Is TikTok Saving the Music Industry or Killing It?
We all witnessed a great deal of unpredictability on the out of control rollercoaster that was 2020, which lead the not so gradual growth of social media platform TikTok to simply fade into the chaos. Social media has propelled unknown musicians to overnight success since its very inception in the early 2000s, and the once shocking prospect of a ‘viral video’ has now become part of our everyday vocabulary. We have seen the likes of billion dollar company YouTube and short lived video sharing app Vine launch the careers of global superstars Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes, however, no social media app has had as strong a grip on the music industry as TikTok.
TikTok first launched in 2018 as a rebrand of its 2014 predecessor Musical.ly, and by the end of 2020 had reached over two billion downloads. The success of TikTok is in large part due to the app’s use of music, which began with users lip-syncing to popular songs, and then later evolved to TikTok’s ‘niche’ of creating numerous dance routines to a seemingly endless catalogue of songs.
The beauty of TikTok’s use of music is that it is impossible to predict which song, or even which genre, will go viral next. As with the nature of fast-moving social media, a song that is popular one month is likely to be completely forgotten about by the next - and that is exactly what happened to New Zealand artist BENEE. The initial weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic saw the 19 year old rise to social media stardom with the feel-good pop single Supalonely, which features earth- shattering percussion and an irresistibly catchy vocal. Supalonely took TikTok, and indeed the world, by storm; it was featured in nine million videos on the app and has since gone on to amass over 400 million streams on Spotify. However, as the ever cruel cogs of the TikTok machine turned, Supalonely seemingly dropped off the face of the app one month after its first appearance in March, leaving BENEE with less than 20 thousand followers on the app that first launched her career.
It is cases like BENEE’s which lead to the question: is social media saving the music industry or killing it?
It is certainly not difficult to argue that the “TikTok song” phenomena is simply the next evolution of the one hit wonder, with emerging artists receiving global attention for their debut singles and then never being heard from again. A prime example of this is the 2019 viral sensation Old Town Road. Lil Nas X’s country-rap hybrid first emerged on TikTok, before making waves across the globe. The radio smash amassed over one billion streams, and earned the then 19 year-old countless more career defining accolades in less than a year, including: a performance at the historic Glastonbury Festival, multiple Grammy nominations, and a 17-week long reign at Number 1 on the Billboard Chart. Despite this incredible success, the song quickly became a joke among music fans, and Lil Nas X has yet to see a trace of the success garnered by Old Town Road for any of his subsequent releases.
Whilst economically the music industry is thriving, the success of the TikTok song is undoubtedly contributing to the death of authenticity in modern music. The simplicity of many TikTok songs leaves critics and consumers alike questioning the value of this new wave of music, with the latest release from pop singer-turned TikTok star Jason Derulo justifiably receiving a hefty amount of criticism. On Savage Love, Derulo screeches inconsequential lyrics “Savage Love, did somebody break your heart?” overtop piercing synthesisers and unimpressive percussion. The singer also came under fire for using a beat created by Polynesian producer Jawsh 685 without permission, which all but confirms that Savage Love was a not-so-cleverly disguised cash grab from Derulo. It is songs like Savage Love which make fans lose trust in the music industry, as these songs are seen as trends, rather than authentic pieces of music.
The lack of substance that many TikTok songs possess is made even more apparent given the success of ‘old’ songs on the app. From Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams to Kate Bush’s Babooska, the next generation are being inspired by the ‘viral’ songs of days past. The lyrical genius portrayed by these legendary artists represents a level of authenticity and passion for music that is nowhere to be found in the trend-focused recording studios pushing out TikTok’s greatest hits.
However, TikTok is breathing new life into the music industry in the form of social media sensation Doja Cat. The singer-rapper’s vibrant single Say So is beaming with funk and disco influences, and the song has launched the star to stratospheric success. Doja Cat is one of the few exceptions to the TikTok song formula, as she is one of the only artists who has managed to use her social media presence as a selling point, and combine this success into a flourishing career within the mainstream music industry. Additionally, Doja Cat has maintained a strong hold of her success, with an additional seven songs reaching viral status on TikTok following the release of Say So. We are also witnessing the wider music industry recognise the power of social media for the first time, as Doja Cat has been nominated for three Grammy awards, including the coveted Record of the Year.
It is hard to maintain anything other then a love-hate relationship with TikTok. The emergence of new artists along with the resurgence of music icons combines to create an effervescent user experience. Make no mistake, whilst the music industry is certainly not on its knees, the success of each new TikTok one hit wonder slowly chips away at its credibility.