The legend of Dominic Fike goes something like this: In 2018, the emerging singer, 22 at the time, was at the center of an intense bidding war among record labels clamoring to sign him. Columbia Records came out on top in a deal reportedly worth around $4 million. The few songs Fike had uploaded online, mainly to SoundCloud, disappeared in time with the signing. He officially debuted two months later with Don’t Forget About Me, an EP full of demos.
Fike’s debut single, “3 Nights,” was popular — it opens with a breezy guitar melody and keeps the groove moving as he waits by the phone for someone who kind of maybe doesn’t want him, except for when she does. It’s his most successful release to date, boasting more than 1.2 billion streams on Spotify. It got some radio play for a while, too. But “3 Nights” wasn’t the track on the EP that landed Fike his first Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, or his all-time highest viral reach. That would be “Babydoll.”
Currently sitting at No. 33 on this week’s Hot 100, “Babydoll” is something of an alternate reality version of “3 Nights.” It has its own gritty rock production that wraps around the musician’s Floridian drawl. He’s still waiting by the phone, this time pleading, “Please don’t call me for the wrong reasons.” He still hasn’t quite learned how to move on. The primary difference between the records is their lengths. “Babydoll” clocks in at just over a minute and a half. It’s short, not-so-sweet, and carries some serious replay value.
According to Spotify, “Babydoll” has seen a 175 percent increase in streams since February, when it first debuted at number 97 on the Hot 100. It’s currently sitting at over 974 million streams on the platform. Long-time listeners might not be surprised to see the surge, given how much of a priority the song has always been for Fike and his fans. He rarely ever lets a show end without playing it — so much so that it’s been performed live more times than even “3 Nights.”
“Babydoll” is having the kind of viral moment that usually gets an artist signed in the first place. It’s rare to see that come eight years later. Fike reflected on the long stretch of time that had passed last week as he finally shared the official music video for the Don’t Forget About Me track.
“Eight years ago l made a tape in Florida in a room a friend let me live in while I was on house arrest,” he wrote on Instagram. “I didn’t think about making the songs everyday it was more like eating or something I’d do in between living. In front of me everyday was a black epiphone, my laptop and the window overlooking the parking lot to keep an eye out for my P.O. Life at this time was fairly tumultuous and I felt like a heavy burden on everyone I interacted with, especially women. I just hated being poor so much.”
He continued, “Looking back now that time ends up meaning the most. Before algorithms before other peoples words- even hearing from people I admire. Everything that comes after only makes it harder. So don’t think you’re missing something to chase what you want. It’s probably already there. Thankful for everyone on this journey. Everyone listening to old songs and new. This one has only gotten more special to me.”
“Babydoll” has sprinkled some of its viral fortune on “White Keys,” the single Fike shared in November 2025. The record has seen a 120 percent increase in streams on Spotify over the past month. Both are in the US Top 50, too. The musician’s overall audience has grown by 50 percent on the streaming app over the same period, with total streams up 70 percent. Over on TikTok, “Babydoll” has been used in more than 213,000 videos, while “White Keys” is the soundtrack for more than 150,000.
In the “Babydoll” music video, Fike goes through the car wash while playing the song on guitar in the driver’s seat. This version features an extended outro fit for the moment the record is having. “Sweet pea, apple of my eye, don’t know when and I don’t know why,” he sings acapella as he exits the wash. “You’re the only reason I keep on coming home. I can’t move on.”
