TikTok and short-form video media have influenced culture in numerous ways; it has led to ridiculous dances such as “The Renegade,” brought back vintage fashion, and created an insane amount of ridiculous micro trends. However, TikTok and others may be highly influential to one industry in particular; the music industry.
According to Szu Yu Chen at the Washington Post, “since 1990, the average length of a song on the Billboard Hot 100 has decreased from over four minutes to around three, regardless of genre.” Songs like Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” or Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” from the 1960s and 90s are notably longer than the current “hottest” songs, such as Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?” and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer.” Both contemporary hits span about three minutes in length, a large disparity to the 5+ minute songs of the previous generation.
Chen accounts for this change through the more sound-bite-oriented music production. TikTok dance trends and 15-second videos “encourage users to… create videos with short song snippets” because “few people want to make– let alone watch– an eight-minute TikTok.”
Elise Lewis, a graphic design major and member of the Oklahoma Christian jazz band, symphonic band, and chamber ensemble, explained how the trend of change within the music industry is affecting audiences and performers when engaging with performing arts.
“I think it’s harder for performers to stay focused and audiences to stay engaged,” Lewis said. “Concert etiquette is not as common as it used to be nor is it respected.”
Lewis also said overall appreciation for the complexity of music is reducing as shorter and less technical songs take over the media, further reducing viewer engagement.
Chen references Lil Yachty’s “Poland” and its “brevity, catchy hook, and meme-friendly content” clocks in at about 1 minute and 11 seconds. This song is notably very simple, with little technicality throughout. Yet, the short “bop” still rocketed to success on the Billboard Top 100.
Another music student, Ashlyn Pendergrass, echoed similar sentiments.
“I suspect that concerts in general appeal less to audiences now than they used to,” Pendergrass said.
Pendergrass has even noticed her friends and family often need a “warning” about the concert length before the performance, which is reiterated by the director before longer pieces.
However, she does not put all the blame on short-form music, rather, some of the issue lies with a “lack of visual stimuli” often associated with concert performances. This need for stimuli may reflect a deeper issue within society, but for now, it remains an issue often analyzed but rarely given a solution.
Overall, this trend reflects a shift within the music industry. However, it is important to note that there are a number of various aspects that play into song length—economic, social and other. So further may be necessary before TikTok is used as a scapegoat for the slaughter of modern music.
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