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.
"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.
"Tik Tok" is a 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).
Mia Khalifa is a Lebanese-American media personality and former pornographic film actress and webcam model. Born and raised in Lebanon, she and her family relocated to the United States in 2001. Her career in pornographic films lasted approximately three months beginning in October 2014, and she soon became the most-viewed performer on Pornhub. Her career choice was met with controversy after the release of a video in which she performed in a threesome while wearing a hijab; the scene brought Khalifa instant popularity as well as criticism from writers and religious figures. In 2015, Khalifa was voted the "Number 1 Porn Star" on Pornhub. In January 2017, xHamster reported that she was the most-searched-for adult actress of 2016. In 2018, she became the most-searched-for actress on Pornhub.
Bill Wurtz is an American musician, singer-songwriter, video producer, animator, and internet personality. He is known for his distinctive style of music, with deadpan delivery and singing, and his animated music videos, with surrealist, psychedelic graphics.
"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 N Keyz along with Hitmaka and Floyd "A1" Bentley. It heavily samples Zapp's 1986 single "Computer Love". The song experienced a resurgence in popularity in 2020 due to its usage on TikTok.
Gabrielle Jeannette Hanna is an American internet personality, singer-songwriter, author, actress and YouTuber. She rose to prominence on the video platforms Vine and YouTube before releasing her debut single, "Out Loud", in 2017. Her debut extended play, 2WayMirror, was released on May 31, 2019, and her second EP, Bad Karma, was released on May 15, 2020. Her debut album, Trauma Queen, was released on July 22, 2022.
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.
Loren Gray Beech is an American social media personality, singer, and songwriter. Gray rose to prominence in 2015 on the video sharing app, Musical.ly. In 2018, she released her debut single "My Story" under Virgin Records, whom she was signed to until February 2021, when she became an independent artist. Forbes reported she earned $2.4 million in 2019, making her the fourth highest-earning TikTok star. In 2020, Billboard ranked her among TikTok's top 10 music influencers with over 50 million followers.
"Mia Khalifa" (originally titled "Mia Khalifa (Diss)", also known as "Hit or Miss", and sometimes stylized as "MiA KHALiFA") is a song by American hip hop group iLoveFriday (stylized as iLOVEFRiDAY). The duo of Atlanta-based rappers Aqsa Malik (also known as Smoke Hijabi) and Xeno Carr self-released the song on February 12, 2018, which was later re-released by Records Co and Columbia Records on December 14, 2018. It was included on their second EP, Mood (2019). The song was produced by Carr. The song is a diss track targeting Mia Khalifa, a Lebanese-American Internet celebrity and former pornographic actress. The decision to write a song dissing Khalifa arose over a misunderstanding. A faked screenshot, intended as a joke, seemed to show Khalifa, who once appeared in a pornographic film wearing a hijab, criticizing Malik for smoking while wearing a hijab in a music video. iLoveFriday thought the screenshot was legitimate.
Catie Virginia Turner is an American pop singer. She rose to prominence as a contestant on sixteenth season of American Idol, placing in the top seven. In September 2019, Turner further gained notoriety after her song "Prom Queen" was used in the trailer for Shane Dawson's web series The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star, which gained over 11 million views in just one week. She has released four EPs: The Sad Vegan as an independent artist, followed by Heartbroken and Milking It, Comedy & Tragedy: Act I, and Comedy & Tragedy: Act II with Atlantic Records.
Charli Grace D'Amelio is an American social media personality and dancer. She was a competitive dancer for over a decade before starting her social media career in 2019, when she began posting dance videos on the video-sharing platform TikTok. She quickly amassed a large following and subsequently became the most-followed creator on the platform in March 2020 until she was surpassed by Khaby Lame in June 2022. With over 155 million followers, she is the second most-followed person on TikTok, as of 2024.
Addison Rae Easterling is an American social media personality, singer, actress, and dancer. Rae rose to fame on TikTok and amassed over 88 million followers, making her the fifth most-followed individual on the platform. She later transitioned into different ventures like music and acting by starring in major film studio productions, collaborating with significant music producers, and having her own makeup brand.
Dixie Jane D'Amelio is an American social media personality and singer known for her videos on TikTok. She is the elder sister of Charli D'Amelio. As of November 2022, she has over 57.5 million followers and 3.3 billion likes on TikTok, 24.2 million followers on Instagram, and 7.04 million subscribers and 619.12 million views on YouTube, where she also hosts a talk show called The Early Late Night Show.
Cole Chase Hudson, known professionally as Huddy, is an American singer, actor, and social media personality, known for co-founding the TikTok collective the Hype House, and popularizing the e-boy fashion style and subculture. A 2020 article in Billboard Magazine rated him as one of the top 10 music influencers on TikTok that year, with over 30 million followers, and one of the most influential people on the platform.
Denarie Bautista Taylor (born Belinda Marie Macadengdeng Batumbakal; February 8, 1997), 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.
"Time Moves Slow" is a song by Canadian instrumental group BADBADNOTGOOD and American singer Samuel T. Herring, from the former's album IV. The track was released on May 17, 2016, as the second single from the album to critical and commercial acclaim.
"Fancy Like" is a song recorded by American country music singer Walker Hayes. It was released on August 2, 2021, from his fifth EP Country Stuff via Monument Records Nashville. Hayes co-wrote the song with Cameron Bartolini, Josh Jenkins, and Shane Stevens, and co-produced it with Joe Thibodeau and Shane McAnally. A remix featuring guest vocals from American singer-songwriter Kesha was released on September 10, 2021.
YouTube Shorts is the short-form section of the American online video-sharing platform YouTube. Shorts focuses on vertical videos that are less than 180 seconds of duration and various features for user interaction. As of May 2024, Shorts have collectively earned over 5 trillion views since the platform was made available to the general public on July 13, 2021, including views that pre-date the YouTube Shorts feature. Creators earn money based on the amount of views they receive, or through ad revenue. The increased popularity of YouTube Shorts has led to concerns about addiction for teenagers.
"Bad for Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, featuring guest vocals from Teddy Swims. Trainor, Stephen Wrabel, Ajay Bhattacharyya, and Federico Vindver wrote it, and Vindver handled the production. The song was released on June 24, 2022, as the lead single from her fifth major-label studio album, Takin' It Back (2022). A pop song with gospel influences, it has lyrics about a toxic relationship with a family member and distancing oneself from them.
