8.4.2020
Artists Like Lil Nas X and Lizzo Voice Their Support of TikTok Amidst Uncertainty
Dillon Francis, Bebe Rexha, Lil Yachty, and Other Artists Speak Out In Favor of the App, Praising Its Focus on Artist Engagement, Authenticity, and Music Discovery
The News:
TikTok is an essential part of the music ecosystem, propelling hits to the top of the charts and allowing artists show off their unfiltered selves while engaging with fans. The platform doesn’t just benefit major stars–TikTok provides an opportunity for creators of all types to find an audience and make a living. This weekend, after the president illegally threatened to ban TikTok, artists of all stripes came out in support of TikTok, taking to social media and voicing their love for the platform.
- Lil Nas X, the man behind the biggest TikTok hit of all time “Old Town Road,” cheekily big-upped TikTok with a succinct, profane message on Twitter, earning over 500k combined likes and retweets.
- Lizzo, another major success story on TikTok, continues to use the platform regularly. Most recently, she choreographed a complex hand dance to Jasiah’s single “Crisis,” imploring fans to watch and engage with her videos on TikTok.
- Superstar DJ Dillon Francis is an avid TikTok user, posting multiple videos per week about his desire to never leave his house, trying and failing to take a picture of the moon, and offering a requiem for his fake ID. On Saturday, Dillon sat in silent prayer, pleading with potential buyer Microsoft to keep TikTok as free and fun as it always has been (to the tune of the theme from best-selling Xbox series Halo).
- Internet-savvy rapper/producer Sueco The Child credits his career and major label deal with Atlantic Records to his success on TikTok. On Saturday, a mischievous Sueco commented on TikTok’s to-be-launched competitor Instagram Reels, describing some features of that app that might seem very familiar to TikTok users.
- Atlanta rapper Lil Yachty uses TikTok to show off another side of his personality, revealing a sensitive goofball beneath the bluster of his music persona. This weekend, Yachty posted a sweet video of himself taking in a beautiful day, writing “Trump plz don’t take TikTok away from me… it’s the only app I can be myself publicly on.“
- Pop trio Avenue Beat harnessed the power of TikTok to draw attention to their highly-catchy and unfortunately-topical new song “F2020.” With over 6 million Spotify streams in just one month of release, “F2020” started life as a video on the band’s TikTok, generating over 14 million views as fans clamored for an official release. The song is now a popular sound of its own, with over 10k creations on the platform. In a video posted the weekend, Avenue Beat singled out the potential loss of the platform that helped them break out as yet another reason to say “F2020.”
With additional supportive statements made by the likes of Bebe Rexha and Mariah Carey, it’s clear that artists believe that TikTok is a major boon to their careers and a great way to connect with their fans. “TikTok is a home for creators and artists to express themselves, their ideas, and connect with people across different backgrounds,” said TikTok U.S. GM Vanessa Pappas via TikTok on Sunday, “and we are so proud of all the various communities that call TikTok their home.” The music community understands the creative potential of TikTok, and prizes the app as a way to deeply connect with fans. The artists–like TikTok–aren’t going anywhere.
Check TikTok’s newsroom for more noteworthy stories: newsroom.tiktok.com
For more info, please contact:
Michelle McDevitt, Andrea Higgins, Erin Treat, Audible Treats
Leah Linder, TikTok
The Background:
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Their mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy.
TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.
click here to read TikTok’s progress report on supporting Black communities and promoting diversity & inclusion: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/progress-report-how-were-supporting-black-communities-and-promoting-diversity-and-inclusion
Links:
TikTok’s Newsroom: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us
Check out previous editions of TikTok Treats, a weekly newsletter about the most interesting music happenings on TikTok:
7/20
7/13
7/6
6/29
6/22
6/15