Topline
Despite having viral success on TikTok, Lizzo’s latest single “About Damn Time” hasn’t yet cracked the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, a surprise given that popularity on the app often translates to songs becoming commercial hits.
Lizzo visits the SiriusXM Studios on April 18, 2022 in New York City.
Key Facts
“About Damn Time” was released on April 14 and debuted on the Hot 100—which tracks the streams, downloads and radio airplay of songs, three weeks ago at No. 50—before moving to its peak position this week at No. 19.
More than 800,000 videos have been made on TikTok using the song, many of which feature a viral dance to the second verse, apparently created by user @jaedengomezz.
On Spotify, “About Damn Time” garnered over 13 million streams during the week ending May 5, earning it the No. 31 spot on the streaming services’ global top songs chart—the number one song “As It Was” had over 62 million.
Lizzo, who has done the viral dance several times and posted compilations of others doing it, wrote that “y’all got me crying over here” because she’s never had a viral dance to one of her songs before—a clear marker of widespread popularity of a song on TikTok.
Harry Styles’ latest single “As It Was,” which has had 1.7 million videos made on TikTok using the song, has topped both Billboard and Spotify charts this month.
In addition to “As It Was,” only two other song’s in this week’s top 10 had popularity on TikTok: “Stay” by The Kid Laroi and Justin Biever was popular on the app last year, after being released in 2020, and Jack Harlow used the app to tease snippets and garner interest in “First Class” before releasing it last month.
Chart
- “Wat For You,” Future feat. Drake and Tems
- “As It Was,” Harry Styles
- “First Class,” Jack Harlow
- “Puffin On Zootiez,” Future
- “Heat Waves,” Glass Animals
- “Big Energy,” Latto
- “Enemy,” Imagine Dragons X JID
- “712 PM,” Future
- “Stay,” The Kid Laroi feat. Justin Bieber
- “I’m Dat N****,” Future
Key Background
Success of a song on TikTok can fuel success on the charts, as fans hearing them constantly on the app can influence them to listen to or buy the songs on other platforms. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from the Encanto soundtrack first garnered popularity on the video-sharing app before topping the Billboard Hot 100 for several weeks at the beginning of the year. In January, Frank Ocean’s song “Lost” from 2012’s Channel Orange garnered new success on Billboard and Spotify charts after going viral on TikTok. Fleetwood Mac and Dua Lipa have also seen old songs of theirs resurface on TikTok, leading to renewed commercial success.
Big Number
Seven. That’s how many week’s Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019.
Further Reading
A 10-Year-Old Frank Ocean Album Is Rising In The Charts—Thanks To TikTok (Forbes)
How TikTok Keeps Dua Lipa ‘Levitating’ At The Top Of The Charts (Forbes)
Music From Disney’s Animated Film ‘Encanto’ Surges On Billboard Charts (Forbes)
Harry Styles’ ‘As It Was’ Tops Billboard Hot 100, Spotify Charts—Again (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/05/12/lizzos-about-damn-time-goes-viral-on-tiktok-but-still-hasnt-cracked-billboard-top-10/