Becoming a successful musician may have seemed impossible and unrealistic in the past but now, hundreds of aspiring artists are sharing their music with the world – all thanks to the wildly popular app Tik Tok. 

Tik Tok is known for its addictive swiping nature as users keep scrolling through endless amounts of comedy videos, dance tutorials, life hacks and more. Now, Tik Tok has transformed into a social media outlet where influencers can grow their own personal platforms and make a name for themselves. With one click of a button, an artist can share their music with the world and top major music charts overnight. Tik Tok is completely changing the game for artists.

“I downloaded Tik Tok the summer of 2019 and have been obsessed with it ever since. I’m always learning new dances and following different challenges that famous influencers have done,” said senior Annalise W.

In 2020, the top 3 songs, according to Official Charts, all came to the surface thanks to Tik Tok. At #1, The Weeknd takes the win with his hit song “Blinding Lights”. And with no surprise, Blinding Lights was the background music to a famous tik tok dance that was trending as a result of quarantine boredom. Tik Tok credits user @macdaddyz for the choreography of the Blinding Lights dance. 

With over 482.5 million videos made under the hashtag #blindinglightschallenge, it is clear that Tik Tok can be credited for aiding to the hit song being #1 on the charts. Following the trend, at #3 is Roses by SAINt JHN. This song was released in 2019 and ultimately regained popularity in 2020 because of Tik Tok. With 2.7 million videos using the sound and Charli D’Amelio at the top with almost 12.6 million likes, it is safe to say that Tik Tok influenced the song Roses coming up to the charts again a year after its release. 

“Whenever I see a video of people dancing with fun energy, I immediately go to Spotify to find what song was playing in the background. Something about a fun dance makes the song that much more appealing and makes me want to listen to it more,” said senior Emma H. 

A song behind a viral Tik Tok dance or challenge will likely fly to the top charts. Artists may use this to their advantage. Many artists are now buying ads for their songs to play on Tik Tok and some make dances to their songs as a way to go viral. This opens the door to everyone and anyone who wants their song to go viral and hopes to make a platform for themselves. 

“I’ve found some of my favorite songs because of Tik Tok. I have also discovered artists I probably would never have heard of. I think it is amazing that many talented artists are now able to not only share their music with the world but are also gaining the attention and success that they deserve,” said senior Claire O.

Because of the overwhelming influence Tik Tok has on the music industry, an aspiring artist’s dreams can become reality. The viral app doesn’t just make people famous, it sparks creativity, imagination and hope. 

“I think it is amazing that people now have the ability to make their dreams come true without even leaving their bedroom. Of course there are some downsides to how easily it is for people to create a platform, but I think the influence that Tik Tok has on the music industry specifically is only positive,” said senior Carly L.🔳