Everyone knows about the first big pop hit of the year — Olivia Rodrigo getting her “Drivers License.” And it’s impossible to underplay the importance that streaming had on that song’s success; Spotify commented on how how unexpected her numbers were on their platform, and there’s no doubt that Olivia’s platform on TikTok — currently just above 4 million – has been helping bolster the song’s success. Oh, and then there’s the whole Disney+ star and love triangle-related drama.
Though she doesn’t have the Disney machine behind her, a similar streaming framework seems to be working for another young new singer, Jessia, an artist based in Vancouver, Canada. Although it’s not her debut song, Jessia released her first 2021 single, “I’m Not Pretty,” on the same day as “Drivers License,” on January 8. It might not be the No. 1 song in the country yet, but “I’m Not Pretty” has a groundswell of streaming support behind it, too, queuing it up to become the second big pop hit of the year.
With a little support from Spotify — who made her the face of their Pop Rising playlist and added her to the largest playlist Today’s Top Hits — and the force of over 500,000 TikTok followers, Jessia’s body positive anthem is well on its way to hit status. The song began on TikTok as a snippet, and then into a full song, a process that will surely become more common in the coming weeks and months as the social media platform is becoming a new incubator for musical talent.
Check out her excited TikTok celebrating the Spotify inclusion, and stream the song itself above.
