Who wrote the 'I'll be missing you' TikTok song? Everything to know about the viral trend taking the platform by a storm

The new “I'll Be Missing You” TikTok dance trend has been keeping content creators and dancers occupied recently. The groovy song originated in the 1990s and was composed by sampling Every Breath You Take, the 1983 hit single by the British rock band The Police.

The viral song was a tribute to American rapper the Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Small, who died in 1997 of a gunshot wound. Biggie’s wife, Faith Evans, and rapper P. Diddy collaborated on the song.

Faith sang an interpolated verse of Every Breath You Take while Diddy joined in on the rendition of the chorus with slightly changed lyrics. This remastered version was written by Faith and rapper Todd Gaither, popularly known as Sauce Money.

While the original song Every Breath You Take, written by The Police’s frontman Sting, depicted an obsessed lover who is keeping a close watch on their beloved’s every move, Diddy and Faith’s song I'll Be Missing You speaks about keeping Biggie Small in their prayers and missing him every day.

This song was an instant hit after it was released in 1997. Although it couldn't surpass the hype surrounding the original song, which is majorly played even today, Faith Evans and P. Diddy's version is now gaining recognition again after it went viral on TikTok.

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People across social media are grooving to the 90s' hit I'll Be Missing You

On June 19, 2023, The Quick Style, a dance group, made a reel with P. Diddy’s rendition of I'll Be Missing You, garnering over 14 million views on TikTok. In the caption, they asked viewers to try out the dance moves with their friends. People worldwide soon started chiming in to participate in the dance trend and share the videos on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

Quick Style’s vibe while grooving with the song appealed to many viewers as they showered lots of appreciation for the group. Many said that the dance effused unadulterated joy and happiness and had a summer vibe to it. The group has also been called trendsetters by many netizens.

Another reason for the song and the dance challenge going quickly viral is that it does not involve a lot of complicated steps, as can be seen in Quick Style’s video. The moves are rather smooth and easier than many other dance challenges on TikTok.

One just needs a group of friends, family members, or acquaintances to join them in the trend, and it will create a laidback but enjoyable dance moment. Several people who participated in the dance trend improvised some of the steps and added some extra life to the song. Here are some videos of keeping up with the "I'll Be Missing You" dance challenge:

Members of the popular K-pop group Enhypen also participated in the dance challenge.

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Legal controversy surrounding "I'll Be Missing You"

P. Diddy and Faith Evans did not obtain legal approval for sampling The Police's Every Breath You Take before releasing their version of the song. Thus, Diddy faced a lawsuit from Sting, due to which the English songwriter and bassist received 100% royalties of the song, along with payments that were reportedly supposed to continue until 2053.

However, Sting later sorted it out with P. Diddy and even performed I'll Be Missing You alongside the rapper and Faith Evans at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.