Celebrating our global community that entertained and sparked joy with their creativity this year

TikTok is a unique place where culture starts and where creativity knows no bounds - where anyone can discover, create, and share content they love. In 2021, over 1 billion people turned to TikTok to be entertained, find and share their joy with others, and learn new things.

This year, our community in Ireland and around the world discovered new ways to express creativity, championed teams and the causes we care about, and found new favorites - from recipes to new music trends and genres.


@tiktok

Join us as we celebrate the trends, moments and movements that made 2021-of-a-kind. Thank you for being part of the ##YearOnTikTok !

♬ original sound - TikTok


Rich Waterworth, General Manager, TikTok UK and Europe, said:

"Our Year on TikTok is a homage to the diversity and unpredictability of 2021. While Ireland was at its lowest, we had modern day Sea Shanties on the airwaves, powered by a TikTok trend and our community, and brought Ed Sheeran's new music to millions of people during our UEFA EURO 2020 Show.

"In the past year, TikTok has been at the centre of so many cultural moments, and we've been proud to be a place where people can come together, through good times and bad, to laugh, smile and express themselves. As we head into 2022, we know that our community will continue to surprise us, bringing joy to everyone through their creativity."

Today, join us as we celebrate all the trends, moments, and movements that made 2021 a year on TikTok that was one-of-a-kind, including some of the Irish community of creators which brought us joy as they reached new heights on TikTok in 2021.

Breakthrough Stars

As the beating heart of TikTok, creators make our community what it is today. We're humbled and excited to see so many creators entertain and connect with communities as well as launch careers on and off the platform. Technology, education and fashion communities saw the most creators breaking new ground this year. Here are the Irish TikTok creators who both broke out and hit new heights this year.

  • Killian Sundermann (@killersundy) - self-described as the 'inventor of hedgetok', Killian gained popularity in 2021 with 6 million likes through his witty TikTok sketches which included 'a German person trying to make an Irish person tea' and 'A Guide to Ditches'. Killian is also featuring in a new comedy sketch 'Free Gaff' with fellow up and coming Irish comedians on the RTÉ Player. Watch Killian’s hilarious video of ‘cultural differences of offering’ here - link
  • Miriam Mullins (@miriammullins_) - Miriam moved back to her family home in Cork in 2020 due to the pandemic and started creating content, including 'classic Irish mammy videos' and 'point of view' videos including 'POV: 90s teenager meets teenager of today'. Miriam has since appeared on RTÉ's Late Late Show in September 2021. Here's Miriam nailing her impression of an Irish mammy coming into your room while on the phone - link
  • Niall Casey (@nialllcasey) - In 2021, Niall Casey started experimenting with his looks, going for extreme, authentic designs. The move saw him climb the TikTok ladder, gaining 1.2 million followers, and exploding into the makeup scene after his appearance on RTÉ’s Glow Up Ireland. Have a look at some of Niall's extraordinary talent here - link
  • Cairde (@_cairde) - Cairde went viral on TikTok in 2021 with videos of them Irish dancing to pop songs and viral TikTok songs, while also appearing on Good Morning America for St. Patrick's Day in March 2021. It's not everyday you see people Irish dancing on the Cliffs of Moher! Watch here - link

Powered by Joy

Whether TikTok videos make you smile or laugh in unexpected ways, one thing's for sure: our community sparks joy. This year, animals, art and entertainment culture are some of the popular content categories that delighted our global community. Take in the good vibes from the Irish videos that brought us so much joy this year.

FYFaves

TikTok videos transcend cultures and borders to reach For You feeds everywhere. 2021 saw For You feeds filled with trending content across beloved categories including comedy, food and drink, and family videos. Check out the videos from around the world that make up some of this year's memorable moments.

  • @totouchanemu - Dancing with a drone made us stay for this one. (US)
  • @nathanevanss - There once was a man... The Sea Shanty heard around the world. (UK)
  • @youneszarou - A tasty take on photography. (DE)
  • @cunhalucass - A casual trip to the aquarium. (BR)
  • @a.z.yx - BRB, changing my PFP. (SG)

The Playlist

From homemade beats to classics making a comeback, the songs on your For You feed made you hit repeat. In 2021, trending songs on TikTok came from established, emerging, and breakthrough artists, spanning a range of genres as diverse as our community itself. Be it pop, hip-hop and rap, or electronic and dance, music starts on TikTok. Here are a few of our community's favorite songs this year.

Only on TikTok

Creativity has no limits on TikTok, and our community continues to discover and create new ways to share entertaining content with the world, with Movie Filter, Green Screen, and Color Customizer among this year's popular creative effects. Here are the TikTok trends made possible by our tools and effects, and your creativity in 2021.

Voices of Change

This year, TikTok continued to be a safe space for creators and our community to come together, lift each other up, and support the causes they care about. Our global community supported causes they cared most about throughout the year, including LGBTQ+ advocacy, mental health, and racial equality. Find out more about the impactful creators, celebrities, and public figures who continue to fight for positive change around the world.

Eats on Repeat

Foodies around the world continued to find a home on TikTok this year. From the world's favourite at-home feta pasta to supersized kebabs and salmon rice, along with a few pantry decluttering tips, check out all the recipes and food hacks TikTok got the world craving for this year.


The Wishlist

With more than six billion views globally of #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, our community continues to be a place for discovery, inspiration and genuine honest reviews that have products flying off the shelves. Globally, home, beauty and gadgets were among the categories that sparked shopping trends and cultural conversations this year. Discover what's on this year's wishlist.

  • Magnetic Sticky Notes


    • Ask on TikTok

    To celebrate your own year on TikTok, starting today, we're also launching Ask on TikTok, a new Q&A feature inviting you to look back on your most memorable moments in 2021. Simply choose which questions you want to answer about your year in the app. People can choose a question like "what was your 2021 highlight?" or "what was your happiest moment of 2021?" and answer it in a new creation or by sharing a previous TikTok video.

    New to TikTok? Join our community by simply downloading the app for free via the Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon.ated as part of our celebration. We're excited to have the opportunity to celebrate their creativity and the impact their content had on the TikTok community throughout 2021.