Over the past few years, TikTok has been completely dominating the social media space.
Within its takeover, musicians have been able to grow their fan base — whether it be through viral dance challenges or the song itself trending. The popularity and traction found on the app have also been translating into skyrocketing streams.
Here are seven Black artists who have a high streaming record (or several) thanks to going viral via TikTok.
Saucy Santana
You can’t talk about viral TikTok sensations without mentioning Santana, who previously credited TikTok for his rise to stardom.
As previously reported by AfroTech, he was a part of what inspired Billboard to introduce the Song Breaker Chart — its first-ever creator-centered music chart.
From “Walk” and “Material Girl” to now, “Booty,” he’s created quite a name for himself through the platform.
Muni Long
The popular track “Hrs and Hrs” was inescapable at one point, from TikToks of couples, cooking tutorials, etc. — you heard it everywhere on the app.
The platinum record catapulted Muni Long to being not only well known for her songwriting but as an artist.
Additionally, the song became No. 1 on the R&B Songs chart, making her the first independent female artist to top the chart, according to Billboard. The R&B singer’s breakthrough in the industry led to Def Jam Recordings knocking at her door with a record deal.
CKay
Once CKay’s “Love Nwantiti” went viral on TikTok, the song’s extremely catchy melody took over the globe. The original version was released in 2019 and has since birthed multiple versions including the popular remix featuring DJ Yo! and AX’EL.
According to Pulse Nigeria, all of the remixes amassed over one billion streams on Spotify — making it the first African song to do so. CKay also made history by becoming the first African artist to reach 30 million monthly Spotify listeners.
Fousheé & Sleepy Hallow
“Deep End Freestyle” by Sleepy Hallow became a viral hit on TikTok in 2020. But for those who may be unaware, the track features a sample of the original record “Deep End” by Fousheé.
Thanks to the social media giant, the song garnered a platinum plaque and their first-ever charting song on the Billboard Hot 100. “Deep End” sits at over 230 million streams on Spotify alone, as of this writing.
B-Lovee
Being able to cleverly sample a classic Mary J. Blige record deserves its praise and millions of streams.
After B-Lovee’s “My Everything” picked up a buzz, it became a popular dance challenge on TikTok. The South Bronx rapper’s drill version of “Everything” had many joining in on the dance trend such as Coi Leray, Latto, and more. The track remains one of his highest-streamed songs to date.
Doechii
Before her recent fan favorite “Persuasive,” Doechii’s “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” went viral on TikTok back in 2021. With the lyric “Doechii, why don’t you introduce yourself to the class,” millions of users on the platform created videos of their transitions and glow-ups. Following all of the traction, the 23-year-old went on to be signed to Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) — Kendrick Lamar’s former label.