As TikTok exhausts pop formulas, the industry enters a pop music “Renaissance” 

By Liv Barry 

Lifestyle Editor 

With its rise to viral success, the video sharing platform TikTok disrupted the music industry. 

After rapper Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” went viral in June 2019, record labels scrambled to capitalize off of TikTok’s unique platform. Instead of launching traditional marketing campaigns to promote new music, record labels looking for TikTok virality began to pay influencers to use an artist’s song in their videos. 

“Music marketing on TikTok is huge,” said Jesse Callahan, founder of marketing firm Montford Agency, for Insider. “It’s a big way that labels have brought artists into the spotlight the last couple of years. It’s also a big way that creators have made a lot of money.” 

This shift in marketing has impacted how listeners discover and consume popular music. If users don’t enjoy a 15-second audio clip, the chances of a song topping the charts are slim. 

However, with the recent releases of top-charting albums like Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” and Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House,” one has to wonder if TikTok’s grip on the music industry is slipping to make way for a pop music renaissance. 

This summer, avid music fans received numerous commercially and critically successful albums from established pop icons and rising stars alike.  

To some, the slew of radio hits felt like an oasis in the midst of a drought. But how did pop music get to the point of a full-fledged renaissance? 

Pop music hit a lull in the late 2010s. Formerly indomitable stars like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga released albums that were met with either little critical acclaim or low sales. Some art-ists, like Rihanna, even went on hiatus. 

As demonstrated by songs like Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” and Drake’s “God’s Plan,” the chart-topping hits of the late 2010s strayed from straight pop in favor of Latin pop, electronic, and rap. 

Pop music shifted once again when TikTok-viral songs were introduced to the charts. Most of the songs to blow up on TikTok are genre hybrids, like Lil Nas X’s country-rap hit “Old Town Road” and Olivia Rodrigo’s pop-punk “good 4 u.” 

While these songs were beloved by both audiences and critics, many artists quickly hopped on the trend to capitalize on hybrid genre music. Yvng Homie’s “The Git Up,” Gayle’s “abcdefu,” and Leah Kate’s “10 Things I Hate About You” have all drawn criticism for copying their respective predecessors. 

The sound became so easily replicable that some expressed exhaustion toward the “Tik-Tok music formula.” 

“We’re confusing the initial ability to imitate — and then maybe throw in some words for shock value — with artistry,” said creative consultant Andrea Stolpe for NBC News. 

This fatigue made room for the pop revival the music industry is seeing today. Formulaic pop music is nothing new. “Barbie Girl,” “Poker Face,” “Man in the Mirror” and a slew of other songs all utilize the same four-chord progression. As Stolpe expressed, some see the “TikTok formula” as a mere copy-and-paste of existing songs. 

In a music landscape that is rife with replication, audiences are seeking innovation, and this summer’s pop album releases delivered. 

Pre-established pop musicians like Beyoncé and Harry Styles both recently released al-bums that were praised for their catchy pop melodies and innovation. 

The industry is also seeing the rise of new pop stars, like Steve Lacy, whose recent album “Gemini Rights” had critics draw comparisons to Stevie Wonder and Prince. 

All of these artists are riding the nostalgia wave — Beyoncé with 1980s house music, Styles with the British invasion, and Lacy with 1970s funk — but each managed to breathe new life into the genres they’re referencing. 

While the music industry is constantly evolving, this return to form might mark a resurrection of the bubblegum pop of past decades. 

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Photo Caption: Beyoncé’s newest studio album, “Renaissance,” was released on July 29, 2022 to critical acclaim.

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