TikTok is the future of music; Olivia Rodrigo is proving it.

Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license” is all anyone has been talking about for days. If you open any social media, it’s trending — and for good reason.

This heart-wrenching dream-pop anthem has people rushing to their cars only to scream-sing down the highway at midnight. Even those in healthy relationships are feeling Olivia’s heartbreak right alongside her.

Yet just a few days ago, Olivia was a young Disney star known solely for her role on High School Musical The Musical The Series (yeah, say that tongue-twister a few times fast). But then TikTok discovered “drivers license,” and it’s been a chart topping record since.

The song illuminates a failed relationship with her HSMTMTS costar who taught her how to drive. With heartfelt lyricism and a powerful bridge, fans are everywhere are calling her the next big thing in music. At only 17, Olivia has captured the imaginations of listeners in a way that can only parallels the power of pop icons Taylor Swift and Lorde.

On Spotify and Apple Music, “drivers license” is #1 with almost 13.5 million streams on January 12th, ranking third in Spotify’s history for most streams in one day. This is unheard of for an artist’s debut single with very little promotion.

TikTok is the future of music release. Since the app skyrocketed in popularity last March, many artists have leveraged the platform as a space to advertise their music. The key to success is vulnerability, honesty, and crossing your fingers that an influencer will create a dance or trend to your song.

With over 200k videos (and climbing) to “drivers license,” the song is creating many different opportunities for trends. TikToker @brookemonk_ created a POV style video that puts the viewer in the shoes of a breakup at the height of the song’s chorus, and many other creators have hopped onto this trend as well.

The algorithm of TikTok is tricky to master because it’s all about understanding how people feel and how a brand or creator can pivot those human insights without appearing artificial and unnaturally there.

TikTok trends celebrate the realness of music — not a forced brand deal where your manager makes you dance to get views. TikTok is a no-bullshit app and especially with the cancel culture that exists in each creator’s comment sections, you can’t just fake it until you make it.

Other artists like Mothica, Blu DeTiger, and Tai Verdes have taken their instant fame from the platform and continued to create authentic content for fans. It’s almost as if the people of the internet are tired of publicity stunts and fake internet personalities. Coincidence?

So what does this mean for music and brands who want a place on the app? TikTok is where many turn to for comfort, a good laugh, and a lot of chaos. By leaning into a culture of shitposting and no filters, posting authentically is key.

And if you’re like me, you’ll be streaming “drivers license” for the next week.