Since TikTok launched in 2016, it has soared in popularity. In fact, throughout the first three months of 2022, it surpassed both Instagram and Facebook as the most downloaded app.
Alongside this recognition, there has also been a surge in what we might refer to as ‘TikTok Stars’, who have used TikTok to become influencers and rouse up sizeable followings. Some of these stars include names such as; Addison Rae, Charlie and Dixie D’Amelio, Nessa Barrett, Chase Hudson, and countless others.
Whilst these Tiktokers are said to make impressive amounts of money off of their online presence (e.g., In 2022, Forbes’ annual highest paid Tiktokers list revealed Charli D’Amelio had earnt up to $17.5 million); many have also begun trying to break into the music industry. So, a question worth is: What exactly is driving these already high-earning stars into music? Is it a strategical maneuver or a reflection of true passion?
Let’s take a look ….
The Number One Reason
Though it is not possible to speak for every TikToker turned Singer; for the most part it is often the heightened exposure and boost in popularity that draws these influencers into the music scene. It is both a good opportunity to spread further afield and draw in any monetary benefits. With that said, for many, it is also rooted in a passion and interest in music. Overall, it seems that TikTok has enabled people access to the music industry they might not otherwise have. It is for this reason so many TikTokers are now able to pursue what is either an ongoing dream or just a new creative outlet to explore.
Let’s take a look at a couple of case studies to assess the relationship between TikTok fame and the music industry ….
Addison Rae
Rise to Fame
In July 2019, like many, Addison Rae started out on TikTok by performing dancing, and lip-syncing to trending sounds and songs. She briefly attended Louisiana State University where she studied sports broadcasting but eventually dropped out as she began to rise in popularity. She then moved to Los Angeles to pursue her TikTok career full time and as of July 31, 2022, she has amassed over 88 million followers on TikTok, making her the fourth most followed person on the platform.
Outlets
At 21 years old, Addison’s net worth is currently estimated at around $15 million. Alongside her presence on TikTok, Rae has boosted her popularity through various different outlets. For example, she has a YouTube Channel, podcast hosted alongside her mother, made her acting debut in the Netflix Original Film, He’s All That; a gender-swapped remake of the 1999 film She’s All That. Addison also launched her own cosmetics line, Item Beauty and in 2021 she released her debut single ‘Obsessed’.
Venture into Music
In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Rae stated:
“I was always just overly interested in it (music), and I didn’t know why,” she says. “I knew I was a dancer; I knew I loved to dance to music, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with music. Going through high school and college, I always wanted to branch out and start singing and expressing that whole love for music in a different way.”
Alongside this, Rae also sang with a local church group in Louisiana; however, her interest in singing did not progress any further at this time.
It was only during the Covid-19 pandemic that Rae began using the extra time allotted to her to develop her interest in music. Eventually, the songwriter Jacob Kasher Hindlin or JKash agreed to put her music out via his own independent label, Sandlot Records.
After the first four months of consistently going into the studio and experimenting with music, Rae and a team of experienced songwriters, (Benny Blanco, Ryan McMahon, and Blake Slatkin) and producers came up with the bulk of debut single “Obsessed” in a single session.
Reception
Since the song’s release, it has amassed an audience of 42 million listeners of Spotify. In the United States, the song debuted at its peak of number 10 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart issue dated April 3, 2021, which serves as a twenty-five slot extension to the main Billboard Hot 100.
Whilst many might say that this dive into the music industry was nothing more than a money-making and popularity-boosting maneuverer, many have also pointed out that Rae chose to release her song independent instead of signing with a major label.
Rae herself has stated, “A lot of people assume that just because of TikTok, I get things handed to me. By doing it this way, it feels so much more organic,” she says. “I want to show that this is a real passion of mine and not just something that I jumped into and got the chance to do.”
Nessa Barrett
Rise To Fame
Nessa Barrett, who recently turned 20 on 6th August, is a TikTok star who found popularity through the platform and has subsequently moved over into the music industry. In 2019, Barrett joined TikTok, accumulating over 18.8 million followers as of July 2022 and over 314.7 million likes on the platform.
Outlets
Nessa Barrett’s net worth is estimated at around $1 million. At the moment, Nessa’s main outlets are TikTok and her burgeoning singing career. However, she also has a YouTube channel which is predominately used for music and lyric videos for her songs. The channel has gathered an audience of 1.1. million subscribers and a total of 164.4 million views.
Venture Into Music
Nessa Barrett has an ongoing passion for music and has stated that she was interested in music and writing “since [she] could walk and talk”. Additionally, in an interview with American Songwriter she noted:
‘Music has been around my whole life, so yes in Jersey. I grew up with a studio in my house; my dad is a producer. I recorded my first song at four years old.’ and ‘I’ve always wanted to do it (singing/ music); it was my wish every year when I blew out my birthday candles. It’s something I’ve always felt like I was on this earth to do. I just didn’t think I’d actually be able to until I grew my platform organically.’
Moreover, she has also discussed that artists like Artic Monkeys, Lana Del Ray, Melanie Martinez and The Neighbourhood as influences on both her sound and her aesthetic as a musician.
Barrett began her music career in July 2020, when she released her piano-based ballad debut single “Pain”. The label Warner Records reached out after discovering her singing slips on TikTok. Shortly after, Barret’s debut single ‘Pain’.
In February 2021, Barrett released the track “La Di Die”, with fellow artist Jdxn, produced by Travis Barker. She performed the single live for the first time on the April 7, 2021 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and performed the song again on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 12, 2021.
More recently, her song ‘I Hope Ur Miserable Until U Die’ entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 88 in August 2021, becoming her first entry on the chart. In June 2022, Barrett dedicated to her song “Die First” to her best friend Cooper Noriega, who had recently died.
Reception
Barret’s music has amassed a large number of listens on Spotify:
‘Die First’: 34,836,207 listeners
‘I hope ur miserable until you die’: 88,433,498 listeners
‘La di die’: 121,225,341 listeners
‘Dying on the inside’: 18,620,783 listeners
‘Counting Crimes’: 16,837,397 listeners
Barrett has accumulated 7,506,280 monthly listeners and in 2021 she was nominated as Social Star at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
So, it seems that the music industry is definitely advantageous in terms of boosting general popularity for many Tiktokers. However, there are also many who have merely used the platform TikTok enabled them to pursue an interest and new form of creativity.
If this article took your interest then why not go and read about the predicted winners for the 2022 Emmys, covered right here at Trill Mag.
