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Tinashe's sultry R&B track "Nasty" has claimed the title of the UK's TikTok song of the summer, outpacing hits by major artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish. The track became a viral sensation on the platform, sound tracking over 10 million videos, with its standout lyric "match my freak" turning into a popular catchphrase.
However, despite its massive success on TikTok, the song's performance on traditional music charts was underwhelming, peaking at just number 66 in the UK and 61 in the US. This is a stark contrast to last year’s TikTok summer anthem, "Sprinter" by Dave and Central Cee, which dominated the charts, selling 1.2 million copies and holding the number one spot in the UK for 10 weeks.
"Nasty" gained viral momentum in April when a video of British dancer Nate de Winer grooving to the song captivated millions, racking up over 13 million views. The clip inspired recreations by celebrities like Christina Aguilera and Janet Jackson, and even made its way into a humorous edit featuring King Charles at Buckingham Palace.
For Tinashe, this unexpected resurgence comes a decade after her debut single, marking a high point in her career after years of label struggles. Reflecting on her journey, Tinashe told _Variety_, "I definitely think that everything that I’ve done up to now, all those grinding it out moments... it’s all led up to this."
While TikTok remains an influential platform for music discovery, the disparity between viral success and chart performance hints at a shift in the app’s impact on the music industry. As TikTok diversifies its focus towards long-form videos and e-commerce, music virality is becoming rarer. This trend is further complicated by legal disputes like the one between TikTok and Universal Music Group earlier this year, which led to millions of songs being temporarily pulled from the platform.
Tinashe’s "Nasty" may have owned the summer on TikTok, but its limited chart success suggests that the app’s days as a kingmaker for global music hits might be waning.
