How Steve Lacy's 'Bad Habit' Went to #1 via TikTok

Audience: All Audiences | Read time: 9 min

In July 2022, Steve Lacy released his second studio album, Gemini Rights, on RCA Records. "Bad Habit," the album's second single, debuted at number 100 on the Billboard Hot 100. Three months later, it sat at number one, dethroning Harry Styles' "As It Was" after a 15-week reign. The song soundtracked over 710,000 TikTok videos, received three Grammy nominations (Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance), and became the first song to simultaneously top five of Billboard's genre charts.

This was not purely organic luck, and it was not purely manufactured strategy. It was a case study in what happens when a well-crafted song meets the right platform at the right time and the artist's team responds with speed and precision. The "Bad Habit" story contains actionable lessons for any artist or team trying to understand how catalog and new releases gain momentum through short-form platforms.

The timeline of "Bad Habit" reveals a pattern that has become the blueprint for TikTok-driven hits, but with nuances that most summaries miss.

Lacy began writing "Bad Habit" in June 2021, during a period he described as a creative turning point. The initial version sounded substantially different from the final release. Over the following year, Lacy reworked the track with contributions from singer Fousheé, who helped reshape the chorus melody and wrote parts of the verses (her vocals open the song), and Diana Gordon. Tyler, the Creator advised Lacy to cut a word from the chorus lyric, changing "I wish I knew you, I wish I knew you wanted me" to "I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me." That edit made the hook more memorable and more emotionally direct.

This detail matters. The song's viral success was not accidental. It was the product of deliberate creative refinement over 12 months, with input from trusted collaborators. The hook that TikTok users latched onto was engineered for memorability.

"Bad Habit" was released as a single on June 29, 2022, two weeks before the album. It debuted at number 100 on the Hot 100 in its first charting week. That is the lowest possible entry point. For most songs, debuting at number 100 means a quiet arrival and a quick exit.

But the song had structural characteristics that made it ideal for short-form content. The opening guitar riff is immediately recognizable within 2 to 3 seconds. The vocal delivery on "I wish I knew you wanted me" is emotionally universal (self-doubt about whether a crush reciprocates). The tempo is moderate enough for lip-sync, transition, and storytelling videos. The lyrics are open to interpretation, allowing users to attach their own meaning.

Starting in July 2022, TikTok users began creating content around the song. The usage was not limited to a single trend or challenge. "Bad Habit" became what the industry calls a "soundbed," a song used across hundreds of different content types: lip-sync videos, transition clips, "get ready with me" content, meme videos, and personal storytelling. Celebrities including Hailey Bieber and Charli D'Amelio used the song in their content, amplifying its reach.

Fan-made sped-up versions of the track also went viral, with one version alone used in over 430,000 TikTok videos. RCA Records responded by officially releasing a sped-up version. Lacy initially found the sped-up trend "gross" but agreed to the official release because it could help push the song to number one. This was a pragmatic decision by both artist and label: meet the audience where they are, even if it is not your preferred format.

By January 2023, the original and sped-up versions had collectively soundtracked over 1.1 million TikTok videos.

The chart trajectory followed a pattern now recognized as the TikTok-to-mainstream pipeline.

Weeks 1 to 4 (late June to late July): The song enters the Hot 100 at number 100. Streaming numbers are modest but growing. TikTok usage begins accelerating.

Weeks 5 to 8 (August): Shazam data spikes, indicating offline discovery. People hear the song in shared spaces (from someone else's TikTok playing nearby, in stores, at events) and Shazam it. Spotify saves follow within 48 hours of Shazam spikes. Algorithmic playlists (Discover Weekly, Release Radar) begin picking up the track based on save-to-stream ratios. The song enters the top 10 on August 15.

Weeks 9 to 12 (September): Editorial playlist curators add the track based on its algorithmic performance and streaming velocity. The song sits at number 2 for four consecutive weeks behind Harry Styles' "As It Was."

Weeks 13+ (October): Radio pickup accelerates, lagging the streaming surge by approximately 3 to 4 weeks. The combination of streaming growth, radio airplay, and continued TikTok usage pushes "Bad Habit" to number 1 on the Hot 100 (chart dated October 8, 2022). It subsequently reached number 1 on the Radio Songs and Pop Airplay charts, accumulating 607.8 million in radio audience, 353.6 million official streams, and 25,000 downloads in the US by mid-November 2022.

The organic TikTok momentum was real, but the team's response turned viral buzz into chart dominance. Several specific decisions made the difference.

RCA had Lacy create a TikTok account ahead of the Gemini Rights release cycle. Lacy admitted RCA "told me to get on that sh-t" and that he was initially reluctant before finding a comfortable approach. His TikTok videos accumulated over 3 million likes. This pre-existing presence meant that when "Bad Habit" went viral, there was an established artist profile on the platform for new listeners to follow and engage with.

When fan-made sped-up edits began outpacing the original in TikTok usage, RCA officially released a sped-up version rather than fighting the trend. This ensured the label and artist captured streaming revenue from the derivative versions instead of losing that activity to unofficial uploads. It also signaled to TikTok's algorithm that the artist was participating in the trend, which boosted distribution of content using the sound.

Once organic momentum was clearly established, the team layered in paid creator campaigns and playlist pitching. The timing matters: paid support amplified existing momentum rather than trying to create momentum from zero. This is significantly more cost-effective and credible than launching a paid campaign before any organic signal exists.

Lacy created his own TikTok content around the song and acknowledged the trend. This fed the algorithm (artist engagement signals boost sound distribution on TikTok) and maintained the feeling that the song's success was a shared cultural moment rather than a corporate push.

"Bad Habit" was the entry point, but the team used the momentum to drive listeners to the full Gemini Rights album, which debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200. The song served as a funnel: TikTok exposure led to "Bad Habit" streams, which led to artist profile visits, which led to album exploration.

The "Bad Habit" case study contains lessons that apply regardless of whether you are on a major label or fully independent. The principles scale.

TikTok virality favors moments, not full songs. "Bad Habit" succeeded because its hook is identifiable within 3 seconds and emotionally resonant in 15. When writing and producing, identify the 5 to 15 second segment of your song that could stand alone as a soundtrack for someone else's content. This does not mean writing songs for TikTok. It means recognizing which moments in your songs have standalone power and building around them.

The data pattern from "Bad Habit" reveals the signal sequence that indicates a song is catching organic momentum. Shazam activity spikes first, driven by offline discovery (hearing the song play from someone's phone, in a store, or in a public space). Spotify saves follow within 24 to 48 hours. Algorithmic playlist additions follow within 3 to 7 days. Editorial playlist additions follow within 1 to 2 weeks. Radio pickup lags by 3 to 4 weeks.

If you see a sudden spike in Shazam activity on any track (new or catalog), that is the earliest indicator of organic momentum. It precedes streaming spikes and playlist activity. Monitoring Shazam data is the closest thing to an early warning system for viral potential.

Lacy's team moved quickly once TikTok traction was established. They released an official sped-up version. They activated paid creator campaigns. They pushed for playlist inclusion. The window for amplifying organic momentum is narrow. Industry data suggests you have 7 to 14 days from the first clear signal of viral traction to meaningfully impact the trajectory. After that, the trend either sustains on its own or fades.

For independent artists without label resources, "responding fast" means having assets ready before you need them: pre-made creator kits, relationships with playlist curators, ad accounts set up and ready to activate, and a budget reserved for unexpected opportunities.

"Bad Habit" broke as a new release, but the principle applies equally to catalog. The Weeknd's "Die For You," originally released in 2016, resurged to number 1 in early 2023 after a college student's slowed-down remix went viral on TikTok. Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill," released in 1985, reached number 1 in the UK and number 4 in the US in 2022 after featuring in Stranger Things.

Every song in your catalog has the potential to resurface if the right cultural moment arrives. The artists and teams who benefit from these moments are the ones who monitor their catalog data and are prepared to act. A sudden spike in Shazam activity, short-form platform usage, or streaming saves on an older track is a signal worth investigating immediately.

When concert footage showed audiences only singing the chorus of "Bad Habit" and not the verses, it created a brief backlash narrative: that TikTok virality had made Lacy famous for a snippet rather than his artistry. Lacy's response was characteristically cool. He posted on Instagram celebrating his third week at number 1 with the caption "I'm still number 1. My heart goes out to y'all who can't do this."

The broader lesson is that an artist's public relationship with their own success shapes how that success is perceived. Engaging with viral moments authentically (without appearing desperate or dismissive) maintains credibility. Lacy participated in TikTok content around the song but did not reduce his identity to the trend. He maintained his artistic persona while letting the viral moment serve its commercial purpose.

"Bad Habit" fits a broader pattern of TikTok-to-mainstream success, but each case reveals different dynamics.

Lil Nas X, "Old Town Road" (2019): The song that established TikTok as a chart force. Lil Nas X actively created and seeded meme content around the song. The viral strategy was more deliberate from the start, with the artist treating TikTok as a primary marketing channel.

Olivia Rodrigo, "Drivers License" (2021): Driven by narrative intrigue (public speculation about the song's subject) as much as by the music itself. The viral element was the story, with TikTok serving as the distribution channel for that narrative.

Glass Animals, "Heat Waves" (2022): A slow burn that took nearly two years from release to number 1, driven by recurring TikTok trends. Multiple waves of TikTok activity kept reviving the song, demonstrating that a single track can have multiple viral lifecycles.

Steve Lacy, "Bad Habit" (2022): Distinguished by the breadth of TikTok usage. Unlike songs tied to one specific trend, "Bad Habit" became a universal soundbed. Its success was driven by the song's adaptability to any content type, not by a single viral moment.

The common thread across all of these is that the songs had structural qualities suited to short-form content (immediate hooks, emotional resonance, moderate tempo) and the teams responded effectively once organic traction appeared. None of these songs became number 1 through TikTok alone. Each required the full pipeline: TikTok exposure, Shazam discovery, streaming saves, algorithmic playlists, editorial playlists, and eventually radio.

Not directly. The TikTok usage was organic, driven by users who connected with the song's hook and emotional tone. However, the team was prepared. RCA had Lacy create a TikTok account before the album release. The song was crafted over 12 months with input from collaborators including Tyler, the Creator, who specifically advised on making the chorus more memorable. The team then amplified organic momentum with paid support and an official sped-up version. The success was a combination of deliberate song craft, platform preparation, and responsive amplification.

Approximately 14 weeks from its chart debut. "Bad Habit" debuted at number 100 on the Hot 100 in early July 2022 and reached number 1 on the chart dated October 8, 2022. It spent four weeks at number 2 before finally overtaking Harry Styles' "As It Was." The trajectory from number 100 to number 1 is one of only 12 instances in Hot 100 history where a song completed that full ascent.

The specific outcome (number 1 on the Hot 100) required major label resources for paid amplification, radio promotion, and playlist leverage. However, the underlying principles apply at any scale: craft songs with identifiable short-form moments, monitor Shazam and platform data for early momentum signals, prepare assets so you can respond quickly when traction appears, and engage authentically with any viral activity around your music. Independent artists can achieve proportional success (significant streaming growth, playlist placements, audience expansion) using the same playbook at a smaller scale.

Act immediately. A spike in Shazam activity, TikTok sound usage, or streaming saves on a catalog track is a time-sensitive signal. Within the first 48 to 72 hours: create and post content around the song on TikTok and Instagram Reels, pitch the track to playlist curators with data showing the momentum, prepare a small paid campaign budget to amplify organic activity, and update your artist profile to feature the track prominently. The window for effective amplification is typically 7 to 14 days.

Fan-made sped-up versions of "Bad Habit" were used in over 430,000 TikTok videos. Without an official sped-up release, that streaming activity was fragmented across unofficial uploads, and neither Lacy nor RCA captured the revenue. By releasing an official version, the label consolidated streaming under the artist's profile, captured royalties, and signaled to TikTok's algorithm that the artist was actively participating in the trend. For any artist experiencing derivative versions of their music going viral, releasing an official version of the popular derivative is a practical step to capture revenue and maintain momentum.

Identify your three songs with the strongest hooks and shortest "moment" potential: the 5 to 15 second segments that could soundtrack someone else's content. Create TikTok-native content around each one and monitor which gains traction organically before investing paid support. For your existing catalog, check your Shazam data and short-form platform activity for any unexpected spikes. If you find one, treat it as an urgent opportunity.