"Roses" is a rap song written and performed by American rapper SAINt JHN. The Imanbek remix of "Roses" is the only dance remix released of the song, though there was a rap remix released featuring Future. The "Roses (Imanbek Remix)" has launched numerous different trends on TikTok including a few dances (pictured below).
"Roses (Imanbek Remix)" is on the lower side of video counts for this project, currently sitting around 3.3 million videos, but it is by far the most popular on Spotify, with almost 1.1 billion streams (around 400,000 more than the second most streamed song, "Say So"). The audio used on TikTok starts 48 seconds in to the song and plays for 15 seconds, ending at the 1:03 mark.
TikTok user @jamescharles
TikTok user @luvanthony
Being an EDM song, this remix of "Roses" follows a typical structure where a verse is followed by a buildup, but subverts expectations in a similar way to the original song. When the listener assumes the chorus is going to start, a short breakdown plays and then the chorus starts. This breakdown is actually where the TikTok sound begins. If the sound focused around the drop of this remix, it would be easy to compare it to the chorus of "Say So" or "Supalonely", as they all center around a typical dance beat, but that is not the case; the drop is only featured for the final 3 seconds of the audio. The closest comparison would be the longer versions of "Savage Love", where the chorus is played followed by a few seconds of the drop.
It's interesting to note that this entire remix is actually just a pitched and sped up version of the original song with the bass cut out, as well as added drums and bass. Most of the time, remixes of songs will change arrangements and structures of songs, as well as sometimes changing the song harmony (chord progression). These techniques can be heard in the remix featuring Future.
When trying to quantify what musical aspects of this selection of "Roses (Imanbek Remix)" made it appealing to TikTok users, and more specifically the influencers who created the popular dances associated with the song, the stark contrast in textures featured as well as the pitched up voice seem to be the most likely suspects. The audio clip is split almost evenly between accompaniments by the acoustic piano (albeit pitched up) and synthesized bass. The stark contrast in timbre and texture allow for dances to have a sudden change in them, making them more interesting. In regards to the pitched up vocals, this vocal effect (sometimes referred to as chipmunk vocals) is relatively uncommon in popular music, so it is a foreign sound. Having something that sounds new to listeners while still feeling familiar (as they are still human vocals) allows the song to stand out and have a strong association with an unusual but recognizable sound.
Video count from TikTok
Mood analysis from Cyanite
The mood profile generated by Cyanite for "Roses (Imanbek Remix)" seems to throw a wrench in the theory of a happy mood only being associated with songs in major keys. As this song is in a minor key, it should technically lean towards a dark and melancholic mood, but because Cyanite is an AI it doesn't quantify these moods using only one reason. When listening to the song, its high tempo and pitch, along side the bouncing bass line and pounding kick drum clearly explain why the song would be considered energetic, uplifting, and happy. In regards to the calm and relaxing traits, this most likely has to do with the section that the TikTok audio uses, as it is stripped of most instruments, or at least the ones that give it a dance feeling.
While parts of "Roses (Imanbek Remix)" do follow the trends uncovered while analyzing the other songs, these parts happen to not be the ones used on TikTok. Instead, the audio features the most subdued section of the song, but the contrast with the subsequent section seems to explain the appeal.