TikTok seemed to become a household name overnight, with millions of users rising to fame with the simple upload of a video. The app is the home to various challenges, trends, songs, dances, advice pages, and gamers who are looking to share their talents with the world.
With the slogan "Make Your Day," TikTok gained national attention after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States and caused a nationwide lockdown, creating an opportunity for users to become famous while stuck at home. Although there are a good handful of TikTok stars who are doing well for themselves, there are a select few who have truly changed the meaning of "celebrity" and have raked in the most followers the app has ever seen.
Michael Le: 46.0 Million
Known by his username justmaiko on the platform, Michael has become a TikTok sensation for his dancing videos that frequently feature his little brother, Jonathan "Mini Mike". He has collaborated with Jason Derulo on the app, performing many of the viral dances that have taken over in the past year.
Michael's first passion was dance and choreography, which shows in his many TikTok videos, and is a member of the choreographed TikTok dance group, Shluv Family.
Will Smith: 48.9 Million
The well-renown actor and hip-hop artist has taken his many talents to TikTok. His videos have become entertaining for many users, as they reflect his movie career and are created as mini-movies and episodes with a storyline and characters.
Will is still active on YouTube with his many collaborations and skits with his family. Outside of his TikTok fame, he is continuing to grow his acting career with work in upcoming films and occasionally features on songs for other artists in the hip-hop industry.
Dixie D'Amelio: 49.6 Million
Coming in as the 8th most followed user, Charli's older sister has gained TikTok fame for herself. Dixie has made a career outside of the app, specifically in the music industry with her hit songs "Be Happy" and "One Whole Day."
She and her sister have also created the podcast, "Charli and Dixie: 2 Chix," where they discuss hot topics and their lifestyles. Dixie has also been known for her relationship with fellow TikTok star and Sway House member, Noah Beck.
Loren Gray: 51.6 Million
The singer and social media personality took her talents from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles to continue to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. Some of her songs that she has released include "Kick You Out," "Queen," "Anti-Everything" with Lost Kings, "Options," and "Cake."
She has worked with major artists, such as The Chainsmokers and Jason Derulo, who have helped her gain her spot in the world of music influencers. As of December, Loren launched her jewelry brand, "&always," with includes the Starlet Mirror Edition and Otherworld Edition.
Tik Tok: 51.7 Million
The social media platform comes in as the 6th most followed user. The app has taken off as a short-form video source, including videos of singing, dancing, makeup, and educational topics.
Although it was launched in 2016, TikTok was released worldwide in 2018 after buying out the social media app, Musical.ly. It was named as one of the fastest-growing apps in 2020, following Zoom and Peacock. TikTok has grown the careers of many young users and has even reignited the status of many older celebrities and socialites.
Spencer Polanco Knight: 51.8 Million
Also known as Spencer X, the beatboxer and YouTube star made a name for himself with his fast-paced, smooth music clips on TikTok. He has been featured on many different news outlets as an influencer "to watch for" in the upcoming months, with a history of collaborating with artists, such as Sean Kingston and Alicia Keys.
Before his career in social media launched, Spencer was an active musician, which was then followed by a love for beatboxing. He was also featured on NBC's The Sing Off, as he participated in many acapella and hip-hop groups growing up.
Zach King: 57.6 Million
The "social media magician" took his Vine fame to the TikTok scene back in 2016 before the app became a major hit. In 2013, he was the winner of YouTube's NextUp Creators Contest, and in 2015, he was a competitor with his wife on The Amazing Race.
One of his most viewed TikTok videos is an optical illusion, which showed him riding a broomstick which was actually a mirror.
Bella Poarch: 58.6 Million
The 3rd most followed user is known for her lip-syncing TikToks, only gaining viral fame in August 2020 that is still the most liked video on the platform.
Bella has had a lot of controversies follow her, including her real age, her past in the United States Navy, and her legal name. However, her content continues to grow in numbers, where she uploads dance challenges, gaming videos, and singing TikToks.
Addison Rae: 77.8 Million
The 20-year-old TikTok star comes right behind Charli as the second-most followed user on the app. Born in Lousiana, Addison was a competitive dancer and was pursuing a degree in sports broadcasting at Louisiana State University before dropping out and moving to Los Angeles to pursue her social media career.
Addison is partnered with American Eagle as an ambassador and also launched her own cosmetics line, Item Beauty. She will also begin her acting career, starring in a remake of the 1999 teen movie She's All That.
Charli D'Amelio: 109.8 Million
The Norwalk, Connecticut native joined TikTok in late 2019 and took over as the most followed user shortly after in 2020. Originally a competitive dancer, she is known for her viral TikTok trend dances, most notably the "Renegade" dance.
Other than her TikTok career, Charli has jumped into other ventures, such as lending her voice to animated films, creating a personalized drink order at Dunkin, and is planning to star in a Hulu show with her family.