On February 4, Olivia Rodrigo performed her song “Driver’s License” for the first time, live on “The Tonight Show.” It wasn’t surprising that her live vocals were similar to the studio track, emphasizing her true talent. Since the song’s release, it’s stayed at #1 on the Hot 100 chart. It broke countless records, including Spotify’s greatest single-week streams. She even had the biggest single-day streams, passing Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next.” These massive achievements by a relatively unknown 17-year-old girl suggest a new generation of musicians is starting to pose a threat to the typical chart-toppers we know and love today.
The juicy story behind the song also fueled its success, opening a door for fans to speculate about Rodrigo’s relationship with Joshua Bassett and the role that Sabrina Carpenter played in their dramatic end. If you’ve got Tik Tok, you probably hear some clips of “Driver’s License” at least a few times when scrolling through your For You Page. This year we’ve seen more artists pushing their songs on Tik Tok, encouraging users to create dances and make a trend out of it. Despite its potential to decide trends, it has ruined some songs that become overused. Those who regularly listen to Ariana Grande quickly discovered that “34+35” was growing on Tik Tok, and it became stale for some listeners after seeing it in so many videos. Almost a month later, “Driver’s License” is still everywhere. Sure, some of the momentum has slowed down, but it’s still insanely popular and listeners are still addicted. Upon its release, it had people hypnotized, unable to stop listening or grow tired of it. A slower ballad like “Driver’s License” doesn’t fit the mold for a viral Tik Tok sound with a catchy beat easy to create moves to. Her success reveals the potential for other types of songs to make it big on Tik Tok if they’re raw enough and have a dramatic backstory to keep people listening.
It would be unfair and ignorant to attribute all of the “Driver’s License” achievements to Tik Tok. I think Olivia Rodrigo is an incredible singer and songwriter, and her lyrics were shockingly vulnerable and organic for someone her age. I wonder if Olivia will be able to maintain this momentum if she releases more music, as it won’t be nearly as successful if the Tik Tok audience doesn’t latch onto it. It would be a shame for someone with a talent like hers to become a one-hit wonder, but with Tik Tok, young audiences may not feel the need to be loyal to an artist if what they put out isn’t massively successful and all over the app. Hopefully, we continue to get authentic, good songs like Rodrigo’s and less of songs like “Yummy,” which were criticized for seeming like they were intentionally made for Tik Tok virality. This year, it will be interesting to see how the Tik Tok community will continue to influence the Billboard Hot 100, and how this app may become a promotional staple for artists looking to make it big.