In simply 4 years, TikTok, the short-form video-sharing app, has gone from a preferred fad to a Gen Z cultural touchstone. Within the final yr or so it’s develop into one thing else as effectively — among the best issues that may occur to an up-and-coming musician, particularly one with eyes on the Spotify Viral 50.
And for one aspiring Atlanta artist with a penchant for sweaters and Cardi B, he owes a giant debt to TikTok for making a splash on Spotify.
Lil Shordie Scott’s “Rocking A Cardigan In Atlanta” is presently within the Prime 20 of each the U.S. and World Viral 50 playlists on the streaming service. That’s virtually purely on the load of its TikTok presence, proving that the platform is turning into as indispensable to rising artists as radio play was to what your elders knew as “rock ‘n’ roll.”
TikTok omnipresent and ever-changing dance developments have definitely helped a fair proportion of established names reminiscent of Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat stay on the popstar A-list, nevertheless it’s helped the careers of quite a lot of obscure acts as effectively. “How You Like That” by Blackpink, “Beggin” by Måneskin, and “Astronomia” by Chiky Dee Jay are only a few of the various songs which have had a highlight shined upon them by TikTok virality.
Within the case of Lil Shordie Scott — in keeping with his YouTube web page, he’s a “youngin from the southside of Atlanta with a distinct model and imaginative and prescient” — it took two months for “Rocking A Cardigan In Atlanta” to go from debuting on his SoundCloud account to turning into a TikTok dance jam.
The observe appeared to take off, in keeping with Scott’s genius.com web page, following a canopy video by TikTok consumer @runuppercy. The video, admittedly fairly completely different from Scott’s move, gathered over a million likes (and counting) and, extra importantly, despatched customers searching for the unique.
The music obtained one other surprising TikTok enhance when Jenelle Evans, star of Teen Mothers 2, posted herself twerking to Scott’s authentic model of the music following her revelation that she was affected by fibromyalgia. Within the video, Evans dances alongside to the music utilizing strikes which have gone viral in one of many platform’s many dance developments. Customers throughout the platform have posted their very own movies — typically that includes a couple of particular person dancing— all following the identical steps.
After all, virality doesn’t assure final fame, however Lil Shordie’s pretty distinctive move and vocalization, pitched many occasions above a lot of the raps popping out of Atlanta proper now, might show a key to success. (That piano intro’s fairly unbelievable as effectively.)
Time will inform whether or not his time as a TikTok pattern was a momentary supernova of infatuation, or if he’s right here to remain within the firmament for some time.
