In the entertainment industry, sleeper hit refers to a film, television series, music release, video game, or other entertainment product that was unpromising on release but 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.
"Jump in the Line " is a calypso song composed by Lord Kitchener and best known from a version recorded by vocalist Harry Belafonte in 1961.
"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 single from her debut studio album, Animal (2010).
"Ameno" is a song by French new-age musical project Era. It was released in June 1996 as a single from their self-titled debut album Era and became a chart success in France, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland and Latin America.
"Title" is a song by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor from her 2014 debut extended play of the same name. Kevin Kadish produced the track and wrote it with Trainor. Epic Records considered it for release as Trainor's second single but eventually decided on "Lips Are Movin" (2014). The song is in a doo-wop style with Caribbean influences. Lyrically, Trainor demands that her partner define their relationship more clearly and call her his girlfriend.
A nightcore (also known as sped-up song, sped-up version, sped-up remix, or, simply, sped-up) edit is a version of a music track that increases the pitch and speeds up its source material by approximately 35%. This gives an effect almost identical to playing a 33⅓-RPM vinyl record at 45 RPM. This 35% increase in RPM causes the note C4 to become slightly lower in pitch than the note F#4 (261.63 Hz becomes 353.19 Hz) which is an increase of approximately 5 and a half semitones. Playing 33⅓-RPM Vinyl Trance records at 45RPM was common in the Happy Hardcore scene of the 90s and 2000s, which most likely inspired the genre.
"Something New" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa, featuring American singer and Taylor Gang label mate Ty Dolla Sign for his sixth studio album Rolling Papers 2 (2018). It was released for digital download on August 11, 2017 by Atlantic Records as the album's lead single. It was produced by Ayo & Keyz and Hitmaka. It heavily samples Zapp's 1986 single "Computer Love". The song experienced a resurgence in popularity in 2020 due to its usage on TikTok.
"Space Song" is a song by American dream pop duo Beach House, released in 2015 as a promotional single from their fifth studio album, Depression Cherry. In 2022, the song was certified gold in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Tamia Monique Carter, known professionally as Flo Milli, is an American rapper. She rose to prominence after her 2018 single "Beef FloMix" and its 2019 follow up, "In the Party" both reached virality on TikTok; the latter received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In late 2019, she signed a recording contract with Justin Goldman's '94 Sounds, an imprint of RCA Records.
Lilliane Catherine Diomi, known professionally as ppcocaine, is an American social media personality and rapper. She is perhaps best known for her song "3 Musketeers" that gained popularity on the video-sharing platform TikTok.
Denarie Bautista Taylor, known professionally as Bella Poarch, is an American social media personality and singer. On August 17, 2020, she created the most liked video on TikTok, in which she lip syncs to the song "M to the B" by British rapper Millie B. She is the most followed TikTok contributor from the Philippines. In May 2021, she released her debut single "Build a Bitch".
"You Got It" is a song by American singer Vedo, released on March 5, 2020 as the third single from his sixth studio album For You (2020). Produced by Paul Cabbin and Tariq Beats, it gained traction on the video-sharing app TikTok.
Penelope Scott is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and producer. She has produced all of her own music. After releasing the compilation albums Junkyard (2020) and The Junkyard 2 (2020), Scott released her debut album, Public Void, in August 2020. Her song "Rät" peaked at no. 29 on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart. Scott released the EP Hazards in 2021 and the EPs Girl's Night and Mysteries for Rats in November 2023.
"Soon May the Wellerman Come", also known as "Wellerman" or "The Wellerman", is a folk song in ballad style first published in New Zealand in the 1970s. The song refers to the "wellermen", pointing to supply ships owned by the Weller brothers, who were amongst the earliest European settlers of Otago.
Nathan Evans is a Scottish songwriter from Airdrie, Scotland. Evans first gained fame in 2020 by posting videos of himself singing sea shanties on social media service TikTok. In 2021, he released a cover of the folk song "Wellerman", which peaked at the top of the UK Singles Chart and also charted in several other countries.
Salem Ilese Davern is an American singer-songwriter best known for her viral singles "Mad at Disney" and "PS5". She has also co-written songs for artists such as Bella Poarch and Demi Lovato.
Blu DeTiger is an American singer and bass guitarist based in New York City. She has released one EP, How Did We Get Here? (2021) and one studio album, All I Ever Want Is Everything (2024).
"Thinking with My Dick" is a song by American rapper Kevin Gates from his tenth mixtape Stranger than Fiction (2013). It features American rapper Juicy J and was produced by Arthur McArthur. In March 2022, the song gained newfound popularity due to widespread use on the video-sharing app TikTok.
"Step 1" is a song by American rappers SleazyWorld Go and Offset. It was released on June 17, 2022 and was produced by Rage Santana. The song gained attention on the video-sharing app TikTok.
"If I Were a Fish" is a song by American singer-songwriters Corook and Olivia Barton, released on April 21, 2023. Prior to its release, the song became a viral hit on TikTok via a video of the artists performing the song on acoustic guitar, which reached over 16 million views by May 2023. Upon its official release by Atlantic Records, the song debuted on several Billboard charts, including Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Digital Song Sales, and received airplay on BBC Radio 1.
