Song Sequels, TikTok and the Hottest 100

Two things moved my songs from a home studio to a much bigger crowd: a radio segment on triple j and a lot of short videos on TikTok. Here's how they fit together.

How did Song Sequels work?

Song Sequels started on triple j in November 2020. Each one picks up a famous song where it ends and asks what happens next. I write and produce them for triple j Drive, often within 24 hours, and they've continued hits from Hilltop Hoods, Tame Impala, Amy Shark and Billie Eilish, among others.

Where did TikTok come in?

My first video to go viral was a Hall & Oates remix. After that came the comedy songs: short, sharp and filmed direct to camera. By early 2022 they'd collected nearly 15 million likes on TikTok.

What happened in the Hottest 100?

My first release, Artificial Intelligence, came out independently on 6 August 2021, a week after my debut single "Mixed Messages" on 30 July. It reached No. 40 on the ARIA Albums Chart.

Then came triple j's Hottest 100 of 2021, announced in January 2022. Two of those songs made it, my first entries ever:

• "H.Y.C.Y.BH" at No. 11
• "Mixed Messages" at No. 17

Any nominations?

In 2021 I was nominated for the Craft Award for Writing at the 11th Streamy Awards, and shortlisted for the AACTA Award for Favourite Digital Content Creator.

Where does the merch fit?

The designs in the shop keep the same energy as the videos: loud colours, game-screen jokes and a cosmic dance hall. Start with LEVEL CLEAR YOU WIN! in red-to-yellow pixel letters, or the Interplanetary Ballroom with its atom logo. Browse every design.