In the fleeting world of TikTok trends, a song can skyrocket to fame on Monday and be forgotten by Friday. But some tracks defy that logic, breaking free from their original era to become a new generation’s soundtrack. This week, that phenomenon was perfectly captured as Jess Glynne’s 2015 chart-topper “Hold My Hand” was officially crowned the UK’s TikTok Song of the Year for 2025, powered entirely by the viral “nothing beats a Jet2holiday” trend that turned holiday chaos into comedic gold.
The unlikely resurrection of this pop anthem is a masterclass in modern music virality, where a decade-old advertising jingle has found a second, and perhaps more impactful, life through the lens of user-generated comedy. It has soundtracked over 6.6 million videos on the platform, with the audio being used in posts viewed a staggering more than 80 billion times, according to TikTok’s own 2025 year-end data. For Glynne, the 36-year-old Londoner who first topped the charts with the song, the experience has been nothing short of “insane.”
The Anatomy of a Viral Trend: Planes, Pain, and Punchlines
So, how does a soulful 2015 pop ballad become the ubiquitous sound of 2025? The journey began years ago when budget airline and holiday package company Jet2 licensed “Hold My Hand” for its television advertisements. The song’s uplifting chorus, promising support and a shared journey, became inextricably linked with the brand’s cheerful slogan: “nothing beats a Jet2holiday.”
The magic happened when TikTok users, renowned for their ironic humor, began subverting this polished, happy-clappy advertising message. They started using the audio clip—featuring Glynne’s powerful voice soaring over the iconic Jet2 voiceover—to soundtrack videos of their own travel disasters: missed flights, cramped hotel rooms, rainy beach days, and lost luggage. The stark, hilarious contrast between the ad’s perfect promise and the reality of budget travel created a foolproof recipe for virality.
Jess Glynne’s “Insane” Ride: A New Lease on Life
For Glynne, witnessing this organic, comedic rebirth of her debut solo number-one has been a surreal and joyful experience. In an interview with BBC Newsbeat following the award announcement, the singer expressed her disbelief and gratitude.
“It’s the most amazing feeling knowing that 10 years later a song that means so much to me… to be able to celebrate again and again throughout this year – has been insane,” Glynne said. She credits the trend with giving the track a “new lease of life,” noting the particular joy of seeing it connect with an entirely new, younger audience who are hearing it for the first time.
The singer even found herself on the receiving end of the trend during a family holiday to Corfu. “I was sat right at the front next to my mum – it was quite funny actually,” she recalled of hearing her own voice on the plane’s cabin announcement system. While her own TikTok “For You” page is filled with cats and cooking videos, Glynne admitted her favorite renditions of the trend are the wholesome ones where parents get their kids to deliver the famous voiceover line.
Beyond the Meme: What the “Hold My Hand” Phenomenon Reveals
The success of “Hold My Hand” as TikTok’s UK Song of the Year is more than a quirky footnote; it’s a significant indicator of powerful shifts in the music industry:
- The Power of Nostalgic Rediscovery: TikTok has become the world’s most influential A&R (artist and repertoire) platform, capable of breathing new life into songs from any era. “Hold My Hand” is not alone. TikTok’s 2025 global list is topped by Connie Francis’s 1962 hit “Pretty Little Baby,” with rediscoveries of tracks by Rihanna (2007’s “Breakin’ Dishes”), Radiohead (1997’s “Let Down”), and the Black Eyed Peas (2010’s “Rock That Body”). The platform has democratized music discovery, making a song’s age virtually irrelevant.
- Advertising as a Cultural Launchpad:Â In a reversal of traditional marketing, a corporate ad campaign provided the raw material for a massive, user-driven meme. The Jet2 audio became a shared cultural shorthand, a recognizable cue that users could creatively manipulate. This shows how branded content, when it strikes the right chord, can escape its commercial origins and become a genuine part of the cultural conversation.
- The Artist’s Evolving Relationship with Platforms: Glynne’s experience highlights how social media has changed the artist-fan relationship forever. “Seeing the way the song has reconnected to the younger generation… it’s just a really amazing thing to see,” she noted. For established artists, platforms like TikTok are no longer just promotional tools but arenas for unpredictable, career-redefining engagement.
Despite its omnipresence on TikTok throughout 2025, “Hold My Hand” did not re-enter the UK’s official singles chart, underscoring the sometimes-divergent paths of streaming virality and traditional chart success. However, with the song securing the #2 spot on TikTok’s global year-end list and winning the UK crown, its impact is measured in cultural resonance rather than chart position.
Jess Glynne’s journey from pop star to viral meme queen is a testament to the unpredictable, democratic, and endlessly creative engine of internet culture. A song written for connection has found its ultimate purpose: uniting millions in a shared, knowing laugh about the glorious messiness of real life, one holiday fail at a time.
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