Viral TikTok stars are commonplace in pop culture today. But when Jax had a video go viral in 2020 amid the worldwide quarantine, it wasn't just another viral video — for the New Jersey-born singer, it was practically life-saving.

After years of being told she "wasn't mysterious enough" for the L.A. pop music scene, Jax decided to post a video parody of Fountains of Wayne's "Stacy's Mom." Channeling her mom's New York accent, she delivered "Stacy's Mom from Stacy's Mom's Perspective," and practically overnight, Jax realized she might actually have what it takes to make it.

"It was the dream. Finally people were like, 'Okay, you can do this for a living,'" Jax recalls. "And  I'm like, 'That rocks, thank you, because I suck at everything else.'"

Comedy has been ingrained in Jax since childhood, when she first started going to theater camp. She knew at a young age that making others laugh was her calling, and as she puts it, "filling dead air with jokes" is her specialty. Now, her sense of humor is translating through her original music.

Jax's success extended beyond TikTok last year with "Victoria's Secret," a witty confrontation of the lingerie brand's glamorization of unrealistic body image. The song makes points that are hilarious ("I know Victoria's Secret/ She was made up by a dude," she sings in the song's hook) but also meaningful — so much so that it sparked a public statement from the brand's CEO acknowledging its past pitfalls.

While "Victoria's Secret" may be Jax's biggest hit to date, it's just one of hundreds of brilliantly funny tunes she's crafted, including her latest single, the twisted princess tale "Cinderella Snapped." But no matter where her career goes from here, Jax is just happy she's finally able to be herself.

Before Jax kicked off her summer tour with Big Time Rush on June 22, the singer took GRAMMY.com through six foundational pieces of her life that have led to her dream come true — and ultimately made her one of pop's funniest new stars.

Being A Theater Kid

I knew I wanted to be on stage from a very young age, so I grew up with theater. I got a sense very young [about] what an audience would respond to, what kind of comedic timing would work, or what kind of dramatic timing would work. 

I can remember every single role, whether it be community theater, or something a little more pro, or at camp. I remember how hard I fell in love with almost every single role I played. I don't know if that makes me a sociopath. 

A big one for me [was when] I earned playing Annie — after being in Annie as not Annie two times prior, I finally got Annie. I worked hard enough to prove myself, and then I had to take this on as myself. The next year I got the role of Lily, and I loved that role. I got a huge audience reaction. It was the comedic relief of the show. 

Beating Cancer

I got pretty sick somewhere in between writing for myself and transitioning out to L.A. as a songwriter. I had to take a year off of singing, and I couldn't do anything other than write. They did a huge surgery where they removed my thyroid for thyroid cancer, and it was the coolest gift I could ever receive.

I mean, it didn't seem like that at the time, but now I know that I would not be a songwriter if it weren't for that year. [It was] almost like a full bootcamp on writing, [and it helped me] realize that I could actually make a living doing this. If I tried hard enough, I could not only write for me but write for anyone. 

It was the most bizarre year ever, but it got me here. I love talking about it because it feels like a W, it doesn't feel like an L. [Laughs.] 

Struggling To Make It In L.A.

L.A. gave me a really cool perspective. When I came out here to write for other people, there were songwriters that were lightyears ahead of me. I went my whole life writing songs for myself, in my own little world. I started in musical theater, I joined a bunch of bands, I tried to write my music, I've done shows. I've done a million different chapters in my life where I tried for me. When it came to L.A., I [got [time with] creatives that brought me to another level as a songwriter and taught me how to nurture my skill set. 

At the same time, whenever it came back to my project, and when I was able to master the way I write, it was never enough. Every time I wrote what genuinely felt like the right thing to write in my heart, how I would write it — as cheesy or non cheesy, as dark or bright or funny or whatever it was — it's always extreme. It's pretty in your face, like, "Here's what I'm saying, and here is a joke and here is not a joke," you know? That is how I speak, that's who I am, my whole life, in every aspect.

I was told I needed more mystery. It was like, "You need to be cooler in this, you need to be sexier" — I've been told to cut weight my whole life. When I started doing pop music, especially, people were like, "You must look like your pop icons if you want to do these types of songs." 

I started to lose [my] sense of self. That on top of having to pay rent in L.A., you just get really discouraged. You start to associate your skills and your talent and your self-worth with how much money you make, who you're around, what your cuts are, who you know. And I started to really get secluded. And thank God I did, because that's where my quarantine ended up — I ended up hitting rock bottom and then just saying "F— it" and putting out what I felt was good. 

And with apps like TikTok, where it's a little more equal opportunity to anyone in the world, it was the dream. Finally people were like, "Okay, you can do this for a living," and I'm like, "That rocks, thank you, because I suck at everything else." [Laughs.]

@jaxwritessongs A Doctor and a Hypochondriac wrote a song together 💀👨‍⚕️🤒❤️‍🩹 @drjoe_md #doctor #hypochondriac #songs #sorrynotsorry ♬ original sound - Jax

Becoming TIkTok Famous

It's a hard struggle like bridging the gap between [funny and kitschy]. I kind of landed in that space on TikTok. I'm not a comedian by any means — I was in a huge panic [when my first video blew up], because I'm like, I can't maintain a funny thing. I have all these new people commenting on my original stuff, my music — what can I do to like, blend the worlds? 

I definitely have a really easy time with perspective writing and creative writing. I love taking characters and shifting them into the wrong places and stories. I loved that in theater growing up. I loved that in writing classes growing up. So I spent a minute [thinking], Well, if people were into this, and that's why this first thing went [off], there's a million perspectives of songs that we can POV and parody. The wheels kind of started turning, and then in the bigger scheme of things, I was like, I wonder if they would actually like my music, because this isn't my music. This is just kind of fun.

I love Bo Burnham, I love Lil Dicky, I love punny rappers — I love Eminem. And then I also love a good wordsmith, like Julia Michaels, Sia, Joan Jett, Billy Joel. That's why I'm the writer I am today, but I always hid it. 

"Ring Pop" was the first [original song I posted] of something I was going through during the quarantine with my fiancé. And for the first time, people who cared about the parodies sort of cared about this, and the common ground was that it is how I talk and it is my humor. That's the first time in my life I've been totally unapologetically writing the way I want to write.

I don't encourage kids to need the validation of everyone around them to feel good, but I definitely personally was in a place where I really needed it. I really, really needed just one little glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel to be like, You can make a living doing music, and you are good enough to do this. You can still write songs, you don't have to quit. That was the moment from the universe that was like, Hey, don't give up! 

My therapist tells me it wouldn't have mattered if there were TikTok or not. But it was really important for my self-worth, and it did remind me that the second I just reverted back to what was natural was when things started moving in the right direction.

[TikTok has] gotten me confident enough to write what I want to write, sing what I want to sing, stick up to people I want to stick up to. I've never felt more empowered, especially as a woman in music, to just speak what I want to speak. It still gives me anxiety dreams, but I still wake up in the morning and want to do it. I get to speak cool truths, and that's the only reason I ever wanted to do music or perform. 

I have had so much trauma with my body and how I see myself in the mirror, and every day it's still a learning process for me in how to get healthy up here. And the growth I have had since TikTok, and dressing how I want to dress, doing things like "Victoria's Secret" — completely ignoring how I was supposed to look and just looking the way I do at my grossest, in my teenage dirtbag era, right? I feel good, and they let me feel good. 

Some kids dress like me at shows, which is crazy. That's just insane, because I just went the last 26 years thinking I was doing it all wrong. And that's the biggest blessing of the whole thing — it was free therapy. 

@jaxwritessongs A song about @ParisHilton 🧠👸🏼🤯 #fypシ #icon #ceo #parishilton ♬ original sound - Jax

Documenting Everything

I only get my concepts from just talking to people. Never anywhere else. I don't come up with them in the studio — I'm writing [things] down all day. 

It's kind of a defense mechanism — I can't go into the studio and just pull from the sky. So I quickly realized to document what [I've] felt in that moment — like, even if I'm totally drunk, or if I'm sleep talking, or I just woke up or I'm in the shower. I used to set a tape recorder by my bed, because a lot of my ideas would come in my sleep.

It's like I know that I need to prepare for work when I go and socialize. And I remember to document the moments that made me feel something. Or even just one word. 

Somebody yesterday said the words to me, "Bend the universe." And I was like, "That's a great concept." That's why I think breakups were, like, the best times for writing because there's so much being said and so much going on — so much healing and crying and pain. The amount of times that I've written breakup songs because my best friend was in pain — I'm like, I hate to be that guy right now but…

Now that I'm doing all my songs and I'm putting out my own music, people — especially moms — take it very seriously. They don't realize that there are multiple writers in the room, and a really cool piece of work and art can come out of everybody's collective experience in the room. 

Like, I have a song [with] the name Alyssa, but it was because the engineer's ex-girlfriend was named Melissa and then it somehow morphed into Alyssa to play into "Are you A-listening?" It's an evolution with people in the room, but when you're the face of it, then it gets tricky, because people are like, "Why are you endorsing this to my kids?" 

It's a lot of pressure being the face of the final product, which is not the thing I'd been doing for the last few years at all. I had been the face behind the project trying to protect the artist, and make sure I don't say anything that could be taken the wrong way or that's not authentic to them, but still using my own experiences. They take it very seriously — even some of the skits where I thought for sure they'd think it was a joke.

Being Her Awkward Self

I grew up around a lot of cool people. I come from a really loud family. I have two very cool, smart parents that were always super down to Earth and real. I think in another life, my dad totally could've been a really cool actor or comedian. He's the funniest guy I know; he's real quick. 

When it comes to comedic [instincts], I don't know, I think it's awkwardness at the end of the day. It's a problem I have — I have to stop filling dead air with jokes all the time. It's what I do, essentially, from the second I wake up to when I go to bed. It's gotten me into a lot of trouble.

For anybody that knows who I am personally, this is the closest I've ever been in my work to how I am with people — like, I'm Punmaster 5000, I make inappropriate jokes at the wrong times. I deal with things in satire and comedy. I'm taken off guard by how much people actually are down to listen to that. It's a cool spot in my life, because it's the first time I'm feeling authentic.

Inside Charlie Puth's New Album 'Charlie': How Elton John, TikTok & A Busy Mind Helped Create His Proudest Work Yet

Music and social media have never been more intertwined. As TikTok continues to integrate into the music industry, for many artists, being a musician and a content creator are no longer mutually exclusive.

Riding the algorithm to fame isn't always easy, but it's undeniable that TikTok is now one of the most effective marketing tools for artists, just as acts like Nicky Youre and Alexandra Kay saw in 2022. From Tyla's viral "Water" dance challenge to Sexyy Red's "SkeeYee" hair flip trend, up-and-coming artists took advantage of TikTok's power once again in 2023 — like the K-pop act FIFTY FIFTY, who transformed their catchy dance-pop single "Cupid" into a skyrocketing commercial breakthrough.

"TikTok provides promotional opportunities for rising artists like us [by] providing an opportunity to be exposed in many different angles," FIFTY FIFTY's Keena told GRAMMY.com.

For hip-hop duo Flyana Boss — whose single "You Wish" took off on the app — TikTok has helped them learn "the power of manifestation and never giving up on your dreams." They add, "there's a strong audience out there that's hungry for artists like us."

TikTok has both personalized and revolutionized how music is shared daily. Here are eight artists who brought your "For You" page to life — and made it big in 2023.

Aliyahs Interlude

If anyone's an It Girl, it's Aliyah Bah. Known as Aliyah's Interlude online, the TikTok influencer quickly grew a fan base through her fashion sense, blending Y2k fashion with Harajuku style in her own #Aliyahcore. This year, she took a step into pop stardom with her anthem "IT GIRL."

Inspired by the likes of Azealia Banks, Ayesha Erotica, and Beyoncé's RENAISSANCE, Bah's poppy house track channels a confidence that's dazzling and dramatic. More than a million TikTok videos spotlight the song's chorus — "I-T-G-I-R-L! You know I am that girl" — over outfit checks, girl nights, lip syncs, makeup transitions, and much more.

"When I dropped it, the song just went crazy immediately and wanted to make all the promo based on just, like, me being super cute and stylish," Bah told TIME.

The influencer and singer further gained notoriety by rocking her girly style in a cameo in Doja Cat's "Agora Hills" music video. #Aliyahcore is all about being unflinchingly true to yourself, and "IT GIRL" channels that hot girl energy —- because Bah is that girl.

Austin Williams

Scrolling on country TikTok, the odds are high that you'll come across a video from singer/songwriter Austin Williams — and after hearing his deep, gravelly voice, you'd find it hard to believe he's only 19.

The Nashville musician's mature vocals have helped him propel to nearly half a million TikTok followers, garnering more than 3.8 million likes on the platform. On one of his most viral songs, titled "90s Rap Mashup," he shows off his high-energy rhythmic flow while paying tribute to hip-hop legends. Alternatively, he leans into a solemn side with similarly popular singles "Wanna Be Saved" and "Bury My Bones."

Thanks to his versatility, Williams recently signed a deal with CAA and announced that he's opening on tour for fellow country artist Warren Zeiders (whose ascent to fame is also owed in part to TikTok, which boosted his original song "Ride the Lightning"). Given Williams' natural talent and knack for social media, it's only a matter of time before he's headlining his own tour.

FIFTY FIFTY

Globally, "Cupid," belonging to the rising South Korean girl group FIFTY FIFTY, took flight as one of TikTok's most inescapable songs this year.

The radiant bubblegum song earned its spot at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its incredible 10-week chart streak made it the longest-charting song by a K-pop girl group.

FIFTY FIFTY's Keena praised TikTok for being "user friendly and easily accessible" for music fans. "When these factors meet an easy-listening song like 'Cupid,' the synergy was amplified and aligned with the fast-paced trends," the singer explained to GRAMMY.com. (Currently, Keena is the only member of FIFTY FIFTY, as the group's former agency, Attrakt, recently terminated the contracts of members Aran, Sio, and Saena, filing a lawsuit for alleged defamation and attempting to break their contracts.)

Beyond the sped-up version popularized on TikTok, "Cupid" spurred a series of additional remixes — a "Twin" version, live studio version, and collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter.

Flyana Boss

Folayan and Bobbi LaNea, the hip-hop duo who go by the stage name Flyana Boss, went viral when they posted a TikTok of themselves running while rapping a verse of their track "You Wish" — and now they're sprinting to victory.

"I think we're both still in shock at how many people these videos have reached," they shared in a statement to GRAMMY.com.

After signing to vnclm/Atlantic Records in 2021, their TikToks have collectively racked up more than 40 million likes on the platform and helped the pair gain more than 1 million monthly Spotify listeners. Sharing music on the app not only helped them grow their fan base this year, it exponentially fueled their ambition.

"TikTok's great for music discovery and as an artist, you can get your music to a large active community of people by posting," the pair said. "So we fed the algorithm as much as we could!"

With their name stemming from "flyness" and "bossness," it's no surprise that Flyana Boss are killing the game — and if you're lucky, you might just catch them on their 2024 headlining tour, which kicks off Feb. 24.

Kenya Grace

Kenya Grace is no stranger to fame this year. Though her musical specialty is in bedroom pop, her talent swells far beyond her London bedroom. "Strangers," a dance-pop song about ghosting on dating apps, blew up massively on TikTok; one of her first teaser videos for the song now has more than 85 million views.

"I hate making people wait!" she told Rolling Stone UK. "I love being free with [my] socials and, like, just posting stuff, whatever it is that I make that week. 'Strangers' came out really fast, which was great."

At just 25 years old, Grace dethroned Doja Cat on the U.K. singles chart, and became the second British female solo artist in history to score a No. 1 by writing and producing a song entirely by herself. Her echoey, airy delivery and enveloping drum'n'bass production is irresistible, making her debut single with label Warner Records Inc. an instant smash.

Paul Russell

After releasing a handful of albums and singles during college, Paul Russell began building a dedicated TikTok following in 2020 — and his foundational years are finally paying off. This year, his charming single "Lil Boo Thang" took off on TikTok with its infectious energy and playful lyrics, peaking at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 — and scoring Russell a hot deal with Arista Records.

Sampling the Emotions' 1977 soulful song "Best Of My Love," Russell's hit exemplifies the growing trend of interpolating older music to inspire and create new art — one he made his own long ago.

"When I first started, I would find a song that was already popular and do a rap verse on the end," he shared in an interview with RANGE. "If someone is scrolling and hears something they recognize, it's like 'Oh! What's he going to do with this?'"

Pulling from Russell's '70s and '00s R&B inspirations, "Lil Boo Thang" conjures a joyful spirit. And since Russell has announced he's working on his upcoming album, only more joy is to come.

Sexyy Red

"To be honest, I wasn't surprised when it went viral. I been going viral for as long as I can remember," Sexyy Red laughed in an interview with GRAMMY.com.

The rising rapper knows how to navigate TikTok like a pro. Her first label mixtape, Hood Hottest Princess, dropped this summer via Open Shift, following her previously released singles "Pound Town" (with Tay Keith) and "SkeeYee" going wildly viral on the video-sharing app this year. "Pound Town" landed a highly anticipated Nicki Minaj feature, and "SkeeYee" became the first No. 1 on the new TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart in September.

"TikTok helped introduce my music to people who might have never heard it before, and also me as a person outside of what I say in my songs," she described. "I also like seeing how people get [their] own meanings from my music."

Her success has spurred collaborations with Summer Walker and Lil Durk, and the rapper opened for Drake in August on his It's All a Blur Tour.

"I learned that I can really do anything I put my mind to. I'm grateful that I get to be in a position to take care of my family and friends, and put out music that people can turn up to," she continued. "The doubters will be believers real soon."

Tyla

Hips don't lie, and when a snippet of the chorus from Tyla's "Water" became the TikTok sound of a viral dance challenge, the artist swiftly surged to international fame.

In 2019, the South African singer found success with her vibey debut single "Getting Late," but her global breakthrough this year came from the universal catchiness of "Water." Serving as just a sample of the 21-year-old's incredible musical talent, the viral amapiano track also earned the singer her first GRAMMY nomination this year in the newly minted Best African Music Performance category, alongside ASAKE & Olamide's "Amapiano," Burna Boy's "City Boys," Davido and Musa Keys' "UNAVAILABLE," and Ayra Starr's "Rush."

"​​I've noticed that people's attention spans aren't that long anymore," Tyla told 2024 GRAMMYs host Trevor Noah for Interview magazine. "People like watching short videos, so with my music, I love creating small videos that I hope will trend. Because I've been on social media throughout my life… I use that to my advantage when promoting a song."

Bringing pure passion to her amapiano and pop music, it's clear Tyla isn't just keeping her head above water — she's ready to ride the waves, from TikTok and beyond.

Sabrina Carpenter's Big Year: The Pop Songstress Gushes On The Eras Tour, Her Christmas EP & More

Going into 2022, there was no denying that TikTok had changed the music scene irrevocably. It has arguably become the most prominent way for new artists to emerge — and this year proved to be the most fruitful one yet.

Several of the songs on Billboard's year-end charts started as viral sensations on TikTok, including Nicky Youre's "Sunroof" and Em Beihold's "Numb Little Bug." And as of press time, Jax's "Victoria's Secret" is at No. 2 on the Adult Pop Airplay chart, right under Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero."

Youre, Beihold and Jax are just three of the many singer/songwriters who have turned TikTok virality into chart success and label deals, and three examples of how 2022 has unofficially become the year of the self-made superstar. 

In country singer Alexandra Kay's case, Tim McGraw caught wind of her video covering his song "Don't Take The Girl" and invited her to be the opening act on his summer tour. As she argues, the biggest reason TikTok is a key tool for aspiring artists is simple: they hold the power. 

"We now have the opportunity to bring our music directly to our audience, hear their thoughts, and then create a marketing plan tailored to those fans based on what they have shared with us," Alexandra Kay tells GRAMMY.com. "The time for independent artists is now."

Below, get to know 12 singer/songwriters who have successfully utilized TikTok as part of their marketing strategy to help kickstart their careers as artists — and solidified themselves as hit-making stars.

Em Beihold

Em Beihold was working toward her big break long before social media existed. The 23-year-old has been playing piano since she was 6, and, despite being an All-American fencing champion, she ultimately pursued music.

Beihold's emotive piano-driven pop first caught attention during the pandemic with relatable tracks like "City of Angels" and "Groundhog Day." The TikTok traction set her up for a breakthrough hit with her major-label debut single "Numb Little Bug." The bouncy track — which has a juxtaposing narrative based on the singer's experience with antidepressants — was first teased in 2021, but became a radio smash in 2022 after its official release in January. 

"Numb Little Bug" hit No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart in August, nearly a full year after it went viral on TikTok. The song took on a life of its own (also reaching the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100), helping Beihold achieve her goal of solidifying herself as an artist beyond an app. 

"It's a double-edged sword," she told Variety of TikTok earlier this year. "There's definitely a pressure, but it also provides opportunities, so I don't know. I kind of see it as both ways, but I've also met like so many friends through literally just scrolling on my For You page." 

One of those friends is Stephen Sanchez, who recruited her for a remix of "Until I Found You" in April (more on him later). Beihold released her second EP, Egg In the Backseat, that same month, and is currently gearing up for her North American tour starting in October.

Ethan Bortnick

A career in music is nothing new for Ethan Bornick, who has been playing piano since he was 3 and headlining his own tours since he was 9. He admits he "overlooked" TikTok and the power of social media until he noticed other musicians using the platform to share their music. Now, Bortnick feels he has an entirely different career.

"TikTok has pretty much given me the reset that I've always wanted," he says. "I was able to completely rebuild and find my audience, my people… TikTok has not only opened so many doors for me as an artist, but has been so fulfilling to see people resonate with the music so deeply. I've found my foundation for a career that'll hopefully be around for a long time."

Bortnick first made waves in October 2021 with his song "cut my fingers off," which led him to signing with Columbia Records and, as he quips, "finding people that actually wanted to see my crazy piano playing and depressing-a— lyrics." His impressive piano skills and unwavering lyrics are certainly part of his appeal, as further proven by his 2022 release "engravings" — especially the countless videos of fans reacting to his fast-paced piano abilities.

The rising star took his career to another new height on Oct. 15, when he played his first show as a singer/songwriter in his native Florida. He released two more singles before the end of the year, "arsonists" and "happy "f***ing birthday" — both of which, of course, he teased plenty on TikTok. "I am constantly in front of new eyeballs," he adds. "It excites me and inspires me to make art that stands out and that showcases what I and only I can bring to the table."

Jax

Those who utilized TikTok for artist discovery during the pandemic likely came across one of Jax's many clever parody covers, from Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er Boi" to Olivia Rodrigo's "driver's license." But even those who have never used the app likely heard Jax's name — or at least her voice — this year, thanks to her original song "Victoria's Secret."

The track calls out the lingerie brand for creating body issues through their products and marketing, and hilariously uses their name against them: "I know Victoria's Secret/ She was made up by a dude." Its message has helped Jax achieve global acclaim and earned the singer/songwriter her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and Pop Airplay charts. But perhaps most notably, the song even caught the attention of Victoria's Secret CEO Amy Hauk, who sent Jax a letter praising her for addressing "important issues."

It's the kind of impact Jax (whose birth name is Jackie Miskanic) has been working toward for years, as she used to write songs for artists like Paris HIlton and co-wrote with Natasha Bedingfield before making waves as an artist in her own right. As she admitted to Variety, she didn't understand "how organic and natural" TikTok could be when she first started using it. Now, with nearly 13 million followers, more than 212 million likes and an Atlantic Records label deal, it seems she figured it out.

Leah Kate

Similar to a few of the artists on this list, pop singer/songwriter Leah Kate first found viral TikTok fame during the pandemic, when her song "F— Up The Friendship" caught the attention of millions. However, her punk-leaning hit "10 Things I Hate About You" took her popularity to the mainstream, becoming her first song to chart globally.

The breakup song's relatability is certainly part of its appeal — especially because it's based on a true story. A self-proclaimed "big list maker," Kate used a real-life "10 things" to inspire the track. "It was like someone pushed a button and I immediately felt better," she recalled to Rolling Stone about the writing session. "I'm not saying this song is a self-help guide, but I know when I realized that my song made me feel better that it might help other people get over a relationship too."

Kate spent the summer touring with Chase Atlantic — which resulted in more virality for the singer thanks to her witty response to some haters — and recently wrapped a headlining UK/Europe trek. She is currently embarking on her first-ever Australian tour, including a performance at Tik Tok's "For You" festival. "10 Things I Hate About You" recently hit 1 million videos using the sound on Tik Tok, bolstering Kate to drop the deluxe version of her EP "Alive and Unwell" on Dec. 16.

Alexandra Kay

Alexandra Kay first gained traction on TikTok with covers, which especially caught buzz because of her vocal likeness to Dolly Parton (her "Jolene" cover is one of her most popular videos to date). But 2022 proved to be Kay's year, particularly after Tim McGraw noticed her talent when she covered his '90s hit "Don't Take The Girl" — which earned Kay an invite to open on McGraw's summer tour from the country star himself.

Kay spent the remainder of the year headlining shows across the U.S. and released a single called "Skip This Part," which she said has "the most Taylor Swift inspired bridge of all time."  After releasing her latest single, "Backroad Therapy," Kay made her debut at Nashville's famed Grand Ole Opry in November and headlined another stretch of shows.

Despite her global success, Kay is determined to stay an independent artist, and one who writes and produces her own music.

"I am so incredibly proud of the genuine connection I have built with my audience over the past six years of utilizing social media," she tells GRAMMY.com. "I have so much more confidence in my releases knowing I was able to take their thoughts into consideration as well as have the freedom as an indie artist to release when I feel the time is right."

Rosa Linn

Before Rosa Linn had her own TikTok hit with "Snap," the song was already wildly popular overseas thanks to Eurovision. The second-highest charting song from this year's competition, "Snap" became a Top 40 hit in the U.K. — and promptly made its way to TikTok.

"Snap" has since soundtracked more than 1 million clips, notably a Northern Ireland couple's engagement video that has amassed nearly 17 million views. The track also helped Linn land a record deal with Columbia in August, and topped Billboard's Adult Alternative Airplay chart in October.

"You never know what will go viral on TikTok," Linn told BBC News. "I'm checking my numbers on Spotify every day and I see them grow and I just can't believe it… As a child I'd dream about this."

She's not exaggerating: Growing up in Vanadzor, Armenia, Linn started playing piano at age 6, and began songwriting in her pre-teen years. Her career has even already come full circle, as she first competed in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2013.

Linn used her follow-up single to "Snap" to pay homage to her Eurovision roots by collaborating with fellow contestant Duncan Laurence on "WDIA (Would Do It Again)." As she preps her debut studio album, she told Wonderland that she's continually amazed by what "Snap" has done for her career. "I am a big dreamer and a good manifester," Linn said. "I always knew that one day the universe would reward all the hard work and dedication I put into my music."

J. Maya

J. Maya had just recently quit law school when she began posting on TikTok in 2020. Maya decided to opt out of Law school to follow a more untraditional path from her Indian American culture: music.

She saw success on the app after posting an acoustic version of her future single "Achilles Heel," which quickly gained over a million views on TikTok in 2020, going on to be released on New Years Day on Spotify as Maya's first official single of 2021. "The music community on TikTok is as smart as it is powerful," she asserts.

One of Maya's 2022 releases she initially teased on TikTok, "Golden Age," highlights "underrepresented women of history," which inspired many videos dedicated to underrated female figures. One line references a Hindu goddess named Sita, whose story resonated wider than Maya expected.

"As a South Asian American woman myself, it was uplifting to see people from that community celebrate that line in particular, especially given the underrepresentation of South Asians in American media," she says. "It truly boggles my mind that a line like that, written from my bedroom, could reach the ears of millions of people through an app like TikTok."

Maya released her debut EP, Poetic License, on Dec. 2. One of the standouts is "Prophecies," which addresses how her chosen path reflects her upbringing. "All the prophecies they came true/ I'm living in the world you wanted me to/ Even if it doesn't look that way to you."

Stephen Sanchez

Avid TikTokers may have known about Stephen Sanchez since 2020, thanks to his cover of Cage the Elephant's "Cigarette Daydreams" or his original track "Lady By The Sea" — the latter of which helped him earn a record deal with Republic Records. But in 2022, Sanchez took his career from social media to the mainstream, as his crooning love song "Until I Found You" has become an anthem for millions.

The '50s- and '60s-inspired sound of "Until I Found You" has plunged fans into a world of nostalgia, using the song to pay homage to their own loved ones — or simply, love in general. The song has resonated so widely that it has charted around the world and is still growing on the charts, sitting at No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart as of press time.

"[TikTok] launched me into this crazy position that I had no place being in, and so it was amazing and it just set the stage," Sanchez told Affinity Magazine earlier this year. "It's a hard thing to try and navigate, especially when your career is almost reliant on the validation of other people and the engagement of other people through social media… [but] as difficult as TikTok can be, I'm extremely grateful for what it does for breaking out brand new art."

The latter half of the year proved just as fruitful for Sanchez: He released his latest EP, Easy On My Eyes (which features "Until I Found You") in August, released a new duet with Ashe ("Missing You") in November, and announced a headlining tour for 2023 on Dec. 8.

Lauren Spencer Smith

Lauren Spencer Smith went viral on TikTok by accident. The singer/songwriter, who hails from Vancouver Island, already had a following from participating in the 2020 season of American Idol — but when she teased just 15 seconds of her original single "Fingers Crossed," she shot to stardom.

Spencer Smith posted the snippet of the diaristic breakup song to simply share progress with her fans, but ended up releasing it independently in January of 2022 when, by that point, the original TikTok video had amassed over 23 million views. It shot to 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 1 in the charts in Ireland and Norway, and Spencer Smith had her pick of labels to work with.

"I definitely was in a panic, because everybody's attention spans are so short," Spencer Smith explained to Billboard earlier this year. "You have to pay attention to your audience and watch. If the comments are like, 'This is taking too long, I'm so annoyed,' you need to announce a release date. But if the comments are still excited, you can keep building on that.'"

Now, Lauren has more than 4 million TikTok followers and more than 7 million monthly Spotify listeners — with the single itself having passed over 277 million Spotify streams as of press time — and she's signed a partnership with major record labels Island Records and Republic Records. She closed out 2022 with a performance at the People's Choice Awards, a run of appearances at iHeartRadio's Jingle Ball tour, and a new holiday single called "Single on the 25th."

Armani White

Five years into his career, rapper Armani White is now often associated with another big name in the music industry: Billie Eilish. Well, sort of. The pop superstar inspired White's breakout single, aptly titled "BIllie Eilish," specifically her signature big t-shirt style. "Billie Eilish's style is what the song's about, but it's also the character that Billie Eilish's music portrays," White told The Post. "I feel like it's kind of identical to what I like to portray in my own music."

The song started as a snippet of White messing around in the studio, but blew up overnight on Tik Tok. The rapper had to go through several hoops — including clearing Pharell's beat from N.O.R.E's "Nothin'" sampled in the track and getting permission from Eilish herself — and White was concerned that the hype would die down. However, the song kept viral momentum, inspiring it's own trend on Tik Tok of transitions from baggy "Billie Eilish" clothing to their "stylish" versions, inspired by lyrics of the song.

Now, "Billie Eilish" has over 180 million streams on Spotify, and White has signed a partnership with Def Jam Records, home to the likes of LL Cool J to Jay-Z. He shows no signs of slowing down, with rumors of the rapper gearing up to release his first EP abounding. Next up, White will release his latest single, "GOAT," featuring boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, in January.

As for praise from Eilish herself? White joked to Billboard, "I'm still waiting on the FaceTime or Duet video."

Nicky Youre

Nicky Youre is no stranger to TikTok. He's been on the app since it first arrived in 2017, but as he explains himself, "I never posted on it, I just used it for fun at the time." Five years later, he's one of TikTok's biggest 2022 musical sensations.

His hit song "Sunroof" was not just inescapable on the app, but pretty much anywhere — as proven by its multiple-week runs at No. 1 on Billboard's Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay charts, and its No. 4 peak on the all-genre Hot 100. To date, the song has garnered more than 650 million global streams.

On TikTok alone, more than 9 million people have used his song as a Sound for their own videos, even including pop superstar Ed Sheeran. "Sunroof" and its irresistibly positive melody inspired countless "summer vibes" videos, from dogs enjoying a car ride to people with, yes, their head out the sunroof.

"I think it's great that each video you post gets shown to a brand new group of people," Youre says of TikTok. "This can help artists connect with new listeners and build their brand quicker than ever before."

Five remixes of Sunroof have since been released, featuring big names such as country hitmaker Thomas Rhett and Latin star Manuel Turizo. The artist is continuing on his high, releasing another infectious track called "Eyes On You" and performing at nine of the 11 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour dates.

Maddie Zahm

Emerging artist Maddie Zahm released "Fat Funny Friend" in February of this year. Recounting her experience with weight, the song details Zahm's insecurities that have stemmed from her size. "I've done every diet to make me look thinner," she sings, "So why do I still feel so g— inferior?"

Her super-vulnerable lyrics quickly resonated with TikTokers, inspiring more than 15,000 users to share their own stories. Many include recounting years of not feeling good enough because of their weight, and their recent journey of learning to love themselves.

"Seeing the reaction to 'Fat Funny Friend' has helped me acknowledge how much of a need there is for these types of conversations," Zahm says. "I really wasn't going to be an artist until TikTok convinced me that I wasn't supposed to do anything else."

Zahm dropped her debut EP You Might Not Like Her in August. The five-song project furthers her emotive storytelling, particularly the title track, which touches on coming to terms with LGBTQ+ identity later in life.

The singer/songwriter closed out the year with the announcement of her first-ever headlining tour, which sold out several cities in the presale. Like many of her fellow TikTok artists, Zahm is most grateful for the community the app has created.

"I owe a lot to the platform," she adds. "[I'm] so glad it's given me a way to connect with so many through music and shared experiences."

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In March, Emily Kelley posted a video on TikTok unveiling her then-newest creation: an illustration of the 10-minute version of Taylor Swift's fan favorite, "All Too Well." Featuring silhouettes dancing in the moonlight and a scarf hanging out of a drawer — two of the song's more vivid lyrics that strike a chord with Swifties — her artwork immediately resonated with fans.

"That final detail of the silhouettes dancing really hit home for a specific memory of mine," one commented on the video. Another comment signified the piece's impact: "Why are there tears in my eyes watching this?"

Kelley, a graphic designer, is one of the many artists using TikTok as a platform to promote their work. With pieces ranging from customized clothing to lyric-inspired prints and jewelry collections, these creators take inspiration from artists like Swift, Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish when designing their collections. Their art is taking TikTok from a platform of viral dance crazes to fan-driven artist merchandise stores — and creating a unique connection with fellow superfans along the way.

"Fans know what [other] fans want," Kelley suggests. "I'm listening to every single song, watching every interview, and picking apart every social media post from my favorite artists. I think that reflects in the products I create. Official artist merch typically tends to be a bit pricier and mass produced … it loses that intimacy."

Kelley's artwork stems from her own love of Swift. She created a poster based on her listening experience of 2020's folklore, and upon posting it to TikTok, the piece garnered almost 20,000 likes. Soon, fans were making requests for their own Swift-based artwork, and thus "The T.S. Project" was born. In the nearly two years since, Kelley has created a piece for nearly every song Swift has released.

In one of her "T.S. Project" videos, Kelley alluded to the project's appeal — for both her and fans: "I just love this idea of seeing a piece of art that reminds you of your favorite songs and being able to hang that on your wall."

Sam Buckley had that same thought when she realized her synesthesia — which means she sees color when she listens to music — could emote a special feeling for other fans. She has made a business out of her synesthetic artwork, as her TikTok feed is a variety of videos for requested songs, including Styles' "As It Was" and Eilish's "when the party's over."

Eilish is one of Buckley's biggest inspirations, particularly because the singer (as well as her brother and main musical partner, FINNEAS) also has synesthesia. "[Billie] and Finneas' work is really special aesthetically — I feel a lot of colors in their work and a deep emotion," Buckley says. "It's really easy for me to create with Billie's work. And once I post one BIllie song, I have requests for 10 more songs after that."

Along with connecting with fellow Eilish fans, Buckley's work has allowed her to connect with those who also have synesthesia.

"I just burst into tears because this is exactly how I have always seen the song as well," one commenter said. Another added, "I just want to say thank you. I thought I was alone in this and did not want to tell anyone. Now I feel like I have a superpower."

For those who may not see the colors Buckley sees, it's simply a way to see their favorite music and songs come to life. A request for the Band Camino's "Daphne Blue" echoed Kelley's sentiment about why these fan-made, superfan-driven pieces are special: "They make me so happy and I would love something to look at."

The Band Camino recently offered a full-circle moment for Kelley, who felt her impact at one of the pop-rock group's shows. "I grew my following because of Taylor Swift, but I was at a Band Camino concert, and a few people came up to me to say they loved my work — and, because I had frequently talked about [them], they started listening to them and decided to go to the show that night," she recalls. "More than anything, TikTok has given me a really tight community to be a part of."

Tik Tok's algorithm is perfect for superfans of any musician. Once you like a Harry Styles-related post, chances are, you'll stumble  upon several more the next time you open the app. Naturally, you'll probably land on one of these artists' creations. And in Kelley's eyes, super-passionate fans will likely want to buy unique artist merchandise — or at least give them a follow or like. "You don't have to have a big following to successfully promote what you're making," she adds.

"Fandom love and community is so very strong on TikTok — doing #TaylorTikTok or #TaylorTok, #DriversLicenseTok, the power behind a hashtag is insane," says [Sara Cohen](https://www.tiktok.com/@sjstudioshop, whose polymer earrings inspired by Swift and Olivia Rodrigo (among others) are a cross between a popular fashion trend and a new concept in fandom merchandising. In fact, Cohenwas inspired to open her own store after seeing the accessory's growing popularity on Tik Tok.

Kicking off her shop with "Mamma Mia"-inspired sets in June 2020, Cohen launches a new collection every other month based on what is resonating in pop culture at the moment. So far, she has made collections for Swift, Styles and Rodrigo, even branching out to beloved franchises like Marvel and Disney.

Staying on top of what's popular is a major reason all three women are seeing success with their own creations. Most recently, Styles'highly anticipated release of Harry's House prompted Kelley to begin curating a full collection of prints based on the album's track list; Buckley has already had a hoard of requests for its songs as well.

Kelley stays on top of official artist merchandise, too. She has a playlist of videos on her TikTok page dedicated to merch reviews, in which she analyzes the pieces from the perspective of both a graphic designer and a devoted fan. "These designs just feel like a cop out," she noted in a review of Rodrigo's Driving Home 2 U collection; "this is how you make a tracklist shirt," she said, complimenting a top for Julien Baker'sLittle Oblivions album.

As Kelley highlights in several of her reviews, artist merchandise can be costly — like the $120 jacket in Rodrigo’s Driving Home 2 U collection and the $50 pool float in one of Swift’s recent merch drops. Fan-made merchandise is often less expensive while still feeding an increasing demand for cool products. Kelley has a Swift-inspired hoodie for $30, a sweatshirt in Swift’s recent collection is $65; she has a Band Camino T-shirt for $16, half the price of the tees on their merch site.

These creators have their finger on the pulse of personalized, unique merchandise that perhaps some artists aren't considering — at least not yet. Buckley, Kelley and Cohen all agree that fan-created goods could be the future of artist merchandising and marketing.

"Before I started creating fan-made merch, I truly had no idea that there would be such a big market for it," Kelley says. Cohen adds, "It's giving so many creators a space to find their individuality in such a saturated market … As shows and fandoms continue to grow, so will the small businesses creating inspired merch."

With how rapidly this unique creator community is growing on TikTok, it may be only a matter of time before the musicians that inspire these artists become the ones who are inspired.

From "Sounds" To Millions Of Streams: How TikTok Became A Major Player In The Musical Ecosystem

In the past several years, China-born social media video app TikTok, has influenced millennial and Gen-Z lifestyles in a variety of ways — including the creation of new hits as well as careers. From Olivia Rodrigo to Conan Gray, TikTok's influential algorithm has the power to elevate talent from obscurity or low-level fame, and has made a significant impact on pop music.

For those unfamiliar with TikTok, "sounds" are pooled into their own pages that showcase all videos with that sound snippet. Over (an often short) time, challenges and memes become associated with certain tracks, meaning users are often exposed to more new music than through a traditional streaming service. 

Through its sounds, the app has brought added shine to the likes of GAYLE, whose "abcdefu" is a staple song on TikTok this year, as well as the GRAMMY-nominated "Best Friend" by Saweetie featuring Doja Cat. Artists who are not yet household names have experienced a boom in streams as a result of TikTok popularity: "Lalala" by Y2K and bbno$ has over 800 million streams on Spotify to date. 

Songs used as TikTok sounds have shown to increase their streaming and even charting ability. Olivia Rodrigo’s "Driver’s License" — which won a GRAMMY for Best Pop Solo Performance and was nominated in several categories — was noticed early on by popular content creators on TikTok and pushed into the spotlight. Other, now chart-busting songs have received similar traction form the app, among them Lil Nas X’s "Old Town Road" and Lizzo’s "Good as Hell." 

"TikTok is a platform that allows for artists from every generation to connect with a new audience in ways the industry hasn't seen before," Corey Sheridan, the US Head of Music for TikTok, tells GRAMMY.com. "We are well positioned to introduce legacy artists and repertoire to a new generation of fans that are otherwise lost with traditional catalog marketing and streaming tactics."

It’s not just newly released songs that are experiencing success on the app. Any song, regardless of its age, can be pushed forward to have a life on the platform. Simple Plan’s "I’m Just A Kid" was certified platinum 15 years after its initial release due to TikTok; Aly and AJ's TikTok success with 2007's "Potential Breakup Song" prompted the sisters to drop their first album in 14 years, in addition to an explicit version of the tune. 

Similarly, Indie musician Ritt Momney signed a record deal with Disruptor/Columbia Records in 2020 after he covered Corrine Bailey Rae’s 2006 song  "Put Your Records On." Money's version was used in hazy quarantine videos on the platform, and soon gained over a million streams on Spotify.

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Leveraging older songs is another way for artists to gain success through TikTok. In 2020, TikTok acquired Prince’s catalog (the artist was famously resistant to streaming services) , and more recently has full access to all of Universal Music’s artists work. Similarly, when David Bowie’s catalog joined TikTok early in 2021, in celebration of what would have been his 74th birthday, hashtags like the #DavidBowieChallenge started to appear alongside over 1.2 million followers for the account.  

"TikTok provides a major benefit for catalog artists, where new creative trends can create a fresh new context for past hits and, in some cases, return them to the charts, creating new opportunities for legacy acts to return to cultural relevancy and build new fans," says William Gruger, Music Editorial Lead for TikTok. 

TikTok's audience seems to have no boundaries around genre or era when it comes to use of sounds. Artists from the 1970s and early 2000s, such as Hoobastank, have had songs return to the mainstream due to TikTok virality.

Fleetwood Mac may be the greatest example of this trend. In 2020,  Nathan Apodaca (TikTok user @420doggface208) lip synced to a snippet of "Dreams" from their 1977 album Rumors as he cruised on a skateboard, holding a bottle of Ocean Spray cranberry juice. Apodaca's TikTok prompted over 100,000 tribute videos and he gained 7 million followers on the platform — as well as an invitation to President Joe Biden's inauguration — further proving the influence TikTok’s algorithm can have. 

The video put Fleetwood Mac back in the charts, 42 years after Rumors was released; the track accumulated 2.9 million streams in the US during the three-day period following Apodaca’s video — an increase of 88.7 percent. Stevie Nicks even joined TikTok as a result, though she only has one video on the platform.

TikTok further taps into older music catalogs through reinterpretations of works, including remixes, mashups and covers. A mashup of Dua Lipa and Madonna created by ArinInflux exploded across TikTok, leading to over 8 million views of the track on YouTube; Regard’s remix of Jay Sean’s "Ride It" and Surf Mesa’s "ILY (I Love You Baby)," with lyrics taken from Frankie Valli’s 1967 hit "Can’t Take My Eyes Off You." led to over 99,000 videos being created using the sound. 

Through its algorithm — which can skyrocket even the smallest of videos — and the intentional use of older catalogs, TikTok has arguably created a space which is designed to help both new and existing artists. A trend on TikTok can change a musician's trajectory quickly, elevating their presence on streaming platforms. 

As a result, TikTok has become a major part of the music ecosystem: A place where older artists can be reinvented and a new generation can fall in love with old favorites. As users employ hits, deep catalog cuts and obscure singles in their videos, as well as develop unique mash-ups that inspire others, TikTok demonstrates how new technology can highlight why some iconic artists never go out of style.   

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