Are Hit Songs Getting Shorter Because of TikTok?

Hit songs are getting shorter as artists cater to the attention span of the TikTok generation, research has found.

The average length of tracks nominated for Song of the Year at the Brit Awards has fallen over the past 40 years to just three minutes and seven seconds.

When the category was launched in the 1980s, the average length of a nominated song was four and a half minutes.

Last year’s winner, “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles, was hugely popular on TikTok and lasts only two minutes and 53 seconds.

The research was carried out by Dr Joe Bennett, a professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and a team of researchers from Harvard University.

“Songs that are reduced in time are more favourable largely due to listener preferences, Spotify algorithms and the rise of social media platforms such as TikTok,” the team said in its analysis.

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Vocabulary

cater to – to provide exactly what someone wants or needs, “The hotel tries to cater to families by offering a free kids’ club.”

attention span – the length of time that a person can keep their mind focused on one thing, “Young children often have a short attention span and get bored quickly.”

nominated for – officially suggested as a choice for a prize, position, or honor, “She was nominated for the best actress award at the school play.”

hugely popular – liked or loved by a very large number of people, “The new video game became hugely popular all around the world.”

favourable – positive, liked by people, or giving a helpful advantage, “The new movie received very favourable reviews from the audience.”

algorithms – sets of mathematical rules used by computers to solve problems or make choices, “Social media apps use algorithms to show you videos you might like.”