Bella Poarch is the latest TikTok star to try her hand at music… and so far, she’s been wildly successful.
On May 14th, the Filipino-American creator dropped her debut track ‘Build A Bitch,’ a song about the pressures women face under the patriarchy to look and act perfect. The accompanying music video takes place at a fictional factory where Bella and her friends are being assembled like dolls and eventually escape. The factory’s storefront reads ‘Match Made: Home of the Perfect Woman’ and the video opens with a queue of men out the door ready to design their perfect woman.
“‘Build a Bitch’ is about accepting yourself for who you are instead of listening to other people’s ideas of what you should do or how you should look,” Bella said in a press statement. “I hope it helps people to feel more confident and good about themselves, and also reminds them not to judge anyone else.”
A dark play on the popular children’s franchise Build-A-Bear, Bella’s first single is arguably the most successful musical debut from a TikTok star yet, debuting at #147 on the global Spotify charts and raking in nearly 40 million views on the music video since its premiere to date.
According to Chart Data, the ‘Build A Bitch’ music video also out-performed every single music video on all of YouTube (yes, the entire platform) on May 14th, bringing in over 10 million views in 24 hours.
Though it may seem unfounded, the immense success of ‘Build A Bitch’ is certainly no fluke.
After finding viral fame in mid-2020 for her quirky rendition of Millie B’s ‘M to the B’ — which became the most-liked video on TikTok within a matter of weeks— Bella solidified herself as a creator to watch. Known for her childlike facial expressions coupled with seamlessly timed lip-syncing (usually on superzoom), Bella quickly captivated millions, carving out a space for herself amongst TikTok’s top creators.
Unlike many of her peers, however, Bella’s story is not well-known. Despite her popularity, there is still an air of mystery around the star which adds to her appeal— including theories that her legal name is Taylor Nariee and questions around her real age. Famous Birthdays alleges Bella was born February 8th, 1997, but she has yet to confirm.
While lip-syncing and role-play videos remain Bella’s signature style, the influencer also shares content with substance. Speaking on her more challenging life experiences such as being adopted and serving in the U.S. Navy, Bella sets herself apart from other top creators whose success seemingly “happened” to them. (A notorious complaint about TikTok’s biggest stars is that they don’t “deserve” the hype because they didn’t earn it.) Bella’s unconventional background is humanising and thus audiences can relate to her journey, making Bella’s overnight success easier to digest than say, Charli D’Amelio’s.
Of course, Bella has also become known to flex her singing skills for TikTok— a factor that has surely contributed to the positive reception and legitimacy of her debut ‘Build A Bitch’.
After this unbelievable debut, we anticipate this is only just the start for Bella Poarch.