BEYOND THE NOTES
Photo by Tara Radmard
We’ve all been there—swearing to put our phone down, only to lose an hour to the endless doomscroll of TikTok. Once a lip-syncing app called Musical.ly, TikTok has evolved into a powerhouse where trends explode overnight, turning unknown songs into viral sensations.
The concept of music going viral isn’t new—YouTube, Tumblr, and Vine all had their moments—but TikTok’s algorithm has taken it to another level.
There is no true surefire way for a song to blow up. Still, there are certainly different methods that one can use to help boost their song and provide it to a wider audience, whether it be through a viral dance, a trending sound, or even an artist’s strategic push. Either way, the app will dictate what millions hear on repeat on their For You Page (FYP) for the next week or two.
Early TikTok trends relied heavily on dance challenges. TikTok stars like Charli D’Amelio or Addison Rae popularized songs within thirty seconds, but those tracks often faded as soon as the next dance took over. Then came the pandemic-era shift: songs like “death bed (coffee for your head)” by Powfu and beabadoobee spread through general content rather than choreography, setting the stage for today’s algorithm-driven virality.
Now, a track’s success isn’t tied to a single trend. TikTok has evolved as a platform, and the emphasis on thirty-second dances has continuously decreased, with original, more varied content being emphasized instead. One scroll might feature Hozier’s “Too Sweet” in a baking video, the next in a skit, and the next in a film edit. This cycle fuels rapid-fire discovery while granting some songs surprising longevity—Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” hit new heights four years after release, thanks to TikTok exposure translating into streaming success. It has since been re-popularized, as demonstrated by its sales, records, and numbers boost, and ultimately reaching the top of the charts on various streaming services.
For rising artists, TikTok is a game-changer. PinkPantheress, Doja Cat, Charli XCX, d4vd, JVKE, and many more have leveraged the platform to become mainstream stars. That’s not to say that none of these artists couldn’t have been successful without TikTok, but without the platform given to them, there may not have been nearly as much visibility. The seemingly random algorithm on the app makes it easier, now more than ever, for artists such as Chappell Roan to go big, as seen with the virality of “Good Luck, Babe!” snowballing into a Best New Artist win at this year’s Grammy Awards Ceremony. Aspiring artists and musicians have the chance to make it into the music game and stardom without technically ever needing to leave their bedroom—so long as they have a catchy snippet and a bit of luck.
But TikTok’s influence isn’t without drawbacks. Song lengths have been reduced to better fit the shorter attention spans that have come with the rise and success of short-form content, cutting aspects of songwriting like bridges or final choruses that, without them, can make the songs feel cheaper and less cohesive. Many will write songs with the clear intent of going viral on TikTok, putting all their eggs into one thirty-second snippet that could become popular while leaving the rest of the song half-baked. Overexposure also breeds fatigue—songs like Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” go from beloved to unbearable within weeks.
Critics argue Tiktok is “ruining” music, churning out trends instead of timeless hits with its weaker quality. While there’s truth to the concerns, the platform has also democratized the industry.
If they know how to play their cards right, smaller artists are given unprecedented opportunities to reach stardom through the app’s algorithm and instant virality. Although it is certainly daunting, it means that anyone who has the app has the potential to gain that following as well.
At the end of the day, TikTok is a flawed platform with problems that range much larger than just sped-up snippets of pop songs in thirty-second videos. However, it is through this app that music has evolved. And, like it or not, TikTok isn’t just going to continue shaping trends—it’s going to redefine how we discover, consume, and engage with music for years to come.
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