“TikTok is uniquely designed to build parasocial relationships with people all over the world. People with normal lives can be suddenly launched into niche-celebrity status overnight, purely based off the fact that they connect with a particular audience.”
A not-all-that famous man once said; “A little bit of Monica, in my life. A little bit of Erica, by my side.” These immortal lines were first uttered by German singer Lou Bega in his hit 1999 song “Mambo No.5.” The song is a prime example of the classic “one-hit wonder.” Even though it is from the last millennium, it is still relatively well known by most people in Ireland today. “One-hit wonders” occur when a relatively unknown artist comes out with an unexpected chart-topping song. Most artists become inherently tied to their song for the rest of their career, and it signifies a career peak that they can never reach again. However, in 2023, the musical landscape is changing fast, and it seems that through the use of social media, the one-hit wonder may soon become a thing of the past.
One-hit wonders have been a cultural phenomenon for as long as pop music as a genre has existed. As long as there have been charts, there has been an occasional hit from someone decidedly not cemented in the pop establishment. These songs have often acted as cultural balances to the popular sound of the time, such as when Bobby McFerrin’s relaxed acapella hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” surpassed Guns n’ Roses “Sweet Child o’ Mine” to the no. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1988. Or Similarly, in 2011 when Gotye’s “Somebody I Used to Know” was topping charts alongside Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Wiz Khalifa, and Kesha. Oftentimes they come from a non-pop artist making a once-off pop breakthrough hit.
Social media in the late naughties and early 2010s was also used as a springboard for unknown singers and musicians to be seen by music producers, as was the case with Justin Bieber’s career. But since the inception of TikTok, the landscape of music is changing at a now break-neck pace.
If you have used social media, or listened to the radio at any point in the last 18 months, then chances are you’re familiar with the singer Pinkpantheress. “Boy’s a Liar Pt.2,” her collaboration with Ice Spice, soared to no.3 on the Billboard Global 200 on February 25th of this year. She was also named “The Sound of 2022” by BBC in January, 2023. Pinkpantheress first began gaining an online following on TikTok, where several of her songs went viral, and with little marketing, her music struck a chord with many communities who kept using her songs until they started to become more widely known. If she had debuted in the early 2000s, without the assistance of TikTok to keep her maintained in the public eye, would she have been a one-hit wonder?
“One-hit wonders, as a phenomenon, seem to be on the way out in this new era of social media-based music.”
TikTok is uniquely designed to build parasocial relationships with people all over the world. People with normal lives can be suddenly launched into niche-celebrity status overnight, purely based off the fact that they connect with a particular audience. A 22-year-old who recorded her first mixtape in the halls of her university accommodation, less than three years ago, has now had multiple hit songs back to back because TikTok has given her a community of people who can easily access her music.
The main thing that has always separated the one-hit wonders and mainstream artists from continuous success is the inability of the music to be able to find the right audience. TikTok has removed this barrier. As long as someone can keep up an entertaining persona, it seems that they will always have a base to beta-test their releases. It can give artists a second chance of guaranteed success when they are coming back to music after a period of absence.
” If you gain a following on social media, building a musical career is significantly easier than starting with nothing in today’s era of music.”
There is a wide array of successful artists that have global attention from TikTok. In 2019, a 19-year-old rapper from Atlanta released a song about an “old town road” and marketed it on TikTok. “Old Town Road” went viral from a dance craze on the social-media app. Without this direct act of marketing and the viral nature of TikTok, Lil Nas X probably never would have gained the online following he did in 2019. It’s also worth remembering that in 2019, TikTok, as it is today, was a site primarily used by children. Children attach more easily and loyally than adults, therefore cumulating fandom and popularity is particularly accessible on TikTok.
One-hit wonders, as a phenomenon, seem to be on the way out in this new era of social media-based music. Unfortunately, we are also beginning to see the downsides of this new system. While it is theoretically possible to have one hit song that sets up an artist for life, this relies on them building a fanbase alongside their music brand. It has always been difficult as an up-and-coming musician trying to get a record deal, or even finding an audience to actively listen to your music. But TikTok fame is, to an extent, random. So attempting to build a presence on the app, alongside promoting your music, can seem a Herculean task. As a result, this new era of music is more likely to produce artists who never reach their full potential in the first place, owing to poor social media presences and an inability to find an audience that finds them charming or interesting – factors that have no bearing on a person’s artistic or musical ability.
It seems to be a worthwhile investment today to create a social media account to advertise your music, and to post on that account to try and find listeners. If you gain a following on social media, building a musical career is significantly easier than starting with nothing in today’s era of music. Even alternative artists, who are typically ‘underground’ can build up a significant following on social media if they are well-liked on the apps. Humans are naturally curious creatures – the discovery of one well- liked song will naturally attract others to your work. So while it’s entirely possible that we could see the one-hit wonder element disappear from the cultural zeitgeist, we may trade it for an unholy amalgamation of music, social media, and business. Whether or not one-hit wonders progress into the 2020s, or even the 2030s still waits to be seen. Nonetheless, we are living through massive change regarding popular music that will set the stage for new developments, genres and artists for generations to come.
WORDS: Fleur Griffin
