From Lil Nas X to Doja Cat, Frances Forever to Olivia Rodrigo: these are just a handful of the hundreds of musicians who have found fame on the For You Page. It’s clear that TikTok has changed the fame game forever, but has it really revolutionised the music industry?

TikTok is a video sharing platform on which users can upload clips ranging anywhere from three seconds to a minute long. You can follow other accounts, or view random videos on the For You Page – and it’s no secret that this is where the magic really happens. If your video reaches the For You Page, likes and views from users all over the world will soon come flooding in. After all, on the For You Page, anything has the potential to go viral.

Not only does the app provide creators with a world-wide stage and guaranteed views on each video, it also equips users with an exhaustive library of soundbites to accompany their videos. This is a key ingredient in the recipe for immediate internet success. Lots of users just post on TikTok for a bit of fun but others have found a way to take advantage of the instantaneous algorithms that make this app so unique.

The Good Old Days…

In today’s society, it is clear that everyone is reliant on social media. We suddenly have the power of instant global interconnectivity at our fingertips so it’s only natural that this will be taken advantage of.  One of the many perks of social media is that it can be used to expand the status of celebrity, helping artists reach out to their fans on a seemingly personal basis. The arrival of apps such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook back in the 2000s gave celebrities a brand new platform and it was the musicians that really monopolised their new-found global stage.

Through these apps, musicians were able to self-promote their upcoming tracks, all whilst speaking to their fans and encouraging them to do the same. For example, back in 2014, Ariana Grande used Instagram and Twitter tirelessly to promote her single ‘Problem.’ This free advertising paid off. Upon its release, Problem debuted at number 1 on the UK charts – a new personal record for Ariana.

TikTok: It’s Time For Some Change

When reflecting on how hard musicians once had to work to promote their music, it is incredible to think that now, hardly any work is required. TikTok first launched in 2016 but gained real popularity during the first lockdown in 2020. With this new traction towards TikTok came a power-shift in the music industry. Musicians were once totally in control of the promotion of their tracks but TikTok suddenly made the public the most powerful promoters of all.  

One of the main type of video that dominates the For You Page is dance challenges. These trendy, quick-paced clips are overnight sensations and are responsible for changing the music industry. The explosive effect that these TikTok challenges have on the music industry can best be seen through the swift rise to fame of Lil Nas X.

Lil Nas X is a 21 year old American rapper, who first uploaded his now-hit song ‘Old Town Road’ to Souncloud in late 2018. The song is just shy of two minutes long with a catchy chorus and an addictive beat. After living a quiet life, sheltered on the shelves of Soundcloud, the track suddenly shot to fame on TikTok. This made Lil Nas X an overnight sensation. TikTok users were beginning to use the chorus of ‘Old Town Road’ as the soundtrack to the viral ‘Yee-Haw Challenge’ and these 15 second clips changed Lil Nas X’s life. Following its success on TikTok, ‘Old Town Road’ broke records, spending an amazing 17 weeks at the top of the Billboard charts! This milestone was all thanks to the popularity of TikTok and the accessible algorithms behind the app. In fact, Lil Nas X has been extremely open about the fact that he owes his overnight success to TikTok.

‘TikTok Songs’ and the Birth of a New Genre

In the case of ‘Old Town Road,’ something that really worked in Lil Nas X’s favour was the length of the song. At only 1 minute and 59 seconds long, the catchy tune suits the quick-paced nature of TikTok to a T. Thus, a new genre of music was born; known to many as ‘TikTok songs.’ TikTok’s rise in popularity has changed the way that already established musicians are producing their music.

There are now thousands of songs that now fit perfectly into the ‘TikTok song’ genre. Perhaps the most notable ‘TikTok songs,’ though, come from respected female musicians Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion. In January of 2020, Doja Cat released her hit single ‘Say So.’ Megan Thee Stallion followed soon after releasing ‘Savage’ three months later. These songs are considerably longer than ‘Old Town Road’ but possess many of the same qualities. They are upbeat, catchy, and repeat the same two line hook frequently throughout the song. The songs are therefore perfect for TikTok, with over 43 million TikTok users having posted videos dancing to these songs.

The features that have become synonymous with the ‘TikTok song’ can be seen in almost every new release today. Thanks to TikTok, the attention span of audiences is decreasing. If a video is not entertaining enough in the first five seconds, users will simply just scroll past. It seems as though pop musicians have picked up on this and are now going to extreme lengths to make attention-grabbing music. Of course, not all of these new pop songs will make it onto the For You Page, but a lot of them have the potential to get there.

So, it goes without saying that today’s music industry owes a lot to TikTok. It has revolutionised the power of promotion, altered the conventions of songwriting and production, and changed music forever.

Maddie Balcombe

Featured image courtesy of Solen Feyissa on Unsplash Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image.

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