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By Kerry Doole
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As the U.S. passes a bill that could lead to a ban on the app in the country, TikTok Canada is emphasizing its presence in Canada with a new chart tracking the top songs on the app.
TikTok may be facing an existential threat in the U.S., but in Canada, the app is growing its presence with a new chart.
The TikTok Top 50 chart will track the most popular songs on the app in Canada on a weekly basis, like its American counterpart, the TikTok Billboard Top 50.
The first edition of the chart is out now, and finds viral rapper Lay Bankz — who also recently made her Billboard Canadian Hot 100 debut — in the top spot with "Tell Ur Girlfriend," which got a boost on the app from a dance challenge.
The chart indicates just how unpredictable and eclectic TikTok popularity can be: the first Top 50 features '70s rockers Redbone, '80s shredders AC/DC, and '90s slackers Pavement, alongside contemporary popstars and indie darlings. The top ten features no Canadian artists, but "Oh Canada" — recorded by the Symphony Orchestra of Canada — sits at No. 25.
TikTok is already a major influence in the music industry, as artists — from teenagers hoping for their big break to Grammy-winning legacy acts — find new audiences through the app.
Rising stars like Benson Boone are making use of the app as creators, while older songs — like Mother Mother's "Hayloft" — are going viral as re-contextualized audio clips. Superstars, meanwhile, hope their new singles will take off as dance challenges, like the one that helped The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" become Billboard's No. 1 Song of All Time.
Plenty of up-and-coming Canadian acts have found success on the app, from Lauren Spencer Smith to Aqyila. The app has also boosted more established Canadian artists — the most popular song on TikTok in Canada last year was a sped up version of PARTYNEXTDOOR's 2014 song "Her Way."
The unpredictably of virality, of course, also makes it unreliable as a career strategy. Not to mention that going viral is just the beginning — artists still have to have the talent, team and know-how to turn a big moment into something sustainable.
The chart, which updates Thursdays, uses a combination of video views, creation and user engagement to determine its top 50. The announcement comes as the U.S. congress passes a bill aiming to force a sale of the app, resulting in a possible ban south of the border if no sale occurs.
