The song "Unholy," a collaboration between Kim Petras and British singer-songwriter Sam Smith, has taken over TikTok.
Smith, a Grammy winner, collaborated with German pop artist Petras, who rose to fame after her debut song "I Don't Want It At All" topped many Spotify viral music lists in 2017.
The song, which was released on Thursday, tells a story about unfaithfulness and an illegal fair, with Petras ostensibly portraying the "other woman." The song, which contains some of Petras's satirical tone and references to Fendi and Balenciaga, marks a change for Smith from their generally passionate, heartfelt lyrics.
One of several songs that have become popular on TikTok, some even before the tracks have been released, is "Unholy." The architecture of the platform makes it simple for users to repeatedly hear a song's infectious beat.
In an August TikTok, Petras and Smith first teased the song by dancing along with her to the words. Smith sings, "I hear them whisperin' about the places that you've visited." And how you don't know how to maintain a clean workplace.
They go on to say, "Mummy doesn't know daddy's feeling heated." At the body shop, performing an abominable act.
After the video gained over 29 million views, thousands of users promptly produced their own "Unholy" videos. Everything from dancing videos to cosmetic tips to food videos have used the clip as the soundtrack.
Additionally, according to Smith's Instagram post, the song earned over 10 million Spotify streams in the first day of its release.
The musician wrote on Thursday, "I'm so eager for you to hear this it's unbelievable. I hope everyone can listen to it and become crazy and UNHOLY to it because I've never had so much fun recording a record.
