M.I.A.’s ‘Paper Planes’ Rides Dance Trend to No. 1 on TikTok Billboard Top 50

M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” is the latest No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart, rising 2-1 on the Dec. 28-dated survey.

The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity from Dec. 16 to 22. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.

“Paper Planes” reigns 16 years after the song’s original run, when it peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 2008.

Its rise in December 2024 is linked to a dance trend, while Diplo (one of the song’s producers/writers) weighed in last week with an upload noting the tune’s revitalization.

“Paper Planes” concurrently boasts 4.4 million official U.S. streams in the week ending Dec. 19, up 19%, according to Luminate. It lifts 10-9 on Hot Alternative Songs and debuts at No. 20 on Alternative Streaming Songs.

“Paper Planes” reigns over a top five on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 that includes songs that have reached those heights previously, with four of the five even having reached No. 1 at some point. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” leaps 8-2, while Stepz’s “Rock” rises 5-4 and Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Maps” goes 7-5; all three songs have led the list for at least one week. The fifth, Tyler, the Creator’s “Like Him” (featuring Lola Young), returns to its peak of No. 3.

Two songs enter the top 10, one for the first time. First there’s Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” which zooms 20-7. That’s five spots below its peak so far of No. 2, achieved on the Jan. 6, 2024, chart. The holiday classic concurrently jumps 17% in Billboard-eligible streams to 46.1 million, returning to its No. 3 peak on the Hot 100.

In all, five holiday songs appear on the latest TikTok Billboard Top 50, with the next highest being Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” at No. 18.

The other new top 10 – in this case a newcomer – is Ceechnyaa’s “Peggy,” which leaps 18-9 in its second week on the ranking. The British rapper’s latest single was released on Dec. 5 and has gone viral for its raunchy lyrical content, with some of the top-performing TikTok uploads being reaction videos alongside lip-synch clips.

“Peggy” shoots 63% to 3.1 million streams in the week ending Dec. 19, though the TikTok Billboard Top 50 is the only chart it’s made so far.

See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.