Social media apps have been in the news a lot recently as some make some major moves. Now TikTok is joining the party as they’ve launched their new music streaming service. According to XXL, the app is “a new kind of service that combines the power of music discovery on TikTok with a best-in-class streaming service.” Additionally the app is intended as a competitor for fellow streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Consequently, it features a discovery mode full of music from the trio of major record labels who have licensed their music to the service.
The app is intended to help speed up the music discovery process. It also claims that while streaming will be a premium priority, it can also provide artists and rightsholders with a more significant portion of their revenue. Later, the app is expected to include features like ad-free high quality streaming and downloading music for offline listening. Fans in the US dying to try TikTok Music will have to wait a bit longer. The initial launch is only in Brazil and various Asian markets serving as a test of the apps capabilities.
TikTok Launches New “TikTok Music” App
INDIA – 2023/07/01: In this photo illustration, a Tiktok logo is seen displayed on a smartphone with a French Flag in the background. (Photo Illustration by Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The release of TikTok Music comes right on the heels of the release of Threads. Meta, the company who owns Instagram just introduced its new app Threads as a competitor to Twitter. Obviously the app immediately saw a flood of celebrities and brands rushing to the platform. Consequently Usher may have delivered the first truly viral Threads post earlier today.
The continued existence of TikTok itself was called into question earlier this year. Back in April, lawmakers in Montana voted to band the platform. Issues with the platform were raised by politicians who believed its Chinese leadership could gain access to user data. Subsequently, TikTok challenged the ruling in an ongoing legal case. What do you think of TikTok testing a new music streaming app? Let us know in the comment section below.
For years, TikTok has been one of the main places for music discovery online, from launching the careers of artists like Lil Nas X and Ice Spice to resurfacing years-old hits and driving them to new peaks on the Billboard charts. But now, TikTok wants to be the place where users actually listen to the songs they find through trending sounds and friends’ viral videos. According to Variety, the sometimes controversial company has launched its own “social music streaming service” with music licensed from the “Big Three.”
However, stateside music fans may have to wait a while to get to use it; for now, the new service is only live in Brazil and Indonesia as a premium-only service (this is likely a test to see how it’ll do in markets that are still relatively small but significantly-sized to provide insight into how the service will perform here). Users will be able to sync with their existing accounts to download or share tracks they discover on TikTok. Presumably, if it’s a hit overseas, it’ll only be a matter of time until it’s incorporated into other markets.
Ole Obermann, global head of music business development at TikTok, said in a statement, “We are excited about the opportunities TikTok Music presents for both music fans and artists, and the great potential it has for driving significant value to the music industry.”
Tyga and Avril Lavigne posted a TikTok video together on Wednesday featuring Tyga’s new single for the summer, “Bops Goin Brazy.” The post comes despite TMZ reporting that the two called it quits, late last month. Their current relationship status now appears unclear, but they began dating back in March.
In the TikTok post, Tyga kicks things off by dancing up to the camera before Lavigne joins in to start lip-syncing. Fans in the comments were excited to see Lavigne back in the picture.
PARIS, FRANCE – MARCH 06: Tyga and Avril Lavigne attend the Mugler x Hunter Schafer party as part of Paris Fashion Week at Pavillon des Invalides on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
“I had totally forgotten they were together now,” one user commented. Others advised Tyga to drop the full track on more streaming platforms. “Gotta drop it soon guy, I’m afraid the people using it will make me tired of it before I can appreciate the entire track,” one wrote.
Tyga and Lavigne began dating back in March. At the time, a source for PEOPLE confirmed that the two were “very into each other.” “They’re still not exclusive and just getting to know each other. They’re taking things very slowly to be on the safe side and really get to know each other before diving into something serious,” they said at the time. “But they are spending a lot of time together.” Check out Tyga and Lavigne’s new TikTok post below.
Prior to dating Tyga, Lavigne was engaged to be married to Mod Sun, but she broke things off in February. At the time, the split reportedly came as a surprise to Mod Sun who was embarking on a tour. He recently referenced the breakup in a new single, “From Strangers to Lovers to Strangers.” “I remember loving you before we ever met / Saw you on a TV then I met you through a friend,” he sings. “Then I started talking to you on the internet / Went from strangers to lovers to strangers again.”
Superior Court Judge Gary N. Wilcox is in trouble with the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct for filming himself rapping along to Nas and Busta Rhymes’ music in a series of TikTok posts that the committee has deemed inappropriate. They filed the complaint against Wilcox on Friday, June 30.
They allege that between April 2021 and March 2023, Wilcox posted 40 TikTok videos under the username “Sal Tortorella.” The videos apparently contain content featuring “profanity, graphic sexual references to female and male body parts, violence, misogyny, and racist terms,” as noted by the New Jersey Globe.
Busta Rhymes and Nas during Nas Celebrates His New Album “Hip Hop is Dead” At His Black & White Ball – December 18, 2006 at Capital in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
The Advisory Committee took special issue with one TikTok featuring Nas’ 2003 track “Get Down.” They said that “the song contains explicit lyrics concerning a criminal case and a courtroom shooting as well as derogatory and discriminatory terms, drug and gang references, and the killing of a doctor in a hospital who treated another gang member.”
In one TikTok, Wilcox lip-syncs to Busta Rhymes’ 2006 hit “Touch It.” The caption reads: “When an ex-girlfriend calls you ‘Santa’ because of your new white beard.” The lyrics in the post are as follows: “For the record, just a second, I’m freakin’ it out/ While she tryin’ to touch, see, I was peepin’ it out/ She turned around and was tryin’ to put my dick in her mouth/ I let her.” Other songs of note include Rihanna’s “Jump” and Miguel’s “Sure Thing.” Another features the phrase, “You think you can run up on me and whip my monkey ass? Come on. Come on!”
Wilcox’s attorney, Robert Hille, downplayed the seriousness of the posts. “I don’t think that at the end of the day anybody is going to believe there was any desire to do any harm here,” Hille said, according to The New York Times. “Hindsight is 20-20.”
Safe to say that Draymond Green and Jordan Poole aren’t the best of friends. The two famously got into a fight in a preseason Warriors practice in 2022. That incident has been attributed to causing the Warriors’ failure by both Green and head coach Steve Kerr.
However, Green and Poole may have played their last game together. Green is set to become a free agent on June 30. While he is widely expected to re-sign with the Warriors, there is the potential for him to take his elite defense elsewhere in the league. Meanwhile, Poole was recently traded to the Wizards for Chris Paul. Despite this, Green may have shaded Poole in a recent TikTok. The video was recorded while Green was attending The Match golf event in Nevada.
Green Picks Kuzma Over Pool In Roster Builder Challenge
Draymond laughing at the Wizards when building a team and not picking Poole is crazypic.twitter.com/RCTVTL2RnN
In a TikTok for Bleacher Report, Green jumped on the “roster builder challenge”. Essentially, you have to create an NBA roster using one player from five randomly-selected teams. The video started simply enough, with Green choosing Cavs PG Darius Garland and Utah F Lauri Markkanen. Then came the Wizards as Green’s third team. “Who still on Washington’s team?” Green said with a laugh before taking F Kyle Kuzma. Additionally, Green rounded out his team with Damian Lillard (Blazers) and Bam Adebayo (Heat). When asked how they would do, Green argued that “they should win. But they don’t have me, Steph, or Klay. This is an Eastern Conference team. They lose in the Finals to the Warriors.”
Perhaps the bigger story here is the lowkey indication that Green is more than likely headed back to the Warriors. But of course, you can’t talk about the Wizards without mentioning their newest addition. Green took Kuzma over Jordan Poole, the newest Wizard excluding draft picks. But is this really shade? Or is it just an objective assessment? Kuzma had a line of 21.2/7.2/3.7 in 64 games. Poole went 20.4/2.7/4.5 in 82 games. While Green couldn’t predict the next team, taking Poole would also mean losing out on Lillard. So while there’s definitely maybe a little bit of shade, it also just shows Green’s good basketball IQ.
John Cena, a prominent figure in the wrestling world and a rising star in Hollywood, recently gave a lesson in setting personal boundaries that was widely discussed on social media.
An incident caught on camera and initially shared on TikTok has brought Cena into the spotlight once again. However, it wasn’t for his wrestling prowess or his acting skills. It was actually for his polite yet firm way of handling an unexpected interaction with a fan.
In the video, Cena, a former WWE Champion, is seen dining at a restaurant when he is approached by a fan (via FightFans). The fan interrupts Cena’s meal, referencing his well-known ‘you can’t see me’ catchphrase. Cena’s response was both calm and assertive, asking the fan, “Can I enjoy some time with my friends?” This question prompted the fan to apologize and exit the premises, marking the end of the encounter.
The Internet’s Response: A Conversation on Respect and Boundaries
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 01: John Cena during WrestleMania Goes Hollywood at SoFi Stadium on April 01, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The video quickly gained popularity across various social media platforms, igniting discussions about respect for personal space and boundaries, especially when it comes to celebrities.
Many praised Cena’s respectful yet decisive way of handling the interruption. This incident served as a reminder that, despite their public personas, celebrities are individuals who deserve respect for their personal boundaries just like anyone else.
An unexpected twist to the story came from the TikTok account that originally shared the video. The account holder claimed that the fan who approached Cena was actually a friend of theirs.
The TikTok post was captioned, “My friend met John Cena and decided to be a cornball.” This playful revelation added an element of humor to the situation and further amplified the video’s viral status among wrestling fans.
Travis Barker’s daughter is once again making waves for all the wrong reasons. According to Page Six, the aspiring rapper posted a new video to TikTok recently that has fans discussing her outfit choice. In the video, she sports a bikini and a poncho with Rastafarian colors that she should have probably known better than to wear. Many commenters agreed that the fit reminded them of Adele’s similar famous blunder. In a misguided 2020 picture, the “Easy On Me” singer sported a Jamaican flag bikini in a picture that also received its fair share of criticism.
It’s not the first time Alabama Barker has gotten into trouble for cultural appropriation. Last month she promoted some of her new music on TikTok and drew comparisons to many black female rappers. When the music video dropped even more people chimed in. Comments claimed that she was appropriating the image of black rappers and blackfishing. While it wasn’t entirely just hate for the singer there was certainly an uncomfortable feeling about her video.
In other news, Alabama’s dad Travis Barker is expecting a child with Kourtney Kardashian. Alabama made it publicly known that she was there for Kourtney following the announcement. The couple also revealed the gender of their baby in a recent musical gender reveal. Kourtney sits on Travis’ lap while he plays a drumroll leading up to an eruption of blue confetti confirming that they’re having a boy. The pregnancy was announced during one of Blink-182’s recent concerts. Kourtney made a hilarious reference to the video for the band’s hit song “All The Small Things.”
Travis Barker has kept pretty buys touring with the original Blink-182 lineup. The trio played a surprise show at Coachella to kick off their reunited tour. Since then he’s still found the time to get into the studio. Rapper Tyga has been seen going in and out of Barker’s studio repeatedly as the two are reportedly working on new music together. What do you think of Alabama Barker’s controversial video? Let us know in the comment section below.
In a truly wild set of words for 2023, Patrick Star from Spongebob Squarepants (yes, the cartoon starfish) is now a viral TikTok trend. Why? Users are making the character sing the biggest R&B hits through AI technology.
While it’s just an attempt at the character’s voice and not really the greatest considering, many TikTok accounts are still having fun playing around to see how he sounds on different tracks. One of those doing it, user @twrksumn and her added account @aiquietstorm, has put Patrick with everything from Anita Baker’s “Angel” to Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart.”
“Patrick doing gospel and R&B now,” one person wrote under the Baker video with a bunch of laughing emojis.
“It’s giving Michael McDonald,” another user commented on a different video, which inspired the poster to make Patrick play his song, “I Keep Forgettin.”
Another popular profile getting in on the Patrick craze is @martinluthervandrossjr, has added some edited memes of Patrick and Spongebob to go along with the AI vocals.
As the trend gains more traction, users are waiting to hear their favorite artists get an AI cover turn — or even hear other characters perform from the Bikini Bottom universe.
Check out just a few of the Patrick Star AI covers above.
If you’ve been scrolling through TikTok, you’ll see that a new duo, Flyana Boss, has been taking over the platform. The 2020 pandemic shifted TikTok’s vision, as it went from a kids’ dancing app to a full-blown global sensation. People use the online outlet to share political views, spark social change, beef with strangers worldwide, join viral trends, and promote their creative endeavors.
Flyana Boss is among the millions of artists hoping to be the next big thing in Hip Hop. Judging from the responses to their releases, they may be on their way. The pair is made up of Detroit’s Bobbi Lanea and Dallas’s Folayan Kunerede, a pair of best friends who are bringing a bright, distinctive flavor to Rap. There was a time in the culture when music groups dominated the charts. Yet, we don’t often see Rap groups standing out in modern times. However, Flyana Boss redefines music’s boundaries, fusing lyricism paired with a catchy Pop twist.
The ladies have been recently promoting their latest release, “You Wish,” with several viral videos on TikTok. It has become a common practice for them as their visibility rapidly increases from one release to the next. Folayan and Bobbi make it seem effortless, but anyone connected to the music industry will attest that organically earning over 550k followers on any social media platform isn’t easy.
Flyana Boss: Different Music Backgrounds
The pair’s introduction to music vastly differed. Folayan comes from a highly musical family that would perform together, especially the siblings. She says she’s been involved with music in one way or another “pretty much my whole life.” Meanwhile, while Bobbi’s family was entrenched in the music they loved, they weren’t performers themselves. Bobbi explains she “had to figure it out all on my own,” and things took a turn when she moved to California to attend music school. It was there that she first met Folayan.
“We were acquaintances, like cool, close acquaintances. We hung out in the same friend groups,” said Bobbi. “It was always good vibes, and we always admired each other, but we’re both very introverted. Because of that, it would be rare where we would ask each other to meet up, even though we loved hanging out and got along so well.” Folayan added, “Every time we would hang out, it’d be so much fun. We’d talk the whole time. It was always so natural and easy, and nothing was ever weird.”
It wasn’t until Folayan packed up and moved to Van Nuys, California, did the ladies reconnect. They were too far from one another, and their growing friendship was taking an artistic turn. Bobbi began playing her music for Folayan, who was impressed with the production. An idea to join forces was expressed, and as they say, the rest is history…in the making.
The two rising stars aren’t just best friends and collaborators but fans of one another. “I’ve always admired Folayan’s music and her vibe,” said Bobbi. “Ever since we first met, I thought, ‘Whoa, this girl’s amazing!’ She was always ahead of her time to me. I always used to do music alone. I used to write, produce, and record all by myself because I felt very nervous about being creative around other people. Folayan alleviated all of that because she believed in me, and she always encouraged me.”
The Power Of Collaboration
Flyana Boss stays committed to crafting music that resonates with listeners profoundly. Their vibrant and unforgettable performances establish them as an act worth watching in Hip Hop. Women have been dominating Rap culture recently, with many amassing success after viral fame. Cardi B was an online star before adding her name to Love & Hip Hop: New York. She proves that social media visibility can result in superstardom if an artist is willing to do the work. Flyana Boss is on their way to trek a similar journey, albeit with their own complementary signature flows.
In a world often tethered by norms and expectations, Flyana Boss dances to their own rhythm. Their goal? To etch their legacy in the hearts and minds of music lovers around the globe. As their journey unfolds, one thing is certain: Flyana Boss is a name you’ll remember, a beat you’ll dance to, and a story you’ll want to follow. As Bobbi asserts, “Yeah, we’re like two chemicals in the periodic table that combust in a good way and belong together. We’re making music together all the time. It’s our lifeline. Flyana Boss is our whole life.”
“You Wish” was released on June 16 and marked Flyana Boss’s most successful release to date. Can their viral visibility translate into a successful music career outside of social media spaces? Only time will tell, but Folayan and Bobbi are on their way up. “It felt heaven sent how everything happened,” Folayan adds. “We’ve been working really hard towards this. It feels like it’s finally happening and we love that!”
Megan Thee Stallion has fans stunned by her latest TikTok. She’s seen rocking a tiny, neon bikini while she dances for the camera to her song “Body.” It’s clear that Megan has been feeling herself as of late, which fans can attribute to the time she’s been taking to heal. Last month, the artist spoke with InStyle, revealing that fans can expect to hear new music following her self-care era.
“Fans can expect new music when I’m in a better place,” she told the outlet, “Right now, I’m focused on healing.” She elaborated, revealing that her icon status can be taxing at times. “The music and entertainment industry can be a grind, so it’s important to take time off and avoid burning out,” the rapper insists, “Life is all about balance.” She did, however, perform at LA Pride earlier this month, serving fans hits like “Body” and “WAP.”
Megan Thee Stallion took to TikTok again earlier this week to share a vlog with fans. “Y’all miss me? Don’t ask me ’bout no dang music [right now] lol,” she captioned the post. Followers see the star heading to the spa, hitting the gym, buying a Birkin, and more. She later attended Pharrell’s debut runway show as Men’s Creative Director of the brand. “So anyways, I went to the show and this ni**a look like a scammer,” she joked to fans in the vlog.
Tory Lanez, who’s currently awaiting sentencing for his part in Megan Thee Stallion’s shooting, filed a motion to have the judge disqualified in May. Lanez and his defense team accused the judge, David Herriford, of showing favoritism to the prosecution. His team’s request was denied earlier this month. His sentencing was scheduled for June 13, but it’s been postponed to August 7. The rapper is currently looking at potentially serving over 22 years in prison for his part in the case.
