Taken from this week’s Future Pop mailer. Click here to subscribe.
You might think the six-second limit would make it hard to launch a music career from Vine, but in fact in the US the video sharing app has produced numerous chart hits. The biggest artist to emerge so far is Shawn Mendes, who used the app in the same way singers use YouTube, posting cover videos and charming snippets of personality. Vine is also an ideal launchpad for tracks with a concise, memorable hook, which can be played in the background of a video, becoming effectively a musical meme. Dominican-American singer-songwriter Dawin used this technique to great effect with his song Just Girly Things, which featured in his own “Your shy friend after having too many shots!” clip and “my face when the beat drops” by popular Viner Carter Reynolds. The viral success got 24-year-old Dawin a deal with Republic and a music video featuring various Vine stars. Although Just Girly Things didn’t conquer the charts, Dawin’s new single Dessert has gone platinum in Australia. With the Aussies’ recent history of breaking hits such as All About That Bass, Bills and Marvin Gaye, this is a good sign for Dawin. Dessert is also rising up the UK Shazam new release chart, after only a little radio support, while a video featuring cute teen rapper Silentó gives the song a new lease of life.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZp_axebSfQ]