Pop Spotlight

Karma is a bestie for this Brooklyn rapper. Recognized globally for her ginger fro, Ice Spice has always gone hand in hand with social media. The rapper first went viral for her 2022 drill hit “Munch (Feeling U)” which went from being trashed online to celebrated — and rebranding thirsty haters with the much more cutting term “munch.” Now a year into her mainstream career and signed to a major label, Spice hasn’t been content with coasting off her prior success, an energy made clear by her nomination for the single “In Ha Mood.” While the entire track speaks to Spice’s internet-friendly persona of not playing around with broke men, it’s her assertions of her baddie quality that made this rap a TikTok staple.

Coi Leray had a message for people with her hit “Players,” “Girls is players too.” “Rocks on my fingers like a nigga wifed me,” she raps, warning off men who might think their money stacks higher than hers. “Got another shorty? She ain’t nothin’ like me.” While straightforward, it’s this message of self-actualization and braggadocio that propelled the rapper into her first Billboard Top 10 hit (and probably spiked Apple Bottoms Jeans sales for the first time since “Low” by Flo Rida).

Big Boss Vette had celebs from Reba McEntire to Paris Hilton to Bill Nye claiming their “pretty girl” power with this hit anthem that became one of her breakout singles this year. But for the Missouri rapper, her hit single wasn’t just a sound — it was a song about self-love and empowerment. 

“The song spoke to all genders and identities, encouraging them to embrace their true selves and radiate confidence from within,” she tells Rolling Stone. “ It wasn’t about conforming to standards; it was about celebrating individuality and recognizing that every step you take is a stride towards self-acceptance and embracing the beauty that resides both inside and out. I am forever grateful for the love that I received and still continue to receive from tens of thousands of fans worldwide.”

What started as a 10-second clip shared on Sam Smith’s TikTok turned into a sleeper hit and a first-time Grammy for trans artist Kim Petras. “Unholy” wasn’t just an online success — the religious innuendo-filled track reached Number 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 List in October 2022. It also made history as Smith became the first nonbinary artist to take home the Pop/Duo Grammy, and Petras became the first trans woman to win the award. In her acceptance speech, Petras gave a small tribute to late trans pop star Sophie and later told reporters that the song was about not being bound by a religion that won’t accept you. 

“It’s a take on not being able to choose religion and not being able to live the way that people might want you to live. As a trans person, I’m not wanted in religion. It was kind of like ‘hell-keeper Kim,’” she said. “I got a Grammy for making music with my friend, and that’s the best feeling in the world. I think that people need to judge less, and I hope that there’s a future where gender and identity and all these labels don’t matter that much.”

Armani White started making music in second grade, and by the end of high school was recording tracks with his friends — a dedication that makes the overnight success of his hit track “Billie Eilish” less a viral hit and more about a years-long talent making itself known. In an interview with Rolling Stone last year, he noted that his success online proved to him that people would listen to what he put out — and that he already had all of the skills he needed to succeed. 

“Once I was right about this, I gotta be right about the next thing,” he said. And he was more than right. His nominated song “GOATED,” was used over 300,000 times on TikTok alone — and sparked dozens of dance and video challenges. In addition to his nomination, he’ll also be performing live at the Streamys.

Sometimes you’ve got to rage. Sometimes you’ve got to dance. Sometimes you’ve got to do both at the same time.  And there’s no rapper at the moment who knows how to switch it up better than Doechii. This Florida rapper and singer hasn’t even released her debut album yet, but her powerful song “What Is It” still managed to capture a significant portion of the internet. It didn’t hurt that six different versions of the single were released, including options both slowed down and sped up for rapid TikTok consumption. Doechii herself even participated in the subsequent viral dance challenge. In a June interview with Rolling Stone, the rapper credited her focus on being present as a driving force in how her art and music have evolved over the years. 

“The only moment that exists is literally right now. I mean quantum physics, tomorrow literally does not exist,” Doechii said. “I realized, ‘OK, in this moment, if now is all that exists, do I really want to be scared right now?’ No. Bitch, I want to make a great song and I want to have fun.”

Kaliii isn’t afraid to tell people how it is — a characteristic nowhere more apparent than in her hit song “Area Codes.” Featuring an interpolation from the Ludacris song by the same name, Kaliii spits over the beat so nonchalantly that it imbues the song with carefree energy. The Georgia rapper had so many people shouting out the white boys on their roster feeding them pasta and lobster that she received over 4 billion views on TikTok alone — and got her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 33. 

He might be known as David Burke by his friends and family, but for an online audience desperate for his angsty alt-pop sound, he’s just d4vd. This 18-year-old discovered his favorite music from Fortnite montages and made his first song in 2022 in his sister’s closet. His raw intensity and dedication to the gaming side of the internet quickly captured the attention of TikTok. Following the success of his hit song “Romantic Homicide,” his follow-up “Here With Me,” was an emotional, bittersweet ode to a long-term relationship, one of many heartbreak songs he told Rolling Stone aren’t based on the past — they’re for a future him. 

“When I write music about heartbreak and sad type of things, I’ll write it, not from experience, because I was homeschooled, I was a homebody, I didn’t really have much of a social outlet like that. I write it in preparation,” d4vd said during an episode of  “On Your Radar”. “ I feel like when you commit to love, you commit to devastation as well. 

She came back, she had a baby, she did the wife thing, the mother thing. Oh, and she totally figured out how to wield TikTok’s sharing power into multiple radio hits. Previously known for her 2016 hit “All About That Bass,” the past year has shown Meghan Trainor knows how to make a comeback stick. Most of all, she has an appreciation for her online community. “Made You Look,” peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, her highest placement since 2015. And even the music video paid homage to her impact on social media, featuring dozens of the biggest creators, like Drew Afualo and Scott Hoying. She told Rolling Stone ahead of the release of her 2022 LP Takin’ It Back that TikTok had become a safe space where she could be herself. 

“They accept me for that. And they love me for that,” Trainor said. Put simply: “I feel safe there. And I feel confident when I show them a new song.”

When PinkPantheress dropped “boys a liar,” the preppy sound layered over a house beat immediately drew listeners in. So adding Ice Spice to an already exceptional track made the collab an instant sensation online, aided by the fact that it was born on the internet. In an interview with NME, PinkPantheress said she saw Ice Spice had followed her on Instagram and slid into her DMs asking to meet up someday. “I think she’s really cool, above the music and everything,’ she told NME. “She said she was a fan [of mine], and I was like, ‘OK, amazing.’” The ensuing collab was an immediate classic. “Boys a Liar pt. 2” hit number 4 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, marking a first for both PinkPantheress and Ice Spice.