TikTok greatly influences the music industry; one viral sound can turn a random song into a global hit overnight, and artists are gaining fame faster than ever. However, are these songs and artists actually talented or just being overplayed?

A great example of an artist who gained fame from TikTok is Benson Boone. Boone is a 22-year-old pop singer with a very impressive voice and vocal range. He has spent years writing songs and releasing albums and EPs that have resulted in viral TikTok songs. While his music is very good and is cherished for the temporary period that it is trending, people eventually get tired of hearing the same song repeatedly as they scroll. 

So even if an artist, like Boone, is very talented, what must they do to make sure their music succeeds past the TikTok trending era?

Rap artist Doechii is a good example of a musician who rose to fame on TikTok and has been able to continue their success past the app. She had a few tracks go viral on TikTok years ago, but they never solidified her presence in the industry. 

It wasn’t until her most recent album, “Alligator Bites Never Heal”, that she proved herself to any doubters. She recently won Best Rap Album at the Grammys 2025, after being nominated 4 times prior. 

Another popular artist who blew up from TikTok is Noah Kahan. The New England-native folk singer had released two albums before he went viral, but it wasn’t until 2020 when he released his pandemic-inspired song “Stick Season” that he rose to fame. 

After the sound was used in nearly 100 thousand videos on TikTok, Kahan released his third studio album “Stick Season” in 2022, which now has over 1.5 billion streams. Kahan was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys in 2024 and has played countless sold-out shows on three continents since 2022. 

TikTok has been a very controversial app in recent years, but nobody can argue that it has had a profound impact on the music industry and the artists it has helped grow to fame.