam Smith

3. Just for me - PinkPantheress

4. Unlock it (Lock It) [Jeff Prior Mix] - Charli XCX

5. Levitating - Dua Lipa

6. Obsessed With You - Central Cee

7. Wellerman - Sea Shanty / 220 KID x Billen Ted Remix - Nathan Evans & 220 KID & Billen Ted

8. Bad Habits - Ed Sheeran

9. Oliver Twist - ArrDee

10. Nice To Meet Ya - Wes Nelson

In 2021, over 40 trending TikTok songs hit number one on the UK official charts, compared to just 10 in 2020.

Tion and Russ also picked up Song of the Year at the MOBO awards this year


Like I Can by Sam Smith came in as TikTok's second biggest UK song, and PinkPantheress' Just For Me took third place, after last year winning TikTok's breakout song of the summer.

PinkPantheress told Newsbeat she uses the app as a test for how songs will perform.

"I post a snippet of something, and if people like it I'll go and record a full version."

She never records a full song without gauging her fans' reaction there first.

"Before TikTok, I was using SoundCloud to post my music. The algorithm on Soundcloud isn't the same.

"The algorithm is crazy on TikTok, you can post a video and you can have zero followers and it can do well."
'That's Liv from TikTok'

Liv Harland, from York, had some of the biggest live stream moments of the year on TikTok, where she broadcasts herself busking.

"It's been absolutely nuts having 17,000 people at one point watching me. It's more than probably I'll ever have in a concert watching me," she told Newsbeat.

"Now I'll have at least 20 people come and ask for pictures or I'll hear: 'That's Liv from TikTok'."

The most-watched live moments by artists on TikTok are:

1. Ed Sheeran - UEFA EURO 2020 Show

2. Yungblud - Kentish Town Forum gig

3. Coldplay - Red Nose Day USA charity concert

4. Liv Harland - #Busker

5. Liv Harland - #Busker

6. Brad Ryan - #Busker

7. Liv Harland - #Busker

8. Liam Payne - Liam and Tom Felton #DracoTok

9. KSI - KSI Show

10. Disclosure - #ElectronicMusic

Reflecting on her positions in the list alongside Ed Sheeran, Yungblud and Coldplay, Liv said: "It's mad to even put my name in that category."

She plans to keep using the platform to further her career.

"TikTok's the new way to get into the top charts and that's what I want to do next year," she adds.

The review of TikTok's biggest songs also looked at the throwback tunes that have been most popular on the app this year.

Bills, Bills, Bills by Destiny's Child was the most popular comeback track in the UK, followed by Rasputin by Boney M and The Hustle by Van McCoy.


Singer Liv Harland live streams her busking performances on TikTok


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China Lifts Sanctions on British MPs and Peers After Starmer Xi Talks in Beijing
Trump Nominates Kevin Warsh as Fed Chair to Reorient U.S. Monetary Policy Toward Pro-Growth Interest Rates
AstraZeneca Announces £11bn China Investment After Scaling Back UK Expansion Plans
Starmer and Xi Forge Warming UK-China Ties in Beijing Amid Strategic Reset
Tech Market Shifts and AI Investment Surge Drive Global Innovation and Layoffs
Markets Jolt as AI Spending, US Policy Shifts, and Global Security Moves Drive New Volatility
U.S. Signals Potential Decertification of Canadian Aircraft as Bilateral Tensions Escalate
Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Sentenced to 20 Months for Bribery
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
China Executes 11 Members of the Ming Clan in Cross-Border Scam Case Linked to Myanmar’s Lawkai
Trump Administration Officials Held Talks With Group Advocating Alberta’s Independence
Starmer Signals UK Push for a More ‘Sophisticated’ Relationship With China in Talks With Xi
Shopping Chatbots Move From Advice to Checkout as Walmart Pushes Faster Than Amazon
Starmer Seeks Economic Gains From China Visit While Navigating US Diplomatic Sensitivities
Starmer Says China Visit Will Deliver Economic Benefits as He Prepares to Meet Xi Jinping
UK Prime Minister Starmer Arrives in China to Bolster Trade and Warn Firms of Strategic Opportunities
The AI Hiring Doom Loop — Algorithmic Recruiting Filters Out Top Talent and Rewards Average or Fake Candidates
Amazon to Cut 16,000 Corporate Jobs After Earlier 14,000 Reduction, Citing Streamlining and AI Investment
Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Powell Faces DOJ Criminal Investigation During 2026 Decision
Putin’s Four-Year Ukraine Invasion Cost: Russia’s Mass Casualty Attrition and the Donbas Security-Guarantee Tradeoff
Wall Street Bets on Strong US Growth and Currency Moves as Dollar Slips After Trump Comments
UK Prime Minister Traveled to China Using Temporary Phones and Laptops to Limit Espionage Risks
Google’s $68 Million Voice Assistant Settlement Exposes Incentives That Reward Over-Collection
Kim Kardashian Admits Faking Paparazzi Visit to Britney Spears for Fame in Early 2000s
UPS to Cut 30,000 More Jobs by 2026 Amid Shift to High-Margin Deliveries
France Plans to Replace Teams and Zoom Across Government With Homegrown Visio by 2027
Trump Removes Minneapolis Deportation Operation Commander After Fatal Shooting of Protester
Iran’s Elite Wealth Abroad and Sanctions Leakage: How Offshore Luxury Sustains Regime Resilience
U.S. Central Command Announces Regional Air Exercise as Iran Unveils Drone Carrier Footage
Four Arrested in Andhra Pradesh Over Alleged HIV-Contaminated Injection Attack on Doctor
Hot Drinks, Hidden Particles: How Disposable Cups Quietly Increase Microplastic Exposure
UK Banks Pledge £11 Billion Lending Package to Help Firms Expand Overseas
Suella Braverman Defects to Reform UK, Accusing Conservatives of Betrayal on Core Policies
Melania Trump Documentary Sees Limited Box Office Traction in UK Cinemas
Meta and EssilorLuxottica Ray-Ban Smart Glasses and the Non-Consensual Public Recording Economy
WhatsApp Develops New Meta AI Features to Enhance User Control
Germany Considers Gold Reserves Amidst Rising Tensions with the U.S.
Michael Schumacher Shows Significant Improvement in Health Status
Greenland’s NATO Stress Test: Coercion, Credibility, and the New Arctic Bargaining Game
Diego Garcia and the Chagos Dispute: When Decolonization Collides With Alliance Power
Trump Claims “Total” U.S. Access to Greenland as NATO Weighs Arctic Basing Rights and Deterrence
Air France and KLM Suspend Multiple Middle East Routes as Regional Tensions Disrupt Aviation
U.S. winter storm triggers 13,000-plus flight cancellations and 160,000 power outages
Poland delays euro adoption as Domański cites $1tn economy and zloty advantage
White House: Trump warns Canada of 100% tariff if Carney finalizes China trade deal
PLA opens CMC probe of Zhang Youxia, Liu Zhenli over Xi authority and discipline violations
ICE and DHS immigration raids in Minneapolis: the use-of-force accountability crisis in mass deportation enforcement
UK’s Starmer and Trump Agree on Urgent Need to Bolster Arctic Security
Starmer Breaks Diplomatic Restraint With Firm Rebuke of Trump, Seizing Chance to Advocate for Europe
UK Finance Minister Reeves to Join Starmer on China Visit to Bolster Trade and Economic Ties
×