Drivers License is telling of the kind of music this app rewards.
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It takes a big media apparatus to propel a new artist to the forefront of the American streaming charts.
What gave Rodrigo the juice?
In under a month, the clip has garnered a million likes and hundreds of copycats and parodies.
Ever since 2016, when the southern rap duo Rae Sremmurds Black Beatles reached No.
The militant diligence of Beyonces Beyhive and BTSs Army has assisted in earning impressive sales for their patron artists.
A number of the most-heard songs of the new decade rose along with a TikTok challenge.
Still, there are through lines.
It behooves a savvy user to employ these tools to increase visibility.
Choreography challenges reward breezy dance-pop or brash hip-hop tracks.
A single bracing lyric can put a comedy video over the top.
The absolute drama of a slow, sad song is a veritable buffet for prospective actors.
The power to leverage TikTok to an artists gain is double-edged.
The ensuing battle was resolved with a record deal and fair accreditation a month later.
In October, a remix featuring members of BTS hit No.
Savage Love also shows how grating the TikTok machine and the music it propagates can be.
But the new context the videos add is not always as interesting as the original artists intent.
Watching white fans mugging while attempting complex hip-hop routines can feel like appropriation in action.
Often, they look like theyre numbly going through the motions in hopes of being seen and heard.
Now, shes milking its success and doubling down on its radio play.
Breaking a new artist used to be a mercenary campaign of co-signs and guest spots.
Today, a single clever fan can set the ball in motion.
In many respects, this new way of engaging with music carries the characteristics of the old.
Has the internet changed us, or has it only accelerated us on paths weve been on all along?
