A beloved female-led ’90s band is going viral again thanks to their global hit — a song whose title most people still get wrong.
Currently in the Top 10 on TikTok‘s viral songs list, 4 Non Blondes‘ 1993 hit song “What’s Up?” is a song about finding understanding in challenging times. However, its title gets lost by many listeners, who believe the refrain, “What’s Going On?” is the song’s real name.
The song is being used on the social media platform as part of a trend where TikTok users lip-sync the words as they discuss either political, social, or personal issues. Some show their love for the lyrics and music by giving it their own twist.
“What’s Up” was written by Linda Perry. Christa Hillhouse, Wanda Day, and Shaunna Hall were part of the band’s original lineup. However, before the release of their debut album Bigger, Better, Faster, More!, Day and Hall were replaced by Dawn Richardson and Roger Rocha.
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The band’s first and only LP spent 59 weeks on the Billboard 200 and sold 1.5 million copies. It reached number 13 on the charts. On Reddit, music fans commented that the song was titled “What’s Up?” so it wouldn’t be confused with the 1971 Marvin Gaye classic, “What’s Going On?”
4 Non Blondes Split in 1994
After five years, 4 Non Blondes split in 1994. Their only release remains a mainstay of the decade’s music, and its lyrics remain a reflection of people’s dissatisfaction with the world around them.
In 1996, Linda Perry told Howard Stern that she walked away from the band due to creative differences. She said, “4 Non Blondes wanted to continue to make the same record again,” and she wanted to do something different.
“I wanted to do something risky, not so pop. They wanted to be safe because we were in a really good position,” Perry explained. “The second record could have been totally bad, and people would have bought it.”
Linda Perry is a 5 time Grammy-nominated artist. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015, which recognized her contributions as a songwriter and producer, with 4 Non Blondes and her work with artists such as Christina Aguilera, P!nk, and Alicia Keys.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
