TikTok partnered with singer Tate McRae to launch an integrated album release experience for “So Close To What,” combining a global live stream performance with direct merchandise sales through TikTok Shop. 

The Los Angeles event, produced in collaboration with Done+Dusted, streamed on February 20, offering viewers access to exclusive vinyl, CDs, and picture discs during the broadcast.

The platform introduced a dedicated in-app destination for the #SoCloseToWhat release, featuring pre-release album track previews and interactive elements. 

Users could participate in challenges to earn profile customizations and submit content for potential feature placement in the official Fan Spotlight section, which TikTok introduced last year to allow artists to showcase their favorite fan videos on their music tab.

Artist Leverages Platform for Pre-Release Marketing

According to TikTok’s announcement, McRae’s presence on the platform, reaching 11.4 million followers, generated significant pre-release momentum. 

Her recent single “Sports Car” has sparked 1.2 million user-generated videos since its release, achieving the #6 position on TikTok’s Viral 50 and #16 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50. Previous singles demonstrate similar platform engagement, with promotional content for “2 hands” and “It’s ok I’m ok” accumulating 18.6 million and 16.7 million views, respectively.

The integrated release strategy demonstrated TikTok’s transition from a simple social video sharing into an entertainment and commerce platform.

A new study commissioned by TikTok in partnership with Luminate reveals quantifiable connections between TikTok engagement and music industry performance metrics – 84% of songs entering the Billboard Global 200 in 2024 achieved viral status on TikTok before charting, with an additional 12% going viral simultaneously with or after charting.

Artists whose TikTok engagement strongly correlates with their streaming volumes experience an average of 11% weekly streaming growth, compared to 3% growth for artists with a lower TikTok correlation.