Like a lot of us, I downloaded TikTok at the start of quarantine as a joke. I wanted to see what all the hype was about. But the platform, with the psychological trap of endless scrolls and a creepy prediction algorithm, drew me in. I noticed that I would watch for hours at a time, endlessly seeing short-form video after video.
But then it also made me notice how much the songs showcased on the platform became earworms that I couldn’t get out of my head. Constantly songs would start playing in my head as if I had left the app open. And it made me wonder: how much power do social media apps have over our pop culture and music in general?
Now, I know that it has an enormous influence on what we are exposed to. The trends overwhelm the original. Dance trends particularly hammer certain songs into the mainstream radio waves, till it’s inescapable. A prime example is the ‘Say So’ dance challenge created by Haley Sharpe (yodelinghaley). Because of its popularity on the platform, the dance has caught on mainstream success and has lead to the song’s creator, Doja Cat, to even perform the dance live during the Billboard Music Awards.
The power of the platform leads to a creator and fan interaction that allows for artists to put out their work, and TikTok creators to reinvent and highlight to reach a wider range of people. As such, TikTok is a powerful tool for a musician to use, as their music can be featured in new ways to millions of viewers, all at little or no expense to them. This doesn’t mean that the song wouldn’t have blown up without the platform, but the platform certainly gives a boost to the artists, especially those lesser-known.
TikTok also allows the artists to interact with their fans on a more personal level, with many music stars holding accounts followed by millions. Such, social media lets us interact with both the music and the artist, which also helps boost popularity.
Though this may be the good side, the opposite could be overplaying and creating fatigue on a faster level than if a song were just to reach radio success. I have often heard people complain that “TikTok ruined a song” or that “the song isn’t even good, just overhyped.” And while this may be the case, the same can be said of any song being played on a media platform. But a main concern an artist should have is TikTok users warping the message or meaning of a song for their own agenda. Imagine creating a brilliant song, just for it to be used in an extremely odd or even vile video. You have no control over the song’s image, or your image anymore. As long as you are associated with this song, the trolls of the internet are out to get you.
TikTok is just the current platform where songs can be showcased. Songs and the media’s (whether social or traditional) influence on popularity have been around since the invention of media. Whatever the next platform may be will definitely do the same: promote music through creator-driven content. But as a user, we just should be cognizant of how we find the music we listen to, and of course, support the artist who created the song stuck in your head. Because who knows? The song you first heard on TikTok could be number one tomorrow.
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