The power of TikTok is unmatched. Lily Rose’s “Villain” went viral on the app, amassing millions of impressions before it was officially released. The country anthem arrive on iTunes this morning (December 15) and shot straight to number one — blocking Taylor Swift’s “willow (lonely witch version)” in the process. What’s the appeal? Well, the song is intensely relatable. “Yeah, I’ve heard things, go ’round and ’round running through this town,” she begins the song. “I heard ’em say I never loved you… but that’s half the truth.”
That takes us to the bittersweet chorus. “You can be the hero, I can take the fall,” Lily belts. “If that’s how your story goes, say it’s all my fault… I can be the villain.” With a response like this, it’s only a matter of time (perhaps hours) until a major snaps the newcomer up. “I feel fresh and so stoked to make music for this swiftly growing audience,” she wrote on Instagram. “I seriously cannot thank y’all enough for the support. I can’t thank this team enough for getting this song out in 11 days. Insane.” Listen below.