Kid Cudi’s 2008 mixtape cut “Maui Wowie” is seeing a major comeback thanks to TikTok. The laid-back song from A Kid Named Cudi has resurfaced across the platform, soundtracking countless videos of users hanging from street signs and capturing the nostalgic spirit of the late-2000s era.
The trend reportedly began with TikTok user @aaronxbrownn, who posted a clip on Sept. 5 featuring the track’s signature hook, “Goin’ back to Honolulu just to get that / That Maui Wowie, that Maui Wowie.” The video quickly gained traction, inspiring others to recreate similar clips and spread the song to a new generation of listeners.
The renewed attention has also boosted the song’s streaming numbers. On Oct. 7, “Maui Wowie” reached No. 98 on Spotify’s daily songs chart, jumping 22 spots with over 390,000 streams in one day. The song also climbed to No. 10 on Spotify’s Viral 50 chart, marking one of the biggest recent revivals of a late-2000s hip-hop track.
Originally featured on A Kid Named Cudi, the song reflects the carefree vibe of the era that helped shape Cudi’s early career. That same year, he worked closely with Kanye West on 808s & Heartbreak, recording sessions in Honolulu—the same island referenced in the song’s title.
Longtime fans have welcomed the track’s resurgence, celebrating its renewed recognition amid Cudi’s recent announcement that he plans to take a “pretty lengthy” break to focus on other creative pursuits.
