TikTok has a magic trick up its sleeve: turning obscure vintage tracks into viral gold. The latest beneficiary? Connie Francis, whose dreamy 1962 B-side “Pretty Little Baby” has taken off on the app in a way that’s both unexpected and delightfully wholesome.
From fashionistas in retro curls to parents crooning to their kids and Gen Z lip-syncers embracing mid-century sweetness, the trend has made the track (originally an afterthought on Francis’ Connie Francis Sings Second Hand Love & Other Hits) a charting single for the very first time.
“I had no idea what a viral hit even meant,” the 87-year-old legend wrote on Facebook. When a friend called her up to deliver the news, her deadpan reply was: “What’s that?” But once she understood, her joy was palpable. “My thanks to TikTok and its members for the wonderful, and oh so unexpected, reception!”
Francis, who became the first woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 with “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” is no stranger to reinvention.
But this particular revival? A complete surprise.
Why “Pretty Little Baby” is taking over our TikTok feeds
The Pretty Little Baby TikTok trend is all about tenderness, with a nostalgic twist. Users are filming themselves lip-syncing the lyric “You can ask the flowers / I sit for hours…” to babies, pets, or their partners, often dressed in 1950s-inspired pastels.
It’s part lullaby, part love letter, and all heart.
Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian were quick to jump on the trend with clips featuring their daughters, adding fuel to a fire already burning hot.
According to People, nearly 15 million TikTok videos have featured the song so far, and Spotify confirms it has been streamed over 20 million times, landing it at No. 67 on the Global Top 100.
Best Pretty Little Baby TikToks you NEED to watch:
As Hits Daily Double asked, “Is this the beginning of a new CF boom?”
With her Spotify streams rising daily and TikTok creators showing no sign of slowing, the answer might just be yes!
Connie Francis gives fans a Broadway surprise
In a full-circle twist of fate, Connie Francis is also being reintroduced to audiences through Just in Time, the new Broadway musical based on Bobby Darin’s life. Portrayed by The Sex Lives of College Girls star Gracie Lawrence, Francis’s early romance with Darin is brought to life opposite Jonathan Groff.
For fans of mid-century pop history, it’s a must-see.
While she may now reside quietly in Florida, Connie continues to update fans, recently sharing that her use of a wheelchair is temporary due to a painful hip. “I shall update in due course,” she wrote graciously in March.
She’s nothing if not resilient. And now, thanks to a wave of Pretty Little Baby TikTok nostalgia, she’s also unforgettable all over again!
