TikTok Fame Changes Concert Setlists: Artists Adapt to Social Media Success
As TikTok continues to dominate music discovery, artists are finding themselves in an interesting predicament: songs from their back catalog suddenly becoming viral sensations, forcing them to rethink their live performances to meet new audience expectations.
Take Steve Lacy, whose 2022 track 'Bad Habit' exploded on TikTok and subsequently topped the Billboard Hot 100. The sudden viral success prompted him to restructure his concert setlist, moving the hit from a mid-show slot to the finale position, acknowledging its new status as his most anticipated song.
Similar adjustments have been made by other artists across genres. JVKE, whose emotional ballad 'golden hour' became a TikTok phenomenon, found himself incorporating extended versions of viral segments into his live shows. Meanwhile, veteran performers like Fleetwood Mac saw renewed interest in classics like 'Dreams' after viral TikTok moments, leading to these songs gaining more prominent positions in their performances.
The trend highlights a significant shift in how social media success influences live music experiences. Artists are now carefully monitoring their TikTok analytics to gauge which songs resonate most with audiences, often adjusting their setlists accordingly. This dynamic relationship between viral moments and live performances has created a more responsive and interactive concert experience, where artists actively adapt to their audiences' evolving preferences.
For many musicians, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity. While some worry about being reduced to their viral moments, others embrace the chance to introduce new audiences to their broader catalog through these trending entry points.
As social media continues to shape music consumption, this adaptive approach to live performance appears to be becoming the new normal, creating a more dynamic relationship between artists and their audiences.
