‘Stupid’ Propel’s Ashnikko To TikTok Superstardom
The channels through which artists rise to stardom are changing along with rest of the industry, as evidenced by rapper Ashnikko's rapid ascension to stardom as a direct result of her popularity in the world of Tik Tok.
_______________________
Guest post by James Shotwell of Haulix
Fast-rising rapper Ashnikko has received very little media attention, but she’s already a superstar in the world of Tik Tok.
Tik Tok is the most influential music discovery platform on the planet. Forget Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, as well as any YouTube personality whose opinion seems to matter more than yours. Tik Tok is where the masses decide who matters, and those needing proof should look to the charts. From Lil Nas X scoring the longest-running number-one single in Billboard history to Blanco Brown going platinum with a dance song, Tik Tok is promoting game-changing talent everyone else is ignoring.
This month, rapper Ashnikko is quickly becoming the name everyone in the music business has on the tip of their tongue. Two portions of her song “STUPID” has captured the attention of the Tik Tok crowd, and as a result, her profile is on the rise.
MORE: Music Promotion On TikTok: A Beginner's Guide
Not on Tik Tok? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered:
The popularity of “STUPID” has spawned nearly half a million Tik Toks to date. Most of those were created after September 21, which is the first date the lyrics site Genius reported a surge in searches for the track. The site’s page for the song has since received more than 80,000 pageviews.
“STUPID” is also finding a real-world audience. As of today, October 4, the song is sitting atop both the Spotify US and Spotify Global Viral songs chart. Tweets from Ashnikko suggest the song is topping the charts in other countries as well, which has helped push the song to more than 2.4 million plays on the platform.
Google Trends offers further evidence of Ashnikko’s rising profile. A quick look at the last month shows a 100x increase in search queries related to Ashnikko and “STUPID.”
Beyond these stats, “STUPID” has accrued millions of plays on YouTube and other music streaming platforms, all of which put money in Ashnikko’s pocket.
Ashnikko has managed to ascend through the fiercely combative streaming marketplace with no attention from major outlets and minimal performances. She also has a growing and deeply engaged audience on social media that is working daily to see her succeed. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Lil Nas X, Blanco Brown, and Stunna Girl were in the same position when their profiles took off on Tik Tok.
What happens next is anyone’s guess, but Ashnikko is positioned for success, and you can bet the industry is starting to notice. To see her get a deal would be no surprise at this point, nor would features on songs from more widely-recognized talent. As far as the internet is concerned, Ashnikko has already made it, and now it’s on her to keep that momentum going.
Ashnikko already signed a record deal, there’s a whole video that was taken at the signing on her YouTube channel. This attention didn’t come from nowhere.