This July, the “Oh No” audio emerged on TikTok. Less than fifteen seconds long, the audio is simple: “Oh no, oh no, oh no, no, no, no,” the singer laments. The sound became immensely popular, used to dub over nineteen million videos about funny mishaps or pranks. The source of these fifteen seconds is the 1965 song “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” by the Shangri-Las, which was largely uncredited on TikTok. While tracking down the source, I came across a cover called “Walking in the Sand,” by Hollie Cook which quickly became my new favorite song.
The cover was released on a 2011 album simply titled “Hollie Cook,” which is made up of “tropical pop.” Cook’s following albums “Twice” (2014) and “Vessel of Love” (2018) are similarly overflowing with sultry, post-punk-inspired hits.
While her most popular track “Milk and Honey” has roughly twelve million listens on Spotify, the rest of her music has remarkably less. In addition, Cook’s monthly listener count is just over 300,000 and she has less than 30,000 followers on Instagram. So while music fans seem to like the occasional Cook single, they can’t commit. Cook has trouble solidifying a large, steady army of followers.
Despite not having the immense popularity of some of her contemporaries, Cook has established a fanbase. She will perform at the Hastings Reggae Festival this July, alongside giants like UB40 and Sister Nancy. And just last year she released the well-received single “Honey,” a collaboration with Gentlemen’s Dub Club.
Cook has worked with the infamous Mike “Prince Fatty” Pelanconi on multiple projects and has been described as reminiscent of rocksteady icon Phyllis Dylan. When The Slits reassembled in 2010, Cook provided backing vocals. These associations with musical legends alone should grant her access to the canon of iconic artists. Hollie Cook’s sound perfectly merges the rocksteady hits of the 1960 and 70s with a more contemporary, indie-pop (even punk) sensibility.
Next time you hear the “oh no” TikTok audio, give Hollie Cook’s haunting rendition of “Walking in the Sand” a listen and be amazed by its intricate, dreamy, seductive sound.