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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →TikTok’s December 2022 year-end retrospective mixed celebrity performances, remixed memes, animals, food sculpture, charity, classroom surprise and science experiments. In the U.S. list, Rosalía chewing gum ranked third, the “It’s Corn” remix featuring Corn Kid ranked sixth, and a chocolate giraffe took the top spot.
What TikTok’s “best of 2022” list actually was
This was TikTok’s own U.S. year-end selection, not an independent ranking of every viral video. Contemporary reports describe TikTok’s choices using overlapping terms such as “best,” “most viral” and “most viewed.” Reporting also indicates that TikTok considered several engagement and popularity signals—including views, likes, creations and growth—but did not publish a complete formula showing how each was weighted. The list is therefore best read as TikTok’s curated snapshot of what it considered especially prominent or memorable in the United States during 2022.
The U.S. ranking contained 10 videos. TikTok also issued a separate five-video global selection, which should not be treated as a direct continuation of the American list.
Contemporary coverage of the announcement appeared in December 2022, including 20minutos.
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The complete U.S. top 10
| Rank | Creator and video | Why it stood out |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | @amauryguichon — chocolate giraffe | Pastry chef Amaury Guichon built an enormous giraffe from chocolate, turning a painstaking process into a highly watchable reveal. |
| 2 | @chipmunksoftiktok — Squishy returns from hibernation | The chipmunk came back from hibernation and ate treats, combining cute-animal appeal with a simple return narrative. |
| 3 | @rosalia — chewing gum while performing “Bizcochito” | Rosalía’s exaggerated stare, posture and chewing became a recognizable imitation format. |
| 4 | @blondebrunetteredhead — the Riverdale cast performs “Jiggle Jiggle” | Camila Mendes, Lili Reinhart and Madelaine Petsch joined a trend built around the viral sound. |
| 5 | @little.blooming.women — “I’m just a baby!” | A child’s emphatic reply became a reusable sound and quote far beyond the original exchange. |
| 6 | @schmoyoho — “It’s Corn” remix | The Gregory Brothers transformed Tariq’s enthusiastic interview about corn into a widely reused song. |
| 7 | @lizzo — “About Damn Time” choreography | Lizzo taught the dance directly, making the hit a participatory TikTok format rather than only a music-video moment. |
| 8 | @itsmrfinn — school musical reveal | A teacher’s elaborate reveal delivered the surprise-and-reaction payoff that performs well in short video. |
| 9 | @jimmydarts — helping Tom | The creator documented assistance for an unhoused man, pairing a personal story with a charitable follow-up. |
| 10 | @meltandpour — lava versus ice | A visually obvious experiment created suspense by delaying the result of two contrasting materials. |
The ranking and descriptions were reported by The Independent, The Vibes and Teen Vogue.
Why Rosalía chewing gum became a meme
The third-place entry was not simply a celebrity eating gum. During performances of “Bizcochito,” Rosalía used an exaggerated stare, posture and chewing mannerism that looked deliberately unserious and self-assured. Users copied the expression and stance, turning a small performance gesture into a participatory format.
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That distinction matters: it spread through imitation and recreation rather than through a formally defined challenge with an official campaign structure. Contemporary reporting said a compilation of Rosalía chewing gum had surpassed 157 million views at the time, a historical December 2022 snapshot rather than a permanent platform statistic. See Vogue, Know Your Meme and The Independent.
Who was Corn Kid?
- Tariq appeared in a Recess Therapy street interview enthusiastically explaining why he loved corn.
- The Gregory Brothers’ @schmoyoho account remixed his words and delivery into the “It’s Corn” song.
- The audio spread through thousands of uses and became one of 2022’s defining sounds.
- TikTok ranked the remix video No. 6 on its U.S. list—not the original interview by itself.
The episode shows how TikTok transforms content: an ordinary interview becomes a musical audio, then a template other users can reuse. Contemporary coverage commonly described Tariq as a young child or second-grader; a precise age is not established here. His visibility also raises practical questions about children’s consent, permanence and monetization, without turning those concerns into claims about TikTok’s intentions. Background on the remix appears in Know Your Meme, Vogue and The LA Girl.
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What the other entries reveal about TikTok virality
Process and repetition
Guichon’s chocolate giraffe and Squishy’s return demonstrate two reliable forms of attention: satisfying construction and repeatable animal content. Squishy was also reported near the top of the previous year’s list, suggesting durable audience interest rather than a one-time joke.
Borrowed sounds and celebrity participation
The Riverdale clip combined a familiar cast with the “Jiggle Jiggle” sound, which grew from Louis Theroux’s “My money don’t jiggle jiggle, it folds” line and its remix. Lizzo’s choreography likewise shows an established artist using TikTok to teach a routine audiences could reproduce.
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Short phrases, reveals and emotional payoff
“I’m just a baby!” worked because the line was instantly understandable and easy to reuse. The teacher’s musical reveal supplied surprise, while @jimmydarts’ video offered an emotionally rewarding real-world intervention. The lava-and-ice clip used a different route: a simple visual question with a delayed answer.
These categories explain why the list was broader than celebrity culture. It combined process satisfaction, animals, music, memes, surprise, human interest and experiments. Inclusion shows what TikTok selected; it does not prove that every clip changed public behavior or that the platform treated every creator equally.
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U.S. picks versus the global selection
Contemporary reporting listed a separate global selection as:
- @ox_zung
- @rosalia
- @lav_sings
- @robertirwin
- @thammachad
Rosalía’s presence near the top of both selections makes her especially visible, but the two lists were presented separately and their worldwide methodology was not fully explained. The global names therefore should not be described as a directly comparable worldwide top five. The list transcription appears in The Vibes.
How to interpret the ranking
- It was TikTok’s framing. “Best” is editorial language, not an objective measure of cultural value.
- Views were not necessarily the only input. Reports refer to multiple engagement signals, and TikTok did not disclose a complete weighting system.
- Popularity and influence differ. A heavily watched clip may inspire few remixes, while an audio can spread through many derivative videos without one derivative topping the list.
- Originals and remixes are distinct. The Corn Kid entry was @schmoyoho’s remix, not simply the Recess Therapy interview.
Reported view totals can change and may differ from TikTok’s internal accounting. If a publication embeds any of these posts, it should confirm that the post remains available and obtain permission for screenshots or downloaded footage.
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