Watching Elizabeth Nichols’ Lollapalooza debut on the BMI stage Thursday, you could see her win over the crowd in real time.
A smattering of diehard fans filmed videos while passionately singing along to her viral song, “I Got a New One.” But much of the crowd – waiting to see rising pop singer Bella Kay – was treated for the first time to Nichols’ short, cheeky songs about boys, religion and small-town gossip.
And they were charmed.
“I thought it was great,” said Gabrielle Seminaro, 23, of Hawthorn Woods. “She had a cute little vibe.”
Annmarie Johnson and her 13-year-old daughter, Taylor, complimented Nichols’ humor and storytelling.
“She’s like a young Taylor Swift,” said Johnson, 47, of Idaho.
Nichols, 24, lives in Nashville; she’s one of several Lollapalooza performers who have generated buzz on TikTok. In the past few years, the platform has grown as a marketing tool for popular and unknown artists, and it shows no signs of losing steam. Whether it’s headliner Oliva Dean’s “Man I Need,” Bella Kay’s “iloveitiloveitiloveit,” Zara Larsson’s “Midnight Sun” or Illinois native Stella Lefty’s “Boston,” viral singles have captured the attention of this year’s festivalgoers.
But audiences are not content with hearing a trending tune. They want to know that artists, like Nichols, can deliver a solid body of work and a good show.
“Nobody cares about art anymore, they care about the fame,” said Jake Blevins, 23, of Norridge, who sang along as Nichols performed a second set Thursday in the Toyota Music Den. “[Nichols] is an exceptional case because she really cares about her music, and she does it well.”
Originally from Louisville, Ky., Nichols began posting songs on TikTok for fun, never expecting any to gain widespread attention. But in 2024, “I Got a New One,” a clever song about replacing problematic love interests, took off. Fans made their own videos featuring the track, and Kelly Clarkson even performed a rendition on her talk show.
Nichols, whose videos gain millions of views, said she owes her success to social media.
“It is so awesome that it is free, and anybody can do it,” said Nichols, who dropped out of law school last year to focus on music full time. “Music is the most accessible it’s ever been. I’m very blessed.”
By writing songs that are typically under three minutes, Nichols is following the popular trend of targeting young social media users with short attention spans. With just one EP, “Tough Love,” under her belt, Nichols is currently working on a full-length album. However, she consistently releases singles, including the forthcoming “Does Your Girlfriend Know We Kissed?,” her third this year. She debuted the track at Lollapalooza.
She also teases works in progress, including a clip from the viral “Might Go Maga” song that she posted in October. It is, ostensibly, about women betraying their morals to date Trump supporters, but Nichols wants listeners to draw their own conclusions.
“It’s so fun watching people react and understand – or not understand – what I’m trying to say,” she said. “I love a controversy.”
Following Lollapalooza, Nichols will embark on her first headlining tour, which stops at Carol’s Pub on Oct. 7. She said her confidence has grown tremendously since her first live show less than a year ago.
“I thought I was gonna die,” she said. “I sounded bad. I was terrified. I sound good now, though. Everyone buy tickets!”
Lollapalooza acknowledged the dominance of social media by partnering with Snapchat to present multiple activations on the festival grounds. Attendees were encouraged to take pictures and make keychains at the Snapchat Charm Bar and photo booth, or inside the Snapchat Deck at Perry’s Stage.
But many festivalgoers said it is TikTok, not Snapchat, that helps them discover new music, particularly singles.
When Nehyalauni Johnson, 29, of Florida, was asked why she was so excited to see Oliva Dean at Lollapalooza, she simply said, “Man I Need,” referring to Dean’s chart-topping single.
Johnson, who turned 29 on July 31, also made TikToks vying to get onstage with Dean in honor of her birthday.
“I was posting it everyday trying to get her attention,” she said. “I don’t know if it worked yet.”
For other attendees, Zara Larsson is a major draw this year. Both Tommy Goodwin, 24, of Morton Grove, and Kayla Sanders, 30, of Evanston, said they have learned Larsson’s TikTok dances.
“I definitely do them, but I don’t post them,” Goodwin said.
Though she has made music for years, Larsson has enjoyed newfound success, thanks to a few of her songs going viral on TikTok.
“As someone that’s been a fan of hers for like 10 years, it’s really been amazing to watch,” Sanders said.
Emily Wrobleski, 20, and Brooke McBennett, 19, of New York, said they were especially excited to see newcomer Sienna Spiro, who used TikTok to tease songs from her debut album before it was released in July.
“I feel like I wouldn’t know half of these [artists’] songs if it wasn’t for social media,” McBennett said. “I’ll discover one song on TikTok and then go down more of a rabbit hole like, ‘Oh, they have other good songs.’”
Contributing: Mendy Kong
