Hawk Tuah Girl is podcasting's newest star
Turns out that she might just make a career out of going viral
Haliey Welch, the internet sensation who became known as Hawk Tuah Girl, didn’t seek out fame, but an unfiltered moment on a night out in Nashville ensured that millions now know who she is.
It also means that a lot of people have views on what she does next, and whether she deserves any success that comes her way following her off-the-cuff joke.
A quick glance online will tell you that a sizeable group view the 21-year-old as little more than fodder for derision and memes. Two have caught traction in the last ten days alone. But if you look past the eye rolls and pearl clutching in the comments, Welch appears to be thriving and looks well on her way to building herself a career.
After her explosion online Welch signed a management deal, was invited on stage by country star Zach Bryan, possibly got paid $30k to appear at a party, made lots of people mad by throwing the first pitch at a New York Mets game and was a guest on a slew of podcasts. She then got signed by Jake Paul’s sports betting company to create her own. The weekly show, called Talk Tuah with Haliey Welch, launched nearly three weeks ago and in a twist that few saw coming, she may have a hit on her hands.
After three episodes her show peaked at position three on Spotify’s USA Top Podcasts chart this week.
And on the Apple Podcasts Top Shows chart she was just outside the top 100 on Wednesday.
The metrics that drive these charts are a black box. Their source has never been made public, but it’s widely understood that they indicate what’s popular or trending on the platform. While it’s safe to conclude that Welch doesn’t necessarily have the most listened to show it’s fair to say she does have one that’s got traction.
Over on YouTube, where Welch posts a video version of Talk Tuah, we get a clearer indication of the size of her audience, and it’s really rather impressive. Her first episode has over 1.5 million views, which, for comparison, is the same as an episode Joe Rogan, the world’s most popular podcaster, posted around the same time.
Last year a study found that 28 per cent of weekly podcast consumers in the U.S. used YouTube to tune into shows, while 15 per cent used Spotify and 12 per cent favoured Apple. This is an insanely flawed way to guesstimate Talk Tuah’s audience, but if we assume that its YouTube views are 28 per cent of the total then episode one may have been listened to more than five million times across all platforms. Given that the Podcast Marketing Trends 2023 report showed that the median show gets just 421 downloads then she’s off to a great start.
I think Talk Tuah’s initial success likely tells us more about what works on podcasts than it does viral fame, so I spoke to a podcasting expert to understand why Welch has made such a splash.
Relatability is key
“A listener has to feel that they can be friends with the host and they need to be able to talk about things in an interesting and relatable way,” according to an executive who heads up podcasts for a major media brand.
Welch scores high on all three. On Talk Tuah she’s unvarnished, authentic and humble. She swears, talks about being getting wasted on Fireball, smoking weed and her struggles with physical affection. Her southern accent and dialect are instantly disarming, as are her girl-next-door asides that her favourite clothes are from Shein and her wine of choice is the grocery store classic Barefoot.
B-listers outperform… and big names often flop
The podcasting landscape is littered with super famous dead bodies. Meghan and Harry, Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen and Amy Schumer all famously couldn’t cut it in the world of audio. In contrast there’s a cornucopia of ex-reality TV show stars and minor celebrities who crush it. Nick Viall, Dax Shepard, Steven Bartlett, Angie Sullivan and Jennifer Welch all helm super-successful shows.
“Podcasts are an intimate form of media and the accessibility of hosts is really important,” says the industry executive. “A successful podcaster rarely has any barriers between them and the listener. I think that’s why the b-listers work so well. They aren’t intimidating to guests. But they have that special something that listeners find compelling.
“Maybe we shouldn't be surprised that podcasting has turned out to be a good fit for Welch. She has something to say, a story to tell, and if a good producer can figure out the right format then it’s likely going to be good content.”
Chemistry is everything
The producers behind Talk Tuah clearly understand that getting the alchemy of the show right is crucial. To do that they’ve invited Welch’s friends and family to join the recordings, as well as pairing her up with female podcasters who she gelled with after appearing on their shows.
Welch’s first guest was Good For You host and comedian Whitney Cummings and her second was The Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe who hosts Off the Vine. In both episodes Welch’s guests act like big sister hosts. They ask her questions, teach her about the phases of the menstrual cycle, give her relationship advice and declare their pride at how she’s handling her overnight success.
The expert said: “It’s common for listeners to come for the friendship between podcasters and then stay for the chat. It’s likely that Talk Tuah’s producers are using these guest interviews as tests for a future co-host. Marrying Welch with a more experienced partner would be a smart move if they want the show to have longevity.”
Listeners love a light listen
“The podcast audience usually have their hands and eyes busy so it’s always worth remembering that it’s one of the most passive media experiences out there,” says the executive.
That audience need works well for Talk Tuah in its current unpolished form. The conversation is meandering, participants talk over each other, go off on tangents and there’s no format to speak of. After three episodes though a compelling theme is emerging that’s broadly about being a young woman who’s learning about the world in real time. Laid on top of that is the speed with which Welch has had to get to grips with fame and all that comes with it. In one episode Welch shares that she’d never flown on a plane until her Hawk Tuah moment and didn’t realise that she wasn’t allowed to take a box cutter through security.
Listening to her chat with friends and guests about the madness of her experience is low stakes but the dynamic amongst the group is enough to retain attention. Maybe that will end up being Talk Tuah’s no-so-secret sauce.
Back in July I said that Welch’s viral moment felt different to those that had gone before because of the enormous response it sparked. I thought that she’d be able to make something out of it arguing: “Welch’s similarity to a group of already successful creators and how well she fits within the contours of the bro internet universe makes it easy for me to believe that she’s been blessed by the internet gods.”
Even in my confidence I don’t think I would have predicted a top three podcast but here we are. Now I’m wondering what she can achieve in the next six months. I’ll be sure to keep you updated.
This week I’ve been…
OBSESSED WITH:
The wholesome She Deserved the Purse trend
The less wholesome Nike Elite Zipper trend
This knock out dress from Cult Gaia. It costs $998 and I don’t have any reason to buy it and yet I still think of it daily.
READING:
When a book becomes a signifier of how influential you are from Esquire
Who Is the ‘Skinny Influencer’ Who Was Barred From TikTok? That’ll be Liv Schmidt, and The New York Times cover her controversial content.
Shit You Should Care About’s well articulated take on the selective quoting of Chappell Roan
Internet grifter Caroline Calloway Is Cleaning Up Her Messes in this Nylon profile
Culture Study going deep on the option-less Mormon wives
WATCHING: Chimp Crazy on Max. The four-parter is from the same team who produced the lockdown smash hit Tiger King. Tonia Haddix is the Joe Exotic of the screwed-up situation and on top of her bizarre behaviour we’re treated to an unforgettable look at her lash extension application…
The series is not available in the U.K. yet, but it’s certainly worth waiting for.
WONDERING: Why the media rarely cover the good news, like crime dropping, with any fervour?
LISTENING TO: Robyn’s return by way of the banging track Life on Jamie xx’s new album In Waves
highly flammable is produced and written by Rachel Richardson
She’s a content creator, commentator and consultant at Beginning, Middle and End
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Email rr@bmend.com