TikTokEveryone at TikTok would like to send a massive congratulations to RAYE who has claimed her first UK number 1 single with Escapism! It's an incredible achievement for the newly independent artist which is being celebrated by the community on TikTok.
RAYE takes number 1
A collaboration with American electronic artist 070 Shake, Escapism has seen huge success on TikTok in recent weeks, powered by the popularity of multiple sped up remixes that have collectively amassed over 700,000 video creations.
Creators have been using the sounds to share their 'get ready with me' videos and relationship healing stories using the hook: 'the man that I loved sat me down last night and told me it was over. Dumb decision". The track's relatable story and catchy hook have made it a community favourite across its multiple remixed versions and helped to drive it steadily up the TikTok and UK Singles Chart.
RAYE was the face of the relaunch of our #ElectronicMusic campaign back in September and Call on Me was our 2021 Song of the Summer. We love seeing her connecting with fans on TikTok, regularly duetting with some of her favourite creators. She recently posted a video to thank fans for their help blowing up the song and for supporting her music as an independent artist.
James Lightfoot, Artist Community Manager at TikTok said: "We have loved working with RAYE and our relationship has gone from strength to strength. From beginning discussions last year of how she can best use TikTok to promote her first releases as an independent artist to now topping the charts with Escapism. A huge thanks to RAYE for inviting us to work with her and congratulations on the number 1 single!"
Sped up and slowed down tracks
Remixes have become instrumental in driving artists' success on and off TikTok, facilitating the community's love of creatively experimenting with new sounds. This is helping to drive fans to stream the original track or release official versions of the TikTok remixes.
For example, Cat Burns' 'Go' - first released in 2019 - had a viral moment after the TikTok community created a sped up version which amassed over 360k video creations and drove the original track to number 2 in the Official Charts. Meanwhile, Paloma Faith's 2014 single, 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This' had a slowed down refresh that generated over 721k video creations and sparked its own hashtag, #DeadlyKissChallenge. Paloma subsequently released an official slowed down version of the song in response to it taking off on TikTok. With RAYE's Escapism, it's clear that remixes are propelling tracks to even greater heights, and show no sign of stopping.
Lisa Skeppner, Label Partnerships Manager at TikTok said: “We've loved watching RAYE's journey to number one with Escapism. TikTok users have wholly embraced the track, creating multiple sped up versions and trending remixes. The song's success sits at the heart of what TikTok is all about: creativity and experimentation. These fan-driven remixes are becoming increasingly popular, helping artists' music to reach new audiences and subsequently drive huge engagement with the original track. With RAYE's comeback as a newly independent artist, it has been a privilege to support her and we wish her every success. Congratulations to RAYE and the team at The Orchard."
What's next?
Now with a UK number 1 single under her belt, RAYE's debut studio album is set to be released in February. With over 350k followers and 6 million likes on TikTok, with many creators still jumping on her trending music, we have no doubt that this is just the start.
New to TikTok and want to discover more music like RAYE's? Getting involved couldn’t be easier, simply download the app for free via the Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon.
