It is hard to imagine life before TikTok. At the risk of sounding too cliché, TikTok has changed the landscape of social media majorly. It has become a place where people can build a platform, start a business, launch a career, and get their foot in the door of competitive sectors, such as the arts and entertainment industry. One industry that TikTok has changed in particular, is the music industry.
How many times have you been scrolling through TikTok and have gotten a song stuck in your head because you have constantly heard it playing in the background of the videos, on your ForYou page? How many times have you been scrolling through TikTok and seen a cool dance routine, that was made for a song you’ve never heard before, but you instantly wanted to learn it? How many times have you heard a cool remix or a mashup of a song that you could not help but listen to repeatedly? It’s hard to deny the influence TikTok has had on us and the way we consume music, right? Research has found that 80% of people on TikTok discover new music through the app, as well as TikTok being the #1 place for music discovery.
So, let’s take a look at how exactly TikTok is influencing the music we’re being exposed to…
Memes
Surely, we’re all accustomed to memes by now. It is hard to resist the relatability and the humour behind memes, especially when music is incorporated with them, it helps to elevate their genius. Some current examples include videos that use the sound of Miley Cyrus singing the lyrics ‘What does it mean?’, from her 2015 song Twinkle, to express confusion with everyday things that people say.
Videos that discuss the past trauma that people have experienced, using the isolated vocal sound from Lesley Gore’s ‘It’s my party’ song, as well as videos showcasing times when people have ‘understood the assignment’ and achieved what they set out to do, using Tay Money’s ‘The Assignment’ in the background.
Certain parts of songs with relatable lyrics or catchy melodies often become memes, which then introduces us to new songs, that were unheard of before, as well as older songs from the past.
Challenges
There is a range of challenges that are started across TikTok for various reasons, some challenges start off as a way for artists to promote a new song such as the ‘Have Mercy’ dance challenge, where people put their thigh strength to the test and stay squatting while twerking to Chloe Bailey’s new hit.
Some challenges help us organically discover songs that are underrated and relatively unheard of, like Lukas Graham’s ‘Mama Said’, which has been used to spread positivity by celebrating aspects of a person that defy societal norms and expectations, such as physical appearance and beauty.
Other challenges help to reintroduce us to songs from the past, like the Grace Kelly challenge, where people share surreal stories that have happened to them, with the recurring chorus from Mika’s ‘Grace Kelly’ song playing in accompaniment or the dance challenge that has brought Earth, Wind and Fire’s 1981 song ‘Let’s Groove’, back to life.
Spotify playlists
TikTok songs have become a huge part of the music industry, streaming in particular, so much so that Spotify have a dedicated playlist full of songs that are made popular on the app, called Viral hits.
All the songs that are on the said playlist are, or have been, the most popular TikTok sounds used in videos across the world. The fact that this playlist was made officially by Spotify just demonstrates the power of TikTok and the music used on the app.
For me, I have found many new songs and artists through TikTok that I feel I wouldn’t have been exposed to otherwise, which I see as a great thing. Granted, I do find myself constantly singing specific parts of a TikTok song that gets stuck in my head, but it’s honestly a small price to pay.
Words by: Tamikka Reid
Edited by: Holly Phillips