Source: Jason Koerner / Getty
TikTok is a force these days and with many artists taking to the platform to push their music, Billboard has joined forces with the social media site to launch a new Top 50 chart to track the platform’s most popular singles. You’ll never guess who leads the pack.
According to Variety, one Sexyy Red is sitting atop the TikTok Billboard Top 50 Chart thanks to her smash hit “SkeeYee,” which is followed by Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red” and Taylor Swift’s “August,” which come in at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively. Though we weren’t given precise numbers, the new monitoring system will be determined by a number of factors that are relevant in the day and age of social media that we wouldn’t have seen coming in the days of cassette tapes, CD’s and vinyl records.
God, we feel old.
Variety reports:
This is the first official chart in the U.S. to monitor music discovery and engagement on the platform. The chart is based on a combination of creations, video views, and user engagement by the U.S. TikTok community, and will be released weekly on Thursdays.
“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. It therefore made perfect sense to partner with Billboard to create the TikTok Billboard Top 50 Chart. 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,” said Ole Obermann, global head of music business development at TikTok.
“We are thrilled to partner on the first Billboard chart on TikTok,” said Mike Van, president of Billboard. “At Billboard, we are constantly evolving our charts to reflect how fans engage with music and connect them more deeply with the artists they love. We see a clear opportunity to recognize the way music discovery on TikTok is shaping popular culture and are proud to offer this tool to the industry, while offering brands a new way to engage with music fans at scale. You’re not no. 1 until you’re no. 1 on Billboard.”
Naturally, Sexxy Red was ecstatic to be the first music artist to be crowned the queen of TikTok’s Billboard chart and expressed as much when she was informed of the news.
“I am so excited that so many of my songs are charting on TikTok and Billboard’s new chart,” Sexxy Red said, according to Variety. “I always knew I would be a No. 1 type of artist, so I want to thank all my fans on TikTok for running my music up! I’m just being me on TikTok and people love it.”
It’s only a matter of time before Billboard somehow starts charting whatever songs we can’t get out of our heads on a daily basis. Those songs should be interesting to learn.
What do y’all think of the new TikTok Billboard chart? Let us know in the comments section below.
