There is much contrast for songs getting backlash for becoming “TikTokified” to becoming someone’ s favorite song.
From Musical.ly to now TikTok, the app has depended on trendy sounds and songs to create viral sensations. Musical.ly lived 2014 until August 2018, in which TikTok came to be and has been ongoing.
TikTok is the 5th most used social media platform worldwide and has gained over 136 million users from the United States.
Overall, songs and artists have gained lots of recognition because of TikTok. Artists like Steve Lacy, Alex G, Doja Cat, Conan Gray, and much more.
Even songs from before the consistent use of social media have gained more popularity.
Kate Bush songs from late 70s and 80s, “Babooska”, “Running Up That Hill”, “Wuthering Heights”, and “Army Dreamers” have resurfaced through TikTok. Just like many other songs from different time periods have gotten recognition from recent generations due to trends.
Many have become favorites and many hate those songs now.
“I do not play about Kate Bush, but to be fair I grew up listening to some of her songs and other 80s music. Hearing it resurface can be kind of shocking since some people never heard these songs before until social media,” said Nicole Becke Haro (12).
“I guess any new music that I listen to, it comes through TikTok,” said Abigail Sanchez Garcia (12).
“A song I discovered from TikTok was ‘Love Sosa’ by Chief Keef,” said Emanuel Huerta (12).
Whether TikTok has spoiled certain songs or not, it is not just an audience controversy. Some artists dislike their fans only knowing little of their music and those who only sing along to what was trending on TikTok.
During Steve Lacy’s 2022 tour, “Give You the World”, Lacy called out fans who only knew snippets of his songs. The audience could not sing full verses and at times when he held the microphone to fans, there was silence and inaccuracy.
A Variety interview with Lacy goes in depth with his life and relationship with fans, and the struggle of becoming a sort of niche artist to mainstream.
“I feel like it’s really hard to get popular on TikTok. You have to have that type of charisma. It could be difficult for smaller creators because people are more focused on mainstream creators,” said Sanchez Garcia.
Lacy was similar to another artist Doja Cat in the sense that they were already involved in the music industry, TikTok just drove them to immense success.
With songs like “Say So”, “Streets”, “Woman” and more, Doja Cat has become a staple of TikTokified music.
“Doja Cat has really empowering music and reminds me of prime TikTok,” said Haro.
Due to TikTok being such a musically based platform, many TikTokers have branched out to having a music career, whether successful or not.
In June 2020, Dixie D’Amelio released the single “Be Happy”. This song became a hit meme and her music career was short- lived, although she had more releases and even prior ones. She brought in songs like “One Whole Day” (2020), Psycho” (2021), “I Remember” (2023), and a few more.
Yet Addison Rae has fully rebranded herself as an artist. With songs like “Obsessed” (2023), “Von Dutch” (2024), and “Diet Pepsi” (2025).
“The way she’s rebranded herself should be studied. She went from Hype House to an Americana ‘It Girl’ aesthetic,” said Haro.
Rae has played at Coachella with Olivia Rodgrio proving her rebranded self into the music industry.
Olivia Rodgrio is not a TikToker who rose to fame, she started off in commercials and had risen with the Disney show, Bizaardvark. When her debut album “Sour” (2021) came to be, she was more famous than ever with songs like “Drivers License” and “Traitor”.
Rodgrio’s songs became well known and trendy throughout TikTok. Similar to her friend, Conan Gray whose song “Heather” (2020) became wildly popular on TikTok.
TikTok is a place to make or break someone’ s music career.
“I think it benefits everybody as long as they have a good platform,” said Huerta.
“Some people will become a one hit wonder and they’re next song just doesn’t hit and they’ll plummet in the music industry,” said Sanchez Garcia.
It is complex and dependent on the audiences reached for artists’ music to become a trendy song.
“It’s a mixture of both when TikTok ruins or makes songs better. Depends on how much they get used,” said Huerta.
“It gets to a point where it’s too much where it’s not even a song anymore. Yet, sometimes it can make me discover new songs,” said Isabella Garcia (9).
On one hand, TikTok exposes younger generations to older music, helps artists gain recognition, and causes music to spread worldwide. Yet these short clips cause the songs to be overlooked and ruined due to being overplayed.
TikTok has changed the music industry by being accessible and trendy but the music has become less meaningful and more popularized.
