In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit refers to a film, television series, music release, video game, or other entertainment product that was unpromising on release but eventually became a surprise success. A sleeper hit may have little promotion or lack a successful launch but gradually develops a fandom following media attention, which in turn increases its public exposure and public interest in the product. As Variety puts it, "A 'sleeper hit' can be defined as the kind of show that catches us by surprise—programs whose popularity grows over time and can ultimately outshine the preordained hits." A sleeper hit often lacks star performers or high production values, but prevails, at times against its own makers' expectations, on the strength of such qualities as narrative, approach, or novelty, as well as market accidents. Sleeper hit films benefit theater owners because the owners keep a larger percentage of money from ticket sales.
Panic! at the Disco is an American pop rock formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2004 by childhood friends Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, Brent Wilson, and Brendon Urie. Following several lineup changes, Panic! at the Disco operated as the solo project of frontman Urie from 2015 until its discontinuation in 2023.
"Dreams" is a song by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, written and sung by Stevie Nicks for the band's eleventh studio album, Rumours (1977). In the United States, "Dreams" was released as the second single from Rumours in March 1977, while in the United Kingdom, the song was released as the third single in June 1977. A stage performance of "Dreams" was used as the promotional music video.
Brendon Boyd Urie is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is best known as the former lead vocalist and frontman of Panic! at the Disco, the only constant member throughout the band's 19-year run.
"Dr. Beat" is the first international single released by the American band Miami Sound Machine, led by Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan, on their first English language, but eighth overall, studio album, Eyes of Innocence (1984). The song was written by the band's drummer Enrique "Kiki" Garcia and was released worldwide in 1984, becoming a hit in several Europe countries and propelled the album to success.
"Heaven or Las Vegas" is a song by Scottish band Cocteau Twins. It was released by Capitol Records in October 1990 as the second single from the Heaven or Las Vegas album. The song has been described as dream pop.
"Tik Tok" is the debut single by American singer Kesha, who co-wrote the song with its producers Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco. It was released on August 7, 2009, as the lead and debut single from her debut studio album, Animal (2010).
Surf Curse is an American indie surf rock band formed in 2012 in Reno, Nevada, and now based in Los Angeles. The band was formed by Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck (guitars), and now also includes Henry Dillon and Noah Kholl. The band achieved mainstream success after their song "Freaks", written in 2011 and released in 2013, became popular on the short-form video platform TikTok in 2020. In 2024, their 2019 song "Disco" would also go viral on TikTok, topping the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart in September 2024.
María Luisa "Malú" Trevejo is a Cuban-American social media personality and singer. She became famous for her videos on the video sharing app Musical.ly. She is also an Instagram personality with more than 10 million followers. On September 22, 2017, she released her debut single, "Luna Llena" with In-Tu Linea and Universal Music Latin. It has acquired over 130 million views on her YouTube channel as of August 2023. Shortly after she released another single "En Mi Mente" which has surpassed 10 million views.
Nicholas Foster Rattigan is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, journalist and music video director, originating from Reno, Nevada. He currently releases music under the moniker Current Joys. He also is the drummer and lead singer of the indie surf rock band Surf Curse.
"Say So" is a song by American rapper and singer Doja Cat from her second studio album, Hot Pink (2019). The song was written by Doja Cat with her manager Lydia Asrat, Jamie Parker, and Dr. Luke, who handled production for the song under the pseudonym Tyson Trax. Originally an album track, the song was serviced by Kemosabe and RCA Records in January 2020 as the record's fifth single after it gained traction on TikTok, where a dance set to the song went viral. A pop song, it features elements of 1970s funk, disco, and pop rap. Directed by Hannah Lux Davis, the music video earned praise for its matching retro 1970s aesthetic. In both the video and the song's lyrics, Doja Cat explores flirting and invites a stranger with whom she feels a connection to come over and talk to her.
"Like That" is a song by American rapper and singer Doja Cat featuring fellow American rapper Gucci Mane. It was written by both artists along with Theron Thomas, Lydia Asrat, David Sprecher, and producers Dr. Luke and Mike Crook. Originally included as a track on Doja Cat's second studio album Hot Pink (2019), it became a single on May 12, 2020, following a viral dance challenge using the song on the app TikTok.
Addison Rae Easterling is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Rae rose to fame on TikTok and amassed over 88 million followers, making her the fifth most-followed individual on the platform. She then found success in her music and acting career by starring in major film studio productions and collaborating with significant music producers.
Powell Aguirre, known by the stage name Surf Mesa, is an American electronic musician from Seattle. He gained fame for the single "ILY " (2019), a song which sampled a cover of Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (1967) and gained popularity on TikTok.
Surfaces is an American music group based in College Station, Texas. Their music is a blend of surf music, jazz, soul, pop rock, hip hop, reggae, and calypso. They have released six studio albums. Their first independent studio album, Surf, was released in 2017.
Heaven Surrounds You is the third studio album by American indie surf rock band Surf Curse. It was released on September 13, 2019.
"Freaks" is a song by American surf rock band Surf Curse. It was originally released in 2013, from the band's first studio album Buds. The song was re-released as a single on May 15, 2021, via Atlantic Records. The song later went viral in summer 2021, seeing mass use on social media platforms like Tiktok.
Victoria Beverley Walker, known professionally as PinkPantheress, is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her songs, which are frequently short in length and include samples of music from the 1990s and 2000s, span a number of genres, including alt-pop, bedroom pop, drum and bass, and 2-step garage. She has been nominated for three Brit Awards and was named Producer of the Year by Billboard Women in Music in 2024.
Magic Hour is the fourth studio album and major-label debut by American band Surf Curse and their first album with Atlantic Records. Produced by Chris Coady, it was released on October 7, 2022. The album received generally favorable reviews.
Nothing Yet is the second studio album by American indie surf rock band Surf Curse, first released on January 13, 2017, by Danger Collective.
