The Anatomy of a TikTok Hit

TikTok, the omnipresent fifteen-second video platform, has taken over social media. The app has also changed the landscape of the music industry, churning out chart-topping hits like Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” and DaBaby and Roddy Ricch’s “Rockstar” in the process. This summer, following the killing of George Floyd and nationwide protests, activists have co-opted dance and music TikToks in the name of racial justice. But can a supercapitalist app like TikTok really be a force for social change? Listen to this week's episode of The Pitchfork Review as Editor-in-Chief Puja Patel discusses this question, and more, with Pitchfork staffer Cat Zhang.