How Artemas Stole The Biggest Artist In The World's Fanbase

One of the coolest things about music today is that if you understand what makes you unique and target an audience for it, your song can reach those people and make you one of the top 100 artists in the world in just a few years while racking up over a billion streams in half a year.

While everyone seems to think an artist is born the second they hear of them on TikTok, the rise of Artemas and their hit song "I Like the Way You Kiss Me" is a study of learning the language of TikTok and what it can do to change your life.

Filling The Weeknd-Sized Hole

One of the most fascinating aspects of Artemas' success is how they've managed to tap into an unmet demand in the music market. To understand this, we need to look at the current state of play in pop music. The Weeknd, undoubtedly one of the biggest names in the industry, had been somewhat quiet when Artemas dropped ILTWYKM, which reached #1 on The Viral 50. Despite often being one of the most popular artists globally by consumption, The Weeknd hasn't been flooding the market with new material as he did earlier in his mixtape era when he built deep bonds with his fans through the mood-altering drug his audience became addicted to.

This relative silence created a gap - a hunger for that specific sound and vibe that The Weeknd is known for. Enter Artemas. Their music, particularly "I Like the Way You Kiss Me," carries strong Weeknd vibes. Think moody, sexy night drive feels…. Er, no actually, just think being horned up af for someone that you’d break speed limits to get pressed up against. It's not a carbon copy, but it's close enough to scratch that itch for listeners craving more of that sound.

This similarity has allowed Artemas to capitalize on the hunger for more Weeknd-like music that makes them feel the way his music does. But it's not just about luck - it's about recognizing an opportunity and seizing it. And what they did to seize it was post videos like this.

Interestingly, Artemas isn't afraid to lean into their similarities with The Weeknd. They even playfully trick people into thinking their music might be a new Weeknd song. This strategy could backfire for some artists, but for Artemas, it's worked to their advantage, helping them tap into The Weeknd's massive fan base.

The Long Road to "Overnight" Success

While Artemas' recent success might seem sudden to casual observers, a closer look reveals a journey of persistent effort and gradual growth. Their story begins back in 2020 with the release of "High 4 U," a track that did well and has continued to gain streams over the years.

From 2020 to 2022, Artemas maintained a steady output, releasing anywhere from six to eleven songs each year. Most of these tracks garnered between one and two million streams - respectable numbers but not chart-topping hits. In 2022, they even released a full-length album.

This consistent output demonstrates the importance of consistent, sustained promotion that keeps the audience engaged. Even when some songs didn't hit as hard as others, Artemas kept creating and releasing music. They were building a catalog, honing their craft, and gradually growing their audience.

The real turning point came in October 2023 with the release of "Cross My Heart." This track became their biggest hit, significantly outperforming their previous releases. But the true game-changer was their next release, "If You Think I’m Pretty," which eclipsed even the success of "Cross My Heart."

This breakthrough moment is where we see their growth line start to skyrocket. It's a perfect example of how sustained effort can suddenly pay off when you hit the right song at the right time. It's also a reminder that "overnight success" is often years in the making.

Smart Promotion Strategies

Once Artemas had their breakthrough, they didn't rest on their laurels. Instead, they employed some clever promotion strategies to capitalize on their momentum. One of their smart moves was releasing alternate versions of their successful tracks. For instance, they created a grunge rock version of "If You Think I’m Pretty" called "pretty grunge.wav." In addition to the slowed-down and sped-up versions, this allowed them to capitalize on the success of the original while offering something new and exciting to their growing fan base. They were capitalizing on the weird phenomenon of grunge and shoegaze music having an unexpected crossover in addition to a weird Venn diagram with overly horned-up social media posters.

They also understood the importance of striking while the iron is hot. Following the success of "Cross My Heart" and "IYTIP," they quickly released "I Like the Way You Kiss Me" in March. This track has become their biggest hit yet, amassing all of its impressive stream count in less than 6 months.

But Artemas didn't stop there. Within just three weeks of releasing "I Like the Way You Kiss Me," they had a remix out featuring Southstar, an artist known for successful remixes like Oliver Tree’s “Miss You” and “Burnt Version” (TBH the name is pretty descriptive) and a handful of other remixes. This strategy helps to sustain the single's promotional cycle, provides more content for marketing efforts, and gives the strong hook of the song the ability to be played in various other club environments as it has an amazing upbeat dance hook.

Subscribe to Premium Subscription to read the rest.