How TikTok Decides the Next Big Hit
If you’re an avid user of TikTok like myself, you’ve probably been exposed to an array of content that the algorithm has tailored to your specific interests. But a lot of people who have never used the app themselves know it as that app kids make dances on. And while there is plenty of other content on TikTok, this statement still rings true. The most popular creator on the platform, 16-year-old Charli D’Amelio, has amassed over 100 million followers and made a career out of doing popular TikTok dance trends and creating a few herself. And while making and recreating dances to different songs has launched the careers of countless popular TikTokers, the artists of these songs have also benefited from this virality. These dance trends have had a hand in popularizing some of the biggest songs this year and have launched and helped grow the careers of many newer artists.
Relatively unknown artists have experienced massive growth in their careers and streaming numbers by going viral on TikTok. Australian indie-pop artist Benee’s song “Supalonely” blew up towards the beginning of the year after Zoi Lerma’s (@zoifishh) dance went viral on the app. It started growing in popularity in the early stages of the COVID-19 lockdowns around the world, leaving a lot of people with newfound time to learn TikTok dances, which probably helped its popularity as well. British singer-songwriter Beabadoobee also experienced rapid growth this year when Canadian rapper Powfu sampled her debut single “Coffee” in his single “Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head)”, which eventually ended up at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 after growing in popularity on TikTok.
It’s also been really cool to see how many already established and newly popular female rappers have gained traction on TikTok this year like Doja Cat, Megan thee Stallion, Kash Doll, Saweetie, City Girls, Rico Nasty, and Flo Milli.
Doja Cat’s hit song “Say So” is another example of a song that owes its fame to TikTok, due to the dance created by Haley Sharpe (@yodelinghaley) that achieved mass popularity on the app. This song was far from the lead single on Doja Cat’s 2019 album Hot Pink (it was actually the fifth) but it quickly became her most popular song, with the remix featuring Nicki Minaj reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Doja Cat has incorporated much of Sharpe’s choreography in her various performances of “Say So”, and even featured Sharpe in the music video for the song. Her songs “Boss Bitch” and “Candy” have also seen huge popularity on TikTok.
Megan thee Stallion had already achieved a significant level of fame prior to the widespread use of her music on TikTok, but she has skyrocketed in popularity this year with several of her songs going viral on the app. Her song “Savage”, and its accompanying dance created by Keara Wilson (@keke.janajah) blew up on TikTok earlier this year and experienced a new surge of popularity when the remix featuring Beyonce was released in April, which received its own new viral dance created by Cassidy Condie (@cassidycondiee). Beyonce even references the app in one of her verses on the remix- “hips TikTok when I dance”. “Captain Hook”, another song from Megan thee Stallion’s 2020 EP Suga also went viral this year thanks to a dance created by Skai Beauty (@skaibeauty). More recently her songs “Girls in the Hood” and “Body” have also trended, not to mention “WAP”, her collaboration with Cardi B that took over TikTok almost immediately after its release in August.
Another interesting phenomenon I’ve been noticing is the random resurgence of popular oldies and classic hit songs on TikTok. One of the most famous examples of this is “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, which experienced a surge in popularity after a video of a man (@420doggface208) riding a skateboard, drinking Ocean Spray cran-raspberry juice, and singing along to the song went viral back in September. Not only did this massively boost Ocean Spray’s sales, but this video format became a trend and probably introduced a lot of young TikTok users to Fleetwood Mac. Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks even joined in on the fun, making their own TikTok accounts to recreate the original video.
Some other older songs I have witnessed receive similarly random treatment on TikTok are “Careless Whisper” by George Michael, “Hopelessly Devoted To You” from the Grease soundtrack, “It’s Tricky” by Run DMC, “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers, and “Rasputin” by Boney M., and “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington, Jr. Surf Mesa’s song “ily (i love you baby)” featuring Emilee is a cover/remix of the chorus of “Can’t Take My Eyes off You” by Frankie Valli that trended on TikTok and eventually landed on the Billboard charts as well.
There are a million other examples of songs TikTok has made popular for one reason or another, and it’s probably one of my favorite things about the app. Going viral on TikTok is a roll of the dice that could potentially launch an artist’s career or introduce a new generation to a beloved classic. The downside of this phenomenon is the fact that some popular artists seem to have started making songs with the express intention of going viral on TikTok, like Drake’s “Toosie Slide”, which just feels cheap and inauthentic. With TikTok steadily becoming more ingrained in pop culture, I am curious to see how it will continue to shape the music industry and who will be afforded the blessing of a viral dance trend.
