TikTok
U.S. Investigation Launched Into TikTok’s Effect on Kids’ Health
State attorneys general have launched a nationwide investigation into TikTok and its possible harmful effects on young users’ mental health, widening government scrutiny of the wildly popular video platform. The investigation was announced Wednesday by a number of states led by California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont. U.S. lawmakers and federal regulators have criticized TikTok, citing practices and computer-driven promotion of content they say can endanger the physical and mental health of young users. The platform has an estimated 1 billion monthly users and is especially popular with teens and younger children. Last month, Texas opened an investigation into TikTok’s alleged violations of children’s privacy and facilitation of human traff...
Trending Up: Ed Sheeran Has Hits for All Radio Formats — Plus YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Yeat & More
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. This week: As Ed Sheeran makes multiple radio plays, YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Yeat score viral hip-hop hits, and newcomer Maddy Zahm launches an emotional new trend. Ed Sheeran = Radio Ubiquity Although Equals (=), Ed Sheeran’s fourth solo album released last October, hasn’t risen to the level of chart-topping single success that 2017’s ÷ did (two No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Shape Of You” and “Perfect”), the project’s past six months have stil...
TikTok Tackles YouTube with “Any Length” Videos
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Ghastly Opens Up About Anxiety and How Content Culture Can “Drain an Artist to Their Lowest Levels”
Musicians are starting to experience the fatigue of never-ending social media content expectations, according to Ghastly. In a candid statement, the esteemed DJ and electronic music producer recently shared his thoughts on the toxicity that social media has created for musicians. He opened up about the overwhelming nature of content culture, which is causing artists to put their art on the back-burner in order to focus on “memeing” their lives and engaging their fanbases through parasocial relationships. Ghastly cited recent feedback he received while working on a song with someone who requested the music to be “more tik-toky.” “I want to be able to share my life at a level that makes sense to me as an artist and as a human,” Ghastly wrote. “I love...
Gareth Emery On the Scourge of TikTok: “Viral Today, Forgotten Tomorrow”
Renowned DJ and electronic music producer Gareth Emery has deleted his verified TikTok account, decrying the social media platform for its impact on mental health. Emery shared a candid post on Instagram denouncing TikTok, which he believes is detrimental due to its “hyper addictive” nature. He also bemoaned the platform for its propensity to throttle the lifecycle of its music in the pursuit of virality. “I believe hyper addictive platforms are horrible for mental health, including mine. After using it myself, I wouldn’t want my own kids on it, so it’s against my personal ethics to recommend it to you,” Emery wrote. “Instead… I want to spend my time making art. The best music possible, inspiring videos, long sets with beautiful product...
Charlie Puth, Kali Uchis & Rico Nasty to Headline TikTok’s New Year’s Eve Special
TikTok is ready to ring in the new year! On Monday (Dec. 27), the social platform announced the lineup for TikTok New Year’s Eve livestream, including headlining performances by Charlie Puth, Kali Uchis and Rico Nasty. “Celebrate the New Year with @KALIUCHIS, @charlieputh, @Rico_nastyy, host @Avgfashionblog and special guests as they say goodbye to 2021 and hello to 2022,” TikTok tweeted to reveal the Dec. 31 special. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The trio of musicians will be joined by TikTok creators Tyshon Lawrence, Cristian Dennis, Tracy Joseph, Billy and Scarlet May, while Courtney Parchman — otherwise known as Average Fashion Blogger to her nearly one million TikTok followers — will serve as the evening’s host. The livestream is set to ...
Did Beyonce Just Launch a TikTok Account?
Will Beyonce gift the BeyHive a special TikTok video for Christmas? It’s not out of question. The 28-time Grammy Award winner may have just joined TikTok. The Beyonce handle is now live, and boasts upwards of 50,000 followers. Though, to date, the account follows no one and has shared nothing. Queen Bey isn’t a prolific user of social media. Her Twitter account has tweeted just twice in the past two years and follows only 10 other accounts. Her Instagram is considerably more active with its 224 million followers, but, again, the account follows no one. Beyonce’s husband, Jay-Z, last month briefly launched an Instagram account, to promote his Netflix production The Harder They Fall. The account was live for a matter of days. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, char...
Woman Documents Journey of Swallowing AirPod, Recording Audio From Stomach
If you swallow your AirPod, you’re going to have a crappy time. That’s one takeaway Carli Bellmer likely gleaned from her experience after she accidentally ingested an AirPod she had mistaken for Ibuprofen. We’ve heard of the healing power of music before, but we’re pretty sure this isn’t the remedy researchers had in mind. To be fair, Bellmer was holding a sizable 800 MG pill of Ibuprofen along with her left AirPod. However, according to her journey, which she’s documented in detail on TikTok, she became aware of the mistake almost immediately. In this case, an Apple didn’t quite keep the doctor away. After Bellmer reportedly sought immediate medical advice, within a couple of days she was in better spirits having confirmed via X-ray that sh...
TikTok Hires Shavone Charles as Head of Diversity & Inclusion Communications
TikTok has tapped Shavone Charles to lead communications around the social platform’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. Charles joins TikTok next week in the newly formed role after serving as the director of communications and creative partnerships at VSCO, where she launched the #BlackJoyMatters campaign. Prior to joining VSCO, she oversaw global music and youth culture communications at Instagram and music and culture communications at Twitter, two positions that she created at both companies. Outside of her work with major tech companies, Charles is also the founder of two creative collectives, Future of Creatives and Magic In Her Melanin, focused on amplifying women of color and other underrepresented creators. “As a Black creator and advocate, I am thrilled to join the TikTok team...
TikTok, APRA AMCOS Sign Multi-Year ‘Landmark Deal’
TikTok has struck a new, multi-year licensing arrangement with APRA AMCOS, the Australasian PRO that represents more than 111,000 songwriters, composers and music publisher members. This new pact is the first between both parties, and is a retroactive one that’ll deliver a new revenue stream for music creators in Australia and New Zealand, reads a statement from APRA AMCOS. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though the society confirms that the partnership accounts for TikTok’s past use of musical works, including the service Musical.ly. APRA AMCOS’ agreement with TikTok “legitimizes the use of music on the platform in Australia and New Zealand, and recognizes the important contribution that the songwriters, composers and publishers of that music make to TikTok’s success,” comments APRA...
Tap Dancin’ Terry Crews Skins & Grins In New Amazon Commercial, Twitter Gets Buff Bozo Out The Paint
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: Santiago Felipe / Getty Terry Crews at one time was considered one of the most beloved comedic actors in Hollywood before he put on his tap shoes and leaned into some thoughts and opinions nobody asked him for. In a new spot for Amazon, Crews pleads with folks to come work for the company but Twitter is getting the buff bozo out the paint. Via Amazon’s TikTok page, Crews essentially pretends that someone of his means actually cares about working at one of the company’s massive warehouses. Using all his teeth to express faux joy, Crews pitches the idea that Amazon has tons of jobs available, offers paid tuition, and health benefits. You know, stuff a decent company should do for employees that have reportedly worked in subpar conditions. It’s hard to...
Tourette Syndrome Isn’t Getting In the Way of This Guy Learning to DJ
“I put the Tik in TikTok,” reads Leighton Clarke’s TikTok bio. Affectionately known as Uncle Tics, Clarke isn’t letting his Tourette syndrome get in the way of learning the art of DJing. Uncle Tics told himself at the beginning of New Zealand’s pandemic lockdown that he was going to learn a new skill. So he picked up DJing and his TikTok fanbase has been nothing but supportive, with many stating that they would love to see him perform at a music festival. Take a look at the first video of his “Tourettes vs DJ’ing” series below. In the clip, Uncle Tics drops a number of high-energy drum & bass tracks as he shouts parts of “Circle of Life” from The Lion King—as well as some NSFW remarks we can’t transcribe here. The EDM co...
