TikTok’s year in review (courtesy of TikTok).
For years now, TikTok has been known as a hitmaking platform and perhaps the best place to discover the next great musical artists. Major record labels make a point of signing those with tunes picking up steam before they become huge, and there are countless examples of recent smashes that got their start on the app.
TikTok itself has released its own year-end lists of the most popular artists and songs on the platform, breaking all that information up into U.S.-only and global rankings to show both how much Americans are like–and different–from users in the rest of the world. These tallies are filled with headline-grabbing celebrities and newcomers who have yet to break into the mainstream, but who have clearly found a massive audience.
Top 10 Songs (U.S.)
1. Nicky Youre & Dazy – “Sunroof”
2. Luclover – “L$d”
3. Yung Lean – “Ginseng Strip 2002”
4. Lizzo – “About Damn Time”
5. Pharrell – “Just A Cloud Away”
6. Labrinth – “Forever”
7. Willow – “Wait a Minute!”
8. Duke & Jones & Louis Theroux – “Jiggle Jiggle”
9. Armani White – “Billie Eilish”
10. Kate Bush – “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”
Nicky Youre and Dazy earned one of the biggest breakouts in recent memory with their single “Sunroof,” which came out of nowhere and exploded in popularity thanks to TikTok. The tune rose to No. 4 on the Hot 100, and became a chart-topper on a number of radio lists, which was unexpected for unknown musicians who got their start on the social platform. Interestingly, most of the top 10 biggest hits on TikTok this year didn’t translate to more traditional, measurable success on the Billboard charts, though a handful were aided in their ascent by the app.
Top 10 Most-Viewed Artists (U.S.)
1. Lizzo
2. Bella Poarch
3. Bad Bunny
4. Charlie Puth
5. Doja Cat
6. Selena Gomez
7. Nessa Barrett
8. Yung Gravy
9. Billie Eilish
10. Meghan Trainor
Lizzo returned to music in 2022 with her latest album Special, and she made it clear she was not going to be a one-era wonder. The album’s lead single “About Damn Time” was huge on TikTok, and it helped propel the Grammy and Emmy winner to the No. 1 spot on both the Hot 100 and this end-of-year ranking. Unsurprisingly, many of the biggest acts on the social site are also major players in the music industry, while a handful of others–such as Bella Poarch, Nessa Barrett, and Yung Gravy–are still just getting started.
Top 10 Songs (Global)
1. Yung Lean – “Ginseng Strip 2002”
2. Nicky Youre & Dazy – “Sunroof”
3. Willow – “Wait a Minute!”
4. WZ Beat – “Beat Automotivo Tan Tan Tan Viral”
5. Demi Lovato – “Cool for the Summer”
6. Duke & Jones & Louis Theroux – “Jiggle Jiggle”
7. Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone – “Me Porto Bonito”
8. Lizzo – “About Damn Time”
9. Luclover – “L$d”
10. Cris Mj – “Una Noche En Medellín”
The top song on TikTok around the world in 2022 was a rap tune by a Swedish performer. It’s an unlikely leader by a musician few may have selected as the most successful in many regards, but that’s the beauty of TikTok. Somehow, it appears his single “Ginseng Strip 2002” barely made a commercial impact almost anywhere in the world, which just goes to show that sometimes the site makes a catchy track a sales blockbuster, while in other instances, its success is largely contained to the app. The list of the top 10 songs globally on TikTok this year includes a handful of major smashes, plenty of underground favorites, and even one years-old cut that reappeared out of nowhere and found new life (“Cool for the Summer” was originally released in 2015).
Top 10 Most-Viewed Artists (Global)
1. Kim Loaiza
2. Bella Poarch
3. Mont Pantoja
4. JD Pantoja
5. Lizzo
6. Atta Halilintar
7. Bad Bunny
8. Charlie Puth
9. Rosalía
10. Doja Cat
Three of the top 10 most-viewed creators on TikTik around the world in 2022–including the No. 1, Kim Loaiza–are Mexican, which shows that the Latin American nation is quickly becoming a powerhouse on the social site. The list of the most successful names on the platform this year proves that the app is truly a global phenomenon, and not limited to the U.S. While American artists like Doja Cat, Lizzo, and Charlie Puth appear inside the top 10, the same can be said for viral sensations like Indonesian talent Atta Halilintar.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2022/12/06/tiktoks-top-songs-and-artists-of-2022/