Is there a clock ticking on TikTok artists?

TikTok was the driving force behind some of the world’s biggest break out musical hits in 2020. Songs that not only secured global traction through the platform but did so at unprecedented, lightning speed. In a matter of days, the creators of these tracks secured top 100 positions on the Billboard and in some cases received that coveted blue icon on Spotify indicating their status as a top artist globally. Unfathomable, instantaneous fame sparked by the TikTok platform. Still, the jury is still out on whether that rate of adoption reflects the beginnings of a sustainable career or if that lightning speed, is simply lightning in a bottle.

 Billboard magazine wrote about it in June. Their article, aptly titled TikTok Continues To Launch Breakout Hits, But Can It Sustain An Artist’s Career?, identified that of all the names that broke into the top 100 with a single that went viral on TikTok, only one of them managed to make it into the top half of the Billboard 200 since. Rolling Stone came to a similar conclusion in their July 2020 TikTok Breaks Big Hits, But It’s Still Struggling to Break Big Stars. In so many ways, both suggested that the “potential for [these artists] ending up the decade’s first crop of one-hit wonders hangs in the balance”.

 In Canada, names like 347aidan, Curtis Waters, Tiagz and Powfu are the first to mind when we think about TikTok success stories. Like so many other music businesses, Sub Management Group leverages data to better understand how artists are performing and how the market is responding. When we isolate streaming consumption and the rate to which Canadian artists are gaining traction on DSPs, these names not only topped the list in 2020, they blew everyone else out of the water this year. In the states, names like SAINt JHN and BENEE followed a similar path.

The tangible impact of interactive, social media channels is undeniable and offers an entirely new way to consume music. Where the focus of the activity – be it dancing, cycling or playing video games – is less about the artist, and more about the user. Personally, my quarantine soundtrack featured tracks like “death bed (coffee for your head)” or “Stunnin” or Imanbek’s remix of “Roses.” And I’m willing to bet that you listened to these songs as well. Or at least you caught a soundbite embedded in Instagram stories, in Twitch streams, Peloton classes or accompanying a TikTok routine.

When music is embedded into these sorts of activities and trends, that’s a recipe for huge consumption. But it also makes it challenging to differentiate active and passive listenership. It begs the questions - is this real fandom?

Some artists have figured out a way to convert to streams and to capture dedicated listenership. Fast forward to January 2021 and in some cases, Billboard’s grim prediction was totally wrong:

 SAINt JHN has over 25 M followers on Spotify, his deepest cuts all performing well. He’s an entrepreneur at heart, making a fake PR agency in his earliest days so people would answer his emails. He has huge cuts with Hoodie Allens, Kiesza, Usher.

 Powfu hasn’t come close to reaching his 800M streams but each of his other songs has a healthy 20 – 60M streams respectfully (Nielsen, 2021). Son of Faber Drive lead Dave Faber, he grew up in a musical household. He knows industry, he knows the life or at least has the right mentors around him. He’s heading down the path of being a professional songwriter. 

 In other instances, Billboard is right. It's about the song and not about the artist.

 Curtis Waters has 120M streams in North America alone. Remove the TikTok smash single “Stunnin” and that number is closer to 8M North American streams (Nielsen, 2021). Then consider the pittance of radio Airplay comparatively and a different picture of the artist starts to emerge. It’s less clear for this artist.

 Where I differ with Billboard (and subsequently with Rolling Stone) is in their assessment of what constitutes a “Career” these days. 

While these artists may not all have stay power in the Billboard 200, is that truly the mark of success? Are these magazines truly only reporting on the 0.001%? Each of these names continues to earn hundreds of thousands annually in streaming revenue. They have each signed six or seven figure deals. They have converted their TikTok engagement to other social platforms that are monetized. They’re young and they continue to create. 

Perhaps the discussion we should be having is about a new type of artist that is emerging:

 Where purely digital success is all that matters. Where content is truly king, as long as it converts to streaming consumption. Where millions of dollars can be made from bedrooms without the need to ever step onto a stage. 

At least not a stage in the traditional sense. These artists are all playing on a global, digital stage, meticulously cultivating millions of followers across these various platforms. I'd argue that in some cases, with better results than traditional artist types.

Perhaps these are the earliest signs of the music-come-influencer dynamic shifting? Where influencer comes first and the music is the added perk. 

If we stop comparing these artists to Billboard mainstays and consider them a class of influencer unto themselves - more so aligned with icons like Ninja or Charli D’Amelio - I’d say their track becomes even more exciting. 

Yes these creators aspire to be artists first, but a new type of artist that could be treated as such. 

I’d say that’s the first step toward longevity.

Maybe just not the same type of career that we’re used to. For now.