LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: Kesha performs onstage during the 2019 American Music Awards ... [+]
Kesha has been busy throughout the past several months, as she released a new album and pushed a handful of singles from the project. While the singer-songwriter has been working hard to get the public to listen to her latest collection of catchy pop gems, fans have gravitated toward one of her older tracks, and thanks to a surprisingly strong surge in interest, the tune has now become a proper hit in Canada.
This week, Kesha’s “Cannibal” lifts from No. 52 to No. 31 on the Canadian Hot 100, entering the top 40 for the first time. In doing so, the tune has officially become a hit in the country, and while the musician is no stranger to landing big wins on charts all around the world, this latest smash is surprising, given how long it’s been out and how it managed to finally earn its moment in the spotlight.
“Cannibal” was initially released in 2010 alongside an EP of the same name. The Cannibal project served as an extension of Kesha’s debut album Animal, which made her a household name thanks to hit singles like “Blow,” "Your Love Is My Drug,” “Take It Off” and “Tik Tok.” While that last title has always been special to the chart-topper, it now holds more meaning than ever before.
Kesha is not solely responsible for sending “Cannibal” into the top 40 and certifying it as a success in Canada. That honor lies with her fans, who have selected the decade-old tune as a favorite to soundtrack the video content they’ve been making on TikTok, the social platform that allows users to make short clips using some of their favorite singles.
Earlier this year, a teenager named Briana Hantsch uploaded a video of herself dancing to the fan-favorite Kesha cut, and it quickly took off and racked up tens of thousands of likes. Since then, countless lovers of the song, the singer herself, or simply those who want to participate in what everyone else is doing this moment have put their own spin on the choreography, and all that attention has helped push “Cannibal” back up the charts.
While TikTok plays don’t count toward the Billboard charts (either in the United States or Canada), once people hear a song many times on one app, they may be encouraged to find it on iTunes, or perhaps their favorite streaming platform, and all those sales and plays do help the track make an impact.
Quick to recognize an opportunity when one arises, Kesha recently released a new lyric video for “Cannibal” on her YouTube page, and views of that clip have also helped it perform well.
At the rate “Cannibal” is climbing, it could soon enter the top 20 on the Canadian Hot 100, and if the TikTok craze continues to pick up steam, it may find similar success in other countries, perhaps even in the United States someday soon.
