10.26.2022

StemDrop Officially Launches On TikTok with Max Martin-Penned Single “Red Lights”

Presented by TikTok, Syco, Universal Music Group, Republic Records and Samsung

The News:

Today, StemDrop officially launches on TikTok in collaboration with Syco Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Republic Records, Samsung and one of the greatest songwriting teams in history, led by 5x Grammy Award winner, Max Martin.

“Red Lights,“ the brand new track written by Max Martin, Savan Kotecha and Ali Payami exclusively for StemDrop, is now available to the TikTok community who will be able to use the stems as a starting point to create their own unique tracks and kickstart their careers.

As announced last Wednesday, StemDrop is a groundbreaking new evolution in global music collaboration and discovery that will give artists and creators a platform to showcase their talent to the world and collaborate with some of the best songwriters of all time. Find more information about StemDrop on TikTok’s newsroom here and find further assets here.

StemDrop’s global ambassadors, TikTok music curator Ari Elkins, singer-songwriter Astrid S, and Your Boy Moyo are posting daily content on the @StemDrop channel and will be reacting to the best and most exciting StemDrops on TikTok, make sure you’re following.

So whether you’re an aspiring musician, established artist or bedroom singer, you can take part in StemDrop and create your own unique version of “Red Lights.”

StemDrop FAQs:

What is Red Lights about and who wrote it?

• Red Lights was written by Max Martin, multiple Grammy-Award winning songwriter, Savan Kotecha, who is behind massive hits for One Direction, Ariane Grande and Katy Perry and Ali Payami, who has produced and co-written with Taylor Swift and The Weeknd.

• As described by Savan Kotecha:“‘Red Lights’ is a song about the kind of love and connection that won’t go away no matter how many people tell you it’s wrong or how bad things get. Once you’ve been with that person, nothing else feels right. “Running Red Lights” is a metaphor for the kind of love that will always be able to pull you back no matter where you are. Something we’ve all been through before.”

How can creators get involved?

• The stems (the individual components of the song) of a 60-second version of “Red Lights” by Max Martin, Savan Kotecha & Ali Payami is now available on TikTok

• The stems can be accessed by the TikTok community in two ways:
  • StemDrop Mixer: Designed by Samsung, this is a special in-app branded effect where creators of all levels can experiment with the stems, including individual effects, harmonies and melodies. For best results, don’t use headphones.
  • StemDrop Official Website: For tech savvy artists & producers, who can download the official stems via a website hosted by Universal Music Group to create on the software of your choice here.

• Creators can use either of these tools to create, record and share their creations using the hashtag #StemDrop001 on TikTok.

• Here is an example from artist Ben Cipolla (@bencipolla).

What next?

• Follow the official StemDrop channel (@stemdrop), which will provide the community with a window into the StemDrop process. The channel will surface new artistic talent and shine a slight on new versions of the track being created around the world.

• We’ll be sharing regular updates for press with the StemDrop tracks and artists that are taking off on TikTok.

Read the release on TikTok’s newsroom: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-gb/stemdrop-launches-on-tiktok

For more info, please contact:
For TikTok:
Michelle McDevitt, Annjie Houston, Destiny Riley or T’Keyah Hayes, Audible Treats
Leah Linder, TikTok

For Simon Cowell:
AnnMarie Samson, Arion Strategies

For Universal Music Group:
James Murtagh-Hopkins, Universal

The Background:

About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

About Simon Cowell and Syco Entertainment
Simon Cowell is a television and film producer, record executive and a global entertainment visionary. Renowned for his eye for talent Simon has completely transformed popular culture through his showbusiness enterprise.

His company, Syco Entertainment, is an independent entertainment company which created and owns TV formats such as “Got Talent” and “The X Factor”. Got Talent is officially the world’s most successful reality TV format; America’s Got Talent has remained the No1 summer series in the US for the past 16 years; The X Factor is the most successful music TV format in history delivering more global chart stars than any other show in the world.  These two shows are currently on air in more than 180 countries and are watched by more than a billion people each year.

Through his TV formats, Simon has launched more superstar careers than any other in history including One Direction, Fifth Harmony, Leona Lewis, Little Mix, James Arthur, Grace VanderWaal and Susan Boyle.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. 
Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com.

About Universal Music Group
At Universal Music Group, we exist to shape culture through the power of artistry. UMG is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content. Featuring the most comprehensive catalogue of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms, and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. For more information, visit www.universalmusic.com.

About Republic Records
A division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, Republic Records is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as Ariana Grande, Bastille, Billy Porter, Bo Burnham, Clairo, Conan Gray, Daddy Yankee, Drake, Eddie Vedder, G Herbo, Glass Animals, Florence + the Machine, Greta Van Fleet, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack Johnson, James Blake, James Bay, Jessie J, Jimmy Fallon, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Jonas Brothers, Julia Michaels, Kid Cudi, Kim Petras, Lil Wayne, Lorde, Metro Boomin, NAV, Nicki Minaj, Of Monsters and Men, Pearl Jam, Post Malone, Seth MacFarlane, Stevie Wonder, Swedish House Mafia, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, TXT, Twice and more. Founded by brothers and chief executives Monte and Avery Lipman, it is also comprised of innovative business ventures, including American Recordings, Boominati Worldwide, Brushfire, Casablanca Records, Cash Money, HYBE, Imperial, JYP, Lava Records, Universal Arabic Music, Victor Victor, XO, Young Money, among others.  In addition, Republic is home to high-profile soundtracks for Universal Pictures (Sing and Sing 2), Sony Pictures (Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse), Apple TV+ (Coda), Netflix (Don’t Look Up), MGM/UAR (Licorice Pizza), NBC TV’s (The Voice) as well as other notable film and television franchises. Expanding further into content, Republic has launched Federal Films which produces films, television series, podcasts and documentaries. With projects that align with Republic’s artists and brand, Federal Films is building a diverse slate that will bring compelling stories to audiences around the world. Initial documentary releases include Ariana Grande: Excuse Me, I Love You, Jonas Brothers’ Chasing Happiness, and Todd Haynes’ highly acclaimed, The Velvet Underground.

Links:

TikTok’s Newsroom: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us