What a small, independent artist tells us about social media and relatability regarding promoting music and songwriting.
Eraste is a 21-year-old independent artist based in Texas. With only just a little over 1,200 monthly listeners on Spotify and 6.5k followers on Tik Tok, she is definitely an up-and-coming pop artist in the industry. However, she uses this following to her advantage by posting content on her Tik Tok that is relatable to her age group and interests, rather than just constantly promoting her music on the platform. She mainly posts content revolving around her favorite musical artists like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Lorde, and Halsey. This shows her diverse interests in music as well from iconic pop, 2014 grunge, and country music. This also allows her to connect with viewers who are fans of the same artist and direct them to her music as well.
Despite the negative views that the public might have about the “TikTokification of music”, small artists like Eraste use the app to their advantage. She explains that social media has allowed her to promote her music, be authentic, and find people similar to her to build relationships and connections with. She explicitly states, “I have created so many friendships and relationships (even found one of my favorite producers through TikTok).” However, she explains a difficulty she and other artists have with the pressure to “go viral.” However, she states that removing the pressure has allowed her to be her true self and truly have fun with social media instead.
Another thing smaller artists want to achieve is relatability with their music and other content, as that gets people to follow them and listen to and promote their music. Even from a young age, humans chose to listen to certain music from certain artists because it is relatable to their feelings and what they are going through at the moment. This relatability is not a stranger to Eraste and is a driving force in her songwriting. When explaining what she wanted the message to be in her music, she states, “I think the main feeling I want people to receive when they listen to my music is that they aren’t alone in their pain. Everything I write is so personal to my own experiences, and I feel like vulnerability is the way I’ve connected with most people.”
Overall, Esrate’s piercing and unique vocals mixed with her emotional and relatable lyrics give her music a unique alternative pop sound and connect with the listeners on feelings regarding loneliness, grief, and relationships. This is seen in her recent release “habits” which she wrote with one of her favorite producers as well. She tells us she is looking forward to writing more songs and exploring new ideas with the goal to release more music within the upcoming year.
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