Ranging from country to pop, indie folk to rock, artists experience the challenge of making top 100 on the Billboard charts as the music industry continues to amass in size. Gone are the years where artists were discovered at openers or local venues, the industry has now shifted towards mass media as the way to find new talent. Modern platforms such as social media have become the launching pad for success to artists as they enter the cutthroat business. 

In the early months of 2022, Noah Kahan, a folk-pop singer-songwriter, released his song “Stick Season” which led him to become a chart-topping, Grammy nominated artist. Kahan wrote “Stick Season” during the height of the global pandemic as a part of his new album of the same name, and decided to post a video of the new song on TikTok. “Stick Season” went viral after Kahan’s post, encouraging him to finish his album that went on to be ranked No. 3 on the Billboard 200 all thanks to the powerful impact of social media. 

A decade after his global hit in 2014 with “Take me to Church,” the Irish singer-songwriter Andrew John Hozier-Byre’s latest single, “Too Sweet,” made the No. 1 song on the Hot 100 in America according to Billboard charts. The artist professionally known as Hozier, credited his rising fame from his latest single released this year from the support of his younger online following, predominantly those from the TikTok app. Much like Kahan’s “Stick Season,” TikTok was key to the success of the song in fans making videos or user-generated sounds that caused streaming to skyrocket in response. 

Other qualities of an artist that garner a sizable following can come from the opportunity to perform as an opener for other singers as well as the image they establish for themselves. In the case of pop singer Chappel Roan, she gained attention in opening for Olivia Rodrigo and Fletcher as well as for her unique drag persona established in her outfits. For her set at the New York City’s Governors Ball Music Festival, Roan dressed as the Statue of Liberty with a seven-pointed crown that made her make various headlines and gain increased attention. Roan’s momentum picked up when creating a viral TikTok dance for her song “Hot To Go!,” that amassed massive viewings and, according to the website Biography, garnered roughly 74,000 posts with the hashtag #hottogo. 

As artists adjust to the rise of social media in today’s world, they shift more of their attention to their online fanbase in order to secure a larger following and higher streaming numbers. While the importance of an artist’s iconic image, creative instincts, and showmanship are still superior qualities to win their fame, mass media has now become another vital tool in the evolving industry.