What is The Wannadies' #YouAndMeSong trend on TikTok?

15 November 2021, 20:55

The Wannadies backstage at Reading Festival in August 1997
The Wannadies backstage at Reading Festival in August 1997. Picture: Mick Hutson/Redferns/Getty Images

The Swedish band are enjoying fame on the social media platform as users share their classic 1994 hit.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

The Wannadies are the latest band to enjoy fame via the social media platform TikTok.

The Swedish indie band's classic You & Me Song is being used by TikTok users to pay tribute to their best friends.

The Wannadies - You & Me Song (Official Video)

What is The Wannadies' #YouAndMe trend on TikTok?

TikTok users are posting a montage of images and clips of them and their best friend, using You And Me Song by The Wannadies.

The clip starts with the words "And it's always..." before kicking into the chorus as the memories appear": "You and me... always and forever."

At the time of writing, the song has been used in over 350,000 TikTok user videos, with one clip racking up over 10 million views alone.

What do The Wannadies think of the #YouAndMeSong trend?

"We made this song over 20 years ago," posted Wannadies frontman Pär Wiksten. "We've loved seeing people using it to celebrate their best friends."

And the musician paid tribute to his own best friend... his dog.

Who were The Wannadies and when was You And Me Song originally released?

The Wannadies were formed in Skellefteå, in the North East of Sweden in 1988. Pär Wiksten was singer and guitarist, Christina Bergmark was on vocals and keyboards, Fredrik Schönfeldt played bass and his brother Stefan Schönfeldt played guitar, with Gunnar Karlsson on drums.

The band released their first EP, Smile, on their own label, but soon signed to Swedish indie MNW after a well-received performance at Hultsfred Festival in the summer of 1989. There were two Wannadies albums released in Sweden: 1990's self-titled debut and 1992's Aquanautic.

The Wannadies - Be A Girl (1994)
The Wannadies - Be A Girl (1994). Picture: Press

The Wannadies had their international breakthrough in 1994, when they signed with British indie label Indolent, who released their their third album Be A Girl in August 1995. The LP opened with the instant classic You And Me Song, which brought the band to the attention of director Baz Luhrmann.

Romeo and Juliet - Trailer

Which film was You And Me Song featured in?

Baz Luhrmann used You And Me Song in his reworking of Shakespeare, the 1996 feature film Romeo + Juliet. The Wannadies were included on the soundtrack alongside fellow Swedes The Cardigans (with their own breakthrough hit Lovefool), Garbage, Radiohead and more.

You And Me Song quickly became a favourite tune to be used in commercials and TV shows. Pantene and Pets At Home are just two companies that have used the song in their TV ads and when Coronation Street villain Richard Hillman kidnapped his entire family and was about to drive their car off the road and into a canal, You And Me Song was played on the radio.

You And Me Song was also used in a 2020 ad for 02, with a cover version by British singer Joy Crookes.

Coronation Street - Richard Hillman Drives Into The Canal (2003)

Was You And Me Song by The Wannadies reissued?

After the success of Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, You And Me Song was reissued in the UK in April 1996, where it made Number 18 in the UK charts. The track was so popular the band included it on their next album, Bagsy Me, issued in January 1997.

What are The Wannadies doing now?

Problems with their label and line-up changes caused a delay to the band's next album, Yeah, which finally arrived in October 1999. After being dropped by their label in the UK, The Wannadies toured extensively around the world and issued their most recent album to date, Before & After in 2002.

In 2009, The Wannadies announced that they'd split, with frontman Wiksten starting a solo career. However, after a gap of seven years, the group reunited in the summer of 2016 and issued a new song, Can't Kill The Musikk in September 2020.

A major Swedish tour has been lined up for 2022, with some UK dates scheduled for next autumn.

The Wannadies UK Tour Dates 2022

  • 18 October Oran More, Glasgow
  • 19 October Summerhall, Edinburgh
  • 20 October University of Northumbia, Newcastle upon Tyne
  • 22 October The Leadmill, Sheffield
  • 23 October The Welly Club, Hull
  • 25 October Gorilla, Manchester
  • 26 October The Wardrobe, Leeds
  • 27 October Waterfront, Norwich
  • 28 October O2 Institute 2, Birmingham
  • 30 October SWX, Bristol
  • 31 October Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea
  • 1 November Concorde 2, Brighton
  • 3 November The Roundhouse, London