How YOUNG036 is Leveraging TikTok in His Music Career

Within the music industry, TikTok can make an artist explode at exponential rates. This is the case with the Fort Worth, Texas-based artist named YOUNG036. Young is currently a junior at Texas State, where he is running OHTHREESIX! Media and managing his music career. YOUNG began seeing traction when his song “Sorority! began to blow up on TikTok during Alabama’s rush week. The song was released in October 2018 but started to catch waves recently, all thanks to TikTok in 2020.

In an interview with the College Chicks Chapel Podcast, he stated that Indiana’s Gamma Phi sorority created a TikTok dance using his song “Sorority.” The TikTok eventually went viral, attributing to YOUNG’s emerging success. He continued to build leverage by releasing “Gphi-Anthem,” which he noted was a song to thank them for helping his music blow up. 

Additionally, YOUNG released the Zeta Anthem with “6 Zetas In This Benz!” The track reached over two hundred thousand plays on Spotify. This led to nearly four thousand videos created using this sound within TikTok. These TikToks were made following the release of Greek Week! and Greek Week! (Deluxe). These two projects are filled with catchy sorority and college anthems. Check out this TikTok below that blew up on the platform, receiving over one hundred thousand likes.

Another wave started around the same time Alabama’s rush week continued to gain traction across TikTok and even within the mainstream media. Alabama’s Zeta Tau Alpha sorority began to use his song “Where Them ZTAs At.” The song caused several of the sisters of the sorority to post them using this song. Furthermore, over two thousand videos were created using this sound. YOUNG even went to Alabama to join the sorority at a Loud Luxury event. The ZTA roll-call was another factor that helped YOUNG reach over sixteen thousand followers on TikTok. Tune in to this TikTok below of the ZTAs using this song, getting nearly four hundred thousand likes and millions of views.

We talked to YOUNG in an exclusive interview to talk about the success of his music, TikTok, and more. 

ONE37pm: How did it feel about going viral on TikTok and having that much support?

It was kind of surprising I never thought it would get this big, so when it did, I didn’t really know what to do; I had to restructure the way I made music to accommodate for what was happening.

ONE37pm: Which song was your favorite to make when creating the Greek Week! album?

“3 A.M. in College Station,” that beat is so different, and I love what I put on it. I constantly challenge myself when it comes to music.

ONE37pm: With the success you’ve seen on TikTok, how do you think emerging artists should approach TikTok?

There is such a dumb stigma from being a “TikTok rapper” that it turns away artists from using the platform, but this platform caused many artists to blow up and do things that probably would take years to otherwise. Like YoungChris, he is still in high school and was in the studio with Freddie Gibbs and Rick Ross because of Tiktok ONLY. So I say use it to the best of your ability and don’t care what other people think, because as an independent, you HAVE to use every tool to your advantage; you’re competing with multi-million-dollar labels. People hold themselves back in music because they think there is a sure way to come up. There’s not.

ONE37pm: What’s next for your career/music? Anything special that you’re working on?

We are working on this college experience where we get DJs and artists all together to invite the community and throw a massive party. I want to work with fraternities and find sponsors to go to the enormous party schools and throw huge shows. However, that’s a lot of logistics, and it will take some work,

I have a whole college album coming out. I had to delay it because of everything that’s going on right now. I am also working on making roll calls for sororities and fraternities.

This one trend that YOUNG successfully developed shows alone how powerful TikTok is as a platform. If you are an aspiring artist, be sure to keep posting TikToks consistently and keeping up with the latest trends. This is evident with YOUNG, as he is beginning to make a splash on Spotify and continue his success on TikTok. Be sure to keep an eye out for YOUNG, as we’re sure this isn’t the last time you’ll be hearing about him.