What The F*ck Is A TikTok Billboard Top 50?
Here’s a new one. Billboard and TikTok announced on September 14th the unveiling of the “TikTok Billboard Top 50” which will be the first Industry chart to track the performance and popularity of songs on the short-form media giant. I’m gonna get right into it. How does this chart track?
It’s a couple of different metrics, with Billboard saying it’s “based on a combination of creations, video views, and user engagement by the U.S. TikTok Community” with the one and only Sexyy Red being the first #1 with her smash hit, “SkeeYee”, followed by “Paint The Town Red” by Doja Cat at #2 and “august” by Taylor Swift at #3, respectively.
“TikTok is already the world’s most powerful platform for music discovery and promotion, and each week our passionate community of music fans drives songs onto the Billboard charts,” said Global Head of Music Business Development at Tiktok, Ole Obermann. Obermann made an even more astute comment, recognizing that “The chart gives a clear picture of the music that is being listened to on TikTok, and consequently starting to trend on DSPs and other services.”
There’s so much opportunity here for new artists, legacy acts, and everybody in between. The TikTok Billboard Top 50 features the 1982 hit, “Let It Whip” by Dazz Band at #10, which swings the door wide open for these older/legacy acts to create new motion for their music.
Personally, I’m split on my feelings about this, especailly after the whole conversation of banning TikTok due to privacy concerns with government agencies going so far as to not allow TikTok on government devices. Hell, even a full state (Montana) banned TikTok. Now, it’s gotten paired with one of the biggest entertainment media platforms on Earth.
Ok, hot take/conspiracy theory time.
With the Grammys opening the Pandora’s Box allowing A.I. to be considered for their awards, and now seeing the Billboard/TikTok partnership, it’s clear that some entities want to use fear-based narratives to drive certain conversations until those entities are able to secure the benefits of these new landscapes for themselves.
Eat the rich.
You can view the “TikTok Billboard Top 50” here - https://www.billboard.com/charts/tiktok-billboard-top-50/
Sourceshttps://www.theverge.com/2023/9/14/23873516/billboard-tiktok-top-50-chart-songs
https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/tiktok-billboard-top-50-chart-launch-1235412993/
