Robby Klein
There is an irony to the success story of Avenue Beat, the Nashville-based trio of Savana Santos, Sam Backoff, and Sami Bearden.
They wrote a song about how terrible the year was going, and it went viral, became a huge hit, and made that very year the best of their professional lives to date. Dripping with the same downtrodden attitude we’ve all been feeling this year, a clip of their single “F2020” made its TikTok debut on June 27. By the next morning it had over four million views.
Since then it has amassed over 32 million global streams and 16 million TikTok views, and it has risen to the Top 25 on Top 40 radio. In other words, it was the dawn of a musical revolution. The group quickly recorded the rest of the song (it was an unfinished work when it first hit the site) and now it’s become the anthem for a year that never deserved one. (Will Smith even used the track in an Instagram post!) From relatable personal loss (Sami’s cat really did die) to worldwide woes, every line of the songs strikes a chord with listeners, with a chorus that drives home every awful minute of the past year.
“Lowkey F2020 / I don't know about everybody else / But I think that I am kinda done / Can we just get to 2021?”
Robby Klein
Nashville Lifestyles: What accomplishment are you most proud of this year?
Santos: Definitely “F2020” and being able to have a hand in the production, songwriting, performing, cover art, and lyric video. It feels really crazy and rewarding to have people hear and see something that just came out of your brain into real life.
Backoff: It’s the first thing we’ve put out that feels 100 percent authentic and fully Avenue Beat. It’s hard to block out the noise and just do what you want to do. So, I’m proud of us for trusting ourselves and being confident in our own abilities.
NL: What local organizations inspire you?
Backoff: My best friend/honorary big sister/light of my life Parker Mckay helped start Nashville Action Committee for people to do all kinds of good things to help the community and shed light on the issues that need it. I’m so thankful to know her and be a part of it and all the change they are evoking.
Bearden: It’s an incredible group. There’s an email they send every week with one simple but influential action you can take to make the world a better place. Follow them @nashvilleactioncommittee on Instagram.
NL: What do you love about Nashville?
Santos: I really love the way Nashville is this huge city but feels like a small community. The music industry feels more like a family than a business.
Bearden: I love the nature here! You’d never really think of it as a ‘nature place’ but there’s so many little patches of green to escape to when you need a break.
Backoff: I love the community here. Everybody is so uplifting and wants to see people have success. The love we have received from the Nashville community after putting out “F2020” has been absolutely incredible. How lucky are we?!
NL: What’s been the craziest part about the success of “F2020”?
Santos: Will Smith posting about “F2020”! That THE KING knows that we exist? That’s so insane. My life was made.
Bearden: “F2020” really made my year do a 180. During quarantine it’s been difficult to think about being on the other side of this someday, which can leave you feeling kind of hopeless at times. But the success of this song feels like a bit of a lifeline: I’m not back on the boat yet but I know that I’m being pulled in!
Backoff: “F2020” has really given us the chance to remember why we do music. Putting out a song that connects to literally one person is the goal and making that one person feel a little bit less alone, to make them feel seen and heard and understood, that’s everything to me. “F2020” blowing up has given us the opportunity to connect to so many new people and hopefully just makes everybody feel a little more connected to each other during this whack year.