Chances are if you’ve been on TikTok recently, songs by Ice Spice have been all over your fyp. Seemingly out of nowhere, everyone on the app is vibing out to tracks like “In Ha Mood” and “Boy’s a Liar Part 2.” We’ve followed her meteoric growth via three songs.

Part 1: gaining TikTok traction with “Munch (Feelin’ U)”

ce Spice’s rise to TikTok stardom began in August 2022 when she released “Munch (Feelin’ U).” The song instantly became a success, gaining 100K videos using the song in the first month and over 600K videos using the audio by the end of the year. While the track wasn’t tied to a specific TikTok trend, creators loved using it for videos to show them feeling themselves. Most importantly, it coined the term, “munch,” which Ice Spice herself explains as “somebody that’s like obsessed with you…or it could be a hater. Either way they’re still obsessed with you.” 

‍Part 2: a major viral moment with “In Ha Mood”

With this early success, 2023 was bound to be the year of Ice Spice. On January 6, she released the single “In Ha Mood,” one of many off her EP Like…? which dropped a few weeks later on January 20. While the song debuted on TikTok to initial success, things took a turn for virality when user @1.love.maryjane dropped a remix of the song on January 19. Creators immediately started pairing the song with the Barbie dancing dog filter to show them acting silly with their bestie. And the rest, was TikTok history, with the song tracking 1.4M+ videos and 4.9B+ views and counting.

Part 3: approaching icon status with “Boy’s a liar Part 2”

Not content with just one song dominating TikTok, on February 3, Ice Spice teamed up with PinkPantheress to release a remix of PinkPantheress’ song “Boy’s a liar,” titled “Boy’s a liar part 2.” While the original “Boy’s a liar” already had a steady and growing TikTok fanbase, the remix took the song to the next level, as the app went feral for Ice Spice’s verse. The track became an instant favorite to lip sync as well as a universal background track for almost any video. It also didn’t hurt that North West is Ice Spice’s number one fan, and posted eight videos with the song and collaborated with Spice herself in TikToks.  

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‍Summary: so what are the secrets to Ice Spice’s success?

1. She knows her audience and her music connects to them 

Ice Spice’s lyrics encompass the range of emotions women feel while dating, from feeling not good enough in a relationship to feeling like the baddest person in the room. With that, women are the primary audience using her songs in TikToks, with “In Ha Mood” leaning 70% female, “Munch (Feelin’ U)” leaning 69% female, and “Boy’s a liar Part 2” at 74% female.  

2. She’s an active player on TikTok

Ice Spice began actively posting on TikTok in the second half of 2022 as a way to promote her music and connect with fans. She’s gained a ton of followers and clout since she feels native to the platform as someone who gets it.

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3. Celebrity collaborations

TikTok stars are just like us in that they too are obsessed with Ice Spice. Ice Spice and her team have taken advantage of this by creating content with fans like North West and Chantel Jefferies, amplifying her music to new audiences.