It seems that, in recent years, TikTok has become the new radio. Its algorithm is the new one in charge of measuring which songs hit it and then we even have it in the soup. Whether in challenge format; of meme or simple accompanying music, there are already several successes that owe this word to the platform. However, in a world in which what works is copied, repeated and forced until the goose stops laying the golden eggsthere are artists who are denouncing pressure from their record companies to go viral on the app as if they were “content creators”.
Only 24 hours have been enough for Ed Sheeran for more than 237 thousand people to give him their like to a video of him eating chips straight from the bag, in what looks like his kitchen at home, with the bag of bread hanging from the bottom of the door. His theme also sounds in the clip 2stepa collaboration with rapper Lil baby, though here the important thing is what the singer has written on the image:
“When you’re supposed to be doing promos for your song but really you just want to have a snack and decide that eating a snack counts as a promo for a song because everyone loves them.”
@Ed Sheeran Tag someone that likes snacks
♬ 2step (feat. Lil Baby) – Ed Sheeran
A few months ago, Adele told in an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, that they had advised him from the industry to make more accessible songs so that young people could listen to his latest album: “As we were finishing up the mix, the TikTok conversation came up a lot,” he explained. “They told me, ‘We have to make sure that 14-year-olds know who you are.'” However, the artist seems to be very clear about her target audience.
As specified during the interview, se is about a listener “more mature and aware of their feelings”. Specifically, and alluding to the figure that gives the album its name, she described her album as full of “lyrics for the soul of people in their 30s who are committing to themselves and doing therapy.” Something that is what Adele did during the composition of the album and the reason why she says she is more concerned about how the feature length can help them.
@halsey I’m tired
♬ original sound – Halsey
But the British is not the only one. The last to speak publicly on the subject was Halsey, who use TikTok as a means to give his label the viral success that they asked for so much, with a complaint in between (yes). Disheveled and with a clean face (and very serious), the singer recorded herself listening to a fragment of an unreleased song. Meanwhile, the following message was appearing on the screen:
“Basically, I have a song that I love and I want to get out now but my label won’t let me. I’ve been in this industry for eight years and I’ve sold 165 million records but They tell me we can’t release the track until they can fake a viral hit moment on Tiktok. It’s all marketing and they’re doing the same to all artists today. All I want is to make music and I think I deserve better, really. I’m tired”.
Talked to my label tonight after my tiktok tantrum. They said “wow the tiktok is going really strong!” I was like ok cool so can I release my song now? They said “we’ll see!” 🙃 tell me again how I’m making this up.
— h (@halsey) May 23, 2022
But the salseo does not end there and it is that Halsey has updated her fans via Twitter of the reaction of Capitol Records after the “tantrum” (as she herself has called it) and that ironically has gone viral on the Chinese social network: ” I talked to my record company and they said ‘wow, TikTok is picking up steam’ and I was like ‘okay cool, so can we release the song now?’, to which they have replied ‘we’ll see’. Tell me again that I’m making it up”, the American has sentenced.
The importance of music on TikTok, a social network that began as a lip sync platform, is huge. Even concerts and exclusive album presentations are held on the platform, however, some concern is beginning to arise regarding how the music industry prioritizes quantity of content over creativity or quality. Because no, Halsey is not the only artist who has given her record label to drink from her own medicine.
In the same line, Charlie XCX He uploaded a lip sync to his account complaining that the record company asked him to do the eighth TikTok of the week. by his side, Florence Welch She recorded herself singing visibly jaded as the bottom of the post read: “The label is asking me for low quality TikToks so here you go. Please help me,” followed by a skull emoji. Also recently FKA Twigs He recently published a photo with which he said that his record company had “told him off” for not putting “enough effort” into uploading content.
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