TikTok's Global and US Song of the Summer 2026: Katy Perry's 'The One That Got Away'

TikTok's Global and US Song of the Summer 2026: Katy Perry's 'The One That Got Away'TikTok's Summer Honors awarded to Zara Larsson, 'Du Bist Gut Genug', CORTIS and SlayyyterSummer 2026 has once again seen music culture come to life on TikTok, with the global community discovering new artists, rediscovering beloved classics, launching viral trends and soundtracking millions of moments with an incredibly diverse mix of music.Today, TikTok can reveal its annual Songs of the Summer list, celebrating the songs, artists and trends that defined the season on TikTok and made Summer 2026 one for the history books.TikTok's Global Song of the Summer 2026: Katy Perry's 'The One That Got Away'.TikTok can reveal that the #1 Global Song of the Summer 2026 is Katy Perry's 'The One That Got Away'.'The One That Got Away' was on Katy Perry's phenomenally successful 'Teenage Dream' album and was first released as a single in 2011. The track has been discovered by a new generation on TikTok this summer, where the community has used it to soundtrack over 42 million videos and over 55 billion video views, and catapulted it back into the charts worldwide, including the Billboard Global 200 chart where it has spent the last 21 weeks. The track - which now has over 1.8bn streams on Spotify - fueled a wave of nostalgic, emotionally driven content on the platform – from covers and TV edits to personal “the one that got away” reflections including Katy's own reaction to the famous ex she wrote the song about. The track's resurgence led Katy Perry (10m followers) to release a director’s cut featuring new narration from rock legend Stevie Nicks.Katy Perry said: “It's surreal to see The One That Got Away having this moment, all these years later. The thing about music is that you never really know where a song is going to end up, or when someone is going to find it. From seeing it being chosen in the “choose your own adventure” section of my Lifetimes Tour concert film to seeing people discover it on TikTok and make it part of their own stories has been really special to watch. It’s nice to revisit an amazing chapter while watching another unfold.”TikTok's US Songs of the SummerKaty Perry's banger may have taken over our feeds, but the TikTok community in the US also embraced quite the range of songs to soundtrack this summer.As 2016 nostalgia swept TikTok this summer, Mac Miller's 'Cinderella (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)' became one of TikTok's biggest love songs of the summer, landing at #2 on the US list. Creators used the track to celebrate their significant others through heartfelt photos and relationship edits.Lenny Kravitz's 1991 hit 'It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over' took the #3 spot, with the TikTok community embracing the song after being featured in FX's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. The track quickly took over For You feeds, with creators discussing the series and pairing the song with adorable pet videos.Malcolm Todd's 'Earrings' found a whole new wave of fans on TikTok this summer, earning the #4 spot on the US list. The dreamy track became the perfect soundtrack for TV romance edits and heartfelt covers all summer long.Shakira and Burna Boy's 'Dai Dai' became the anthem of our soccer-filled summer, earning the #9 spot on the US list. Creators celebrated countries from every corner of the world and recreated Shakira's iconic dance moves, turning TikTok into a global celebration. Shakira even surprised fans by joining the trend herself!TikTok's Summer Honors 2026Every summer, TikTok is the home of viral trends, cultural conversations and fan connections that shape music around the world. Today TikTok would like to celebrate the tracks, artists and trends that have been all over our feed during Summer 2026, with the TikTok Summer Honors.🌸 Outstanding Contribution to the Summer: Zara LarssonTikTok would like to recognize Zara Larsson, the Grammy-nominated artist who gave us all a never-ending Midnight Sun this summer, and who truly embodies the spirit of Pop Girl Summer. Giving us infectious pop anthems and viral choreography, as well as viral make up trends, fan edits and behind the scenes looks at a superstar in the making, Zara Larsson and her remix album, 'Midnight Sun: Girls Trip', is the living embodiment of summer vibes, soundtracking all of our summers on TikTok, and sending Zara Larsson's career into the stratosphere.😂 Misheard Track of the Summer: 'Du Bist Gut Genug'Every summer needs that one viral sound of the season. Something so catchy you can't help but start singing it yourself, even if you don't know the words. This year's crown goes to 'Du Bist Gut Genug' ('You are good enough') by KITSCHKRIEG feat. Blumengarten and Shirin David, the viral track better known by many on TikTok as "Doobie Scoot Canoe". The TikTok global community has had a whole lot of fun with the German lyrics, inspiring thousands of hilarious videos, memes, and creator interpretations (including by BTS' Jungkook, Steve Lacy and Lizzo) that has become one of the season's most joyful shared jokes. And, with two new versions now released featuring Skepta and Omah Lay, that joke will run and run..KITSCHKRIEG said: "Beyond the virality, what really mattered to us was proving you can do it on your own terms. We were always told black and white doesn't work, 16:9 doesn't work - "Gut Genug" proved otherwise. Do your own thing, and if it's good, it connects — and people will carry it all around the world on TikTok."💚 Boyband of the Summer: CORTISCelebrating the artists who helped drive K-pop discovery and community on TikTok this summer. Everyone was hitting their iconic choreo including KATSEYE, LE SSERAFIM, and BTS' J-Hope. From fan edits and dance challenges to performance clips and creative trends, CORTIS inspired fans around the world to celebrate the genre and connect through music.CORTIS said: “We’re so proud that ‘REDRED’ is selected as one of TikTok’s Songs of the Summer! We love seeing how the TikTok community discovers our music and brings their own creativity to it. The response to ‘REDRED’ has been incredible, and we’re so grateful to COER and everyone who has listened, created and made the song part of their summer."🚀 Emerging Artist of the Summer: SlayyyterRecognizing the breakthrough artist who captured the attention of TikTok's global community this summer. Some TikTok favourites like Keke Palmer and Camila Mendes used "DANCE..." to show us their iconic moves. Through creative fan content, viral moments and growing momentum on and off the platform, Slayyyter reached new audiences around the world and cemented herself as one of the season's standout new voices.Songs of the Summer, Vol. 2026TikTok is celebrating the Songs of the Summer 2026 with the launch of a major new social campaign: “Songs of the Summer, Vol. 2026”. The campaign brings to life the standout themes, tracks, artists, creators and cultural moments that defined Summer 2026 on TikTok in the form of a digital mixtape. The “Songs of the Summer, Vol. 2026” campaign dives into three of the biggest cultural moments that soundtracked summer 2026 for the global TikTok community;Pop Girl Summer: Zara Larsson - 'Midnight Sun'Nostalgia Revival: Katy Perry - 'The One That Got Away'K-Pop Summer: CORTIS - 'REDRED'Tracy Gardner, Global Head of Music Business Development at TikTok, said:“TikTok's Songs of the Summer once again show how our community embraces music in all its forms, from emerging artists finding a global audience to much-loved catalogue tracks being discovered by a whole new generation for the first time. From new fans discovering Katy Perry's‘The One That Got Away’ 15 years after its release and sending it back into charts around the world, to Zara Larsson finding incredible new momentum and defining ‘Pop Girl Summer’, TikTok is where music culture is shaped and fandom grows, connecting artists and songs with new audiences and turning discovery into momentum that reaches far beyond the platform.”