The TikTok skills that separate big artists from you

How Lay Bankz went from 892 to 4.2 Million listeners in just 3 years

Author

Jesse Cannon
March 20, 2025

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Lay Bankz went from 892 to 4.2 million monthly listeners in just 3 years. Her sound blends rap and R&B with 2000s Timbaland-style production - think Nelly Furtado's "Loose" album vibes or Ginuwine's "Pony."

"In My Bag" started her climb, then "Ick" broke through, followed by "Tell Ur Girlfriend" which pushed her even higher. She smartly capitalized on this momentum by dropping her debut album "After 7" right as summer kicked off.

Yes, she's got major label backing now, but her rise shows patterns any independent artist can use. Let's break down what worked for her and how you can apply similar strategies to your own music.

Learn Your Niche

One pattern that stands out with Lay Bankz is similar to what we saw with Artemis - they both spent years on TikTok learning and observing what works. You can't just follow formulas. What makes TikTok effective is understanding the pace and feel of the platform, and knowing your culture and community.

This is why following your specific community is crucial. What works for artists like Lay Bankz or Sophie Powers is totally different from what works for an emo artist.

Consistent Releasing

The consistency of her dropping singles with the right timing is another big factor in her success. Looking at her release pattern, she's been putting out music every four to six weeks for quite a while - going back about two years.

The consistent sustained promotion approach of releasing a handful of songs per year makes a huge difference when it's quality work. Let's dig into what really makes this strategy effective.

Strategic Playlists

Lay Bankz uses two distinct playlist strategies:

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