American singerConnie Francissadly passed away on July 16th, 2025, but before her death, she had a viral moment among the younger generation. Francis had a series of popular songs throughout her career, like the hits “Where The Boys Are” and “Stupid Cupid.”
The latter was covered by Mandy Moore in the 2001 filmThe Princess Diaries, popularizing it with millennials and Gen Z. However, it would be another 24 years before Francis saw one of her 1960s hits reach over 83 million streams on Spotifydue to its TikTok virality.
Connie Francis' “Pretty Little Baby” Went Viral On TikTok
The 1962 Single Received Over A Million Uses
Connie Francis' 1962 hit “Pretty Little Baby” had a second wind on TikTok throughout 2025 after going viral. There are currently1.4 million videos using the song, mostly of young girls mouthing the lyrics. Some of the top-liked videos also feature mothers dancing around in early ’60s-inspired attire while holding their daughters in their arms.
TikTok users also shifted to using the song to show off their pets. One video from the popular TikTok dog account@its_princesspennyused the song to show a Cocker Spaniel dressed in a lavender sweater with matching hair bows on her ears.
Many of the videos incorporate a baby doll or a ’60s vintage aesthetic to match the time period in which Connie Francis released her single. In June,Francis even joined the video-sharing appto celebrate the popularity of her song.
The singer expressed her excitement at seeing how much the younger generation was loving her song and later shared a video of herself mouthing the song’s lyrics to her own dog. The final video of Francis' TikTok page, before her recent death, shows her giving a series of shoutouts to the celebrities who used her song.
What This Viral Moment Says About Francis' Legacy
Francis' Music Continues To Resonate With All Generations
Considering the majority of TikTok users are in their teens and 20s, when “Pretty Little Baby” was released, it would have been about 40 years before any of them were born. However, the song has clearly withstood the test of time.
With the soft girl and ultra-feminine aesthetics that are in fashion right now,Francis' song is the perfect tune for young girls to sing along to. The song’s virality also showcases one of the most positive qualities of TikTok: bringing older artists' music back into the spotlight.
This gives artists the opportunity to share their work with a brand-new generation and hopefully inspire future generations of musicians. It’s clear thatConnie Francis' music has resonated with all generations, and it will continue to have an impact now that she’s passed on.
