In this current digital age, social media plays an increasingly important role in influencing the media we interact with. The entertainment industry is responding. In the last few years, many young singers are forgoing the traditional process of breaking into the music industry and finding their fame on social media instead. Many famous singers today release the song that catapults them into stardom before they even sign with a label. But it still takes a lot of work to be more than a one-hit wonder.
The most famous example of this is pop-singer Olivia Rodrigo. She became famous during the pandemic and released her debut album just last year. This 19-year-old Filipino American rose to fame after her debut single, “drivers license”, became the center of a viral TikTok trend. As a result, “drivers license” debuted at the top of the charts, despite it being the very first song she released.
Interscope Records and Geffen Records, the label she is signed with, helped her release her first album “Sour”, which included hits like “favorite crime” and “Good 4 U”. Known for her strong melodies and memorable bridges, Olivia Rodrigo is only at the start of her career. Only one year after her musical debut, she has already won three Grammy Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, four iHeartRadio Music Awards, and two People’s Choice Awards.
An older but no less successful artist is Conan Gray. He started posting covers on his YouTube channel at just 15 years old and self-released his first song “Idle Town” in 2017. “Idle Town” was quite successful, and he signed on with Republic Records. In 2020, he released “Heather”, his most popular song. Like “drivers license”, “Heather” also gained popularity through TikTok.
While Conan Gray’s rise to fame was not as meteoric as Olivia Rodrigo, he has still gained a rather large fanbase, selling almost 200,000 tickets to his world tour. In addition, he performed at the 2022 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and attended the 2022 Met Gala.
While self-releasing music will probably not replace labels anytime soon, social media is changing the way artists advertise themselves. More and more independent singers are finding their fame through TikTok and other platforms. But while fame seems easier to reach, that is not the case. You still need talent as seen in the likes of mainstream pop stars, but you also need luck. Only then will the algorithm work in your favor.
Sources:
– New York Times: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1656879747163x635211692133667500/Conan%20Gray%2C%20a%20Budding%20Pop%20Singer%20Who%20Feels%20It%20All%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
– New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/01/arts/music/gen-z-millennial-pop-stars.html
– Time: https://time.com/6050587/olivia-rodrigo-sour/
– Republic Records: https://www.republicrecords.com/artists/conan-gray
The most famous example of this is pop-singer Olivia Rodrigo. She became famous during the pandemic and released her debut album just last year. This 19-year-old Filipino American rose to fame after her debut single, “drivers license”, became the center of a viral TikTok trend. As a result, “drivers license” debuted at the top of the charts, despite it being the very first song she released.
Interscope Records and Geffen Records, the label she is signed with, helped her release her first album “Sour”, which included hits like “favorite crime” and “Good 4 U”. Known for her strong melodies and memorable bridges, Olivia Rodrigo is only at the start of her career. Only one year after her musical debut, she has already won three Grammy Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, four iHeartRadio Music Awards, and two People’s Choice Awards.
An older but no less successful artist is Conan Gray. He started posting covers on his YouTube channel at just 15 years old and self-released his first song “Idle Town” in 2017. “Idle Town” was quite successful, and he signed on with Republic Records. In 2020, he released “Heather”, his most popular song. Like “drivers license”, “Heather” also gained popularity through TikTok.
While Conan Gray’s rise to fame was not as meteoric as Olivia Rodrigo, he has still gained a rather large fanbase, selling almost 200,000 tickets to his world tour. In addition, he performed at the 2022 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and attended the 2022 Met Gala.
While self-releasing music will probably not replace labels anytime soon, social media is changing the way artists advertise themselves. More and more independent singers are finding their fame through TikTok and other platforms. But while fame seems easier to reach, that is not the case. You still need talent as seen in the likes of mainstream pop stars, but you also need luck. Only then will the algorithm work in your favor.
Sources:
– New York Times: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1656879747163x635211692133667500/Conan%20Gray%2C%20a%20Budding%20Pop%20Singer%20Who%20Feels%20It%20All%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
– New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/01/arts/music/gen-z-millennial-pop-stars.html
– Time: https://time.com/6050587/olivia-rodrigo-sour/
– Republic Records: https://www.republicrecords.com/artists/conan-gray
