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HITS Daily Double
THE B-SIDE
WILDER'S "STRIDE" IS REINVIGORATED
1/29/20

It sounds like the strangest dream: a rowboat to China, a Top 5 song from 1983 and a trending topic on one of the hottest apps. No need to pinch yourself: the #BreakMyStride challenge really is taking TikTok by storm, and to celebrate, Matthew Wilder is getting in on the action with a new lyric video to his signature song inspired by the craze.

TikTok users around the world are sharing the song’s first verse (“Last night I had the strangest dream…”) line by line, in an attempt to see if their friends and loved ones either remember the song’s lyrics or wonder how the sender’s imagination started running so wild.

As a result, streams of the track have skyrocketed, earning spots on Spotify’s Viral 50 playlists in the U.S. and the U.K. and landing on Apple Music’s Top 100 chart in over 20 countries. Wilder, who just celebrated his 67th birthday, has even uploaded his own version of the #BreakMyStride challenge to his new TikTok account, which can be viewed here.

“Until ‘Stride’ had exploded on TikTok, I was unaware of the platform,” said Wilder. “I had heard of it, but it wasn’t on my radar. It is now! TikTok has brought a whole new life and a new generation to ‘Break My Stride.’ I am so grateful and laughing so loud!”

In keeping with the theme of the challenge, the “Break My Stride” lyric video recasts the lyrics as colorful text messages, with graphics evoking the charms of the early ‘80s, when the single hit the Top 5 of the pop charts in 12 countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Ireland and Australia. Peep the lyric vid below.

Wilder parlayed the success of his hit single into a songwriting and production career throughout the ‘90s and beyond, most notably producing the blockbuster album Tragic Kingdom for No Doubt back in 1995.