As TikTok grows bigger and bigger, it influences a new generation of music artists to blow up from its app and jumpstart their careers. Artists like Yeat and Ice Spice have become a main source of music for some people. Both of them are great at making and crafting their music, but one of the main reasons why they became mainstream was because of the popularity they gained from TikTok. 

Ice Spice became an overnight sensation with her song “Munch.” But as the attraction slowed down people wondered if she would become a one hit wonder. She proved everyone wrong because after her song “Munch” almost any music she put out became a trending sound on TikTok, solidifying her a loyal fanbase. 

 Yeat, who is a 23 year old rapper from Irvine, California, was an underground artist before his music started to gain a lot of attention on TikTok. But that all changed when almost every month of 2022 a new song of his was trending. With the addiction that often comes with having TikTok downloaded, people were bound to hear Yeat everyday. He began to get more mainstream attention the more popular he started to get on TikTok and even started collaborating with huge artists like Lil Uzi Vert, NBA Youngboy and Young Thug (to name a few). He even got one of his songs in the movie “Minions: Rise of Gru.’’

But as music artists like them grow more and more of a fanbase people start to see them as “TikTok artists.” You probably wouldn’t hear their music on the radio, and the majority of their fans are from TikTok. Yet they are the ones who are getting the most mainstream plays on music apps, and it’s changing their lives. Artists like D4vd blew up on TikTok because of the songs he released called “Romantic Homicide” and “Here with Me.” D4vd is an 18 year old music artist who, before signing to Interscope Records, had to record songs in his sister’s closet. But the one thing that makes D4vd different from Yeat and Ice Spice is that he regularly makes TikToks. Because of this he gets less credibility of being a music artist and more of a TikToker who makes music. 

It seems unfair that some music artists are seen as less credible because they make TikToks to promote their music, but I see it as a good marketing strategy to get their music out to the public. If the music is good it shouldn’t be an issue if someone makes TikToks while also putting out music. And with the way things are looking for the music industry, people are going to have to choose between these types of artist or AI generated music. 

Also, people make it seem like new musicians are the only ones promoting their business and music through TikTok, but every other business is doing it now. Some don’t even feel like making TikToks to get their business out to the world but with the app expanding everyday it feels like a crucial option for them. TikTok is the quickest and smartest way for people to get to know you from a business standpoint. The artist and their team know this which is why they are encouraged to post music on TikTok, which would most likely get them a loyal fanbase. And with a large fansbase from TikTok it can be easier to build a larger fanbase in the mainstream media as well.

Soon people are going to have to realize that the new wave of musicians that get popular off of TikTok are going to pave the way music is listened to for our generation. They found an easy way to get to the top of the music charts and became successful by doing it. And of course there are some musicians who make corny music and put it on TikTok simply for views. Some even use the phrase “Did I just make the song of the summer?” Normally when I hear someone say that it most likely means the song is going to be a generic pop song. That trend should stop, but creative and unique artists expressing their music to the world through whatever popular medium there is should not.