Communities and Social Media

TikTok? I guess I could be a celebrity too?

Tiktok is one of a kind. It’s different, personalized and engaging. I for one can’t get enough of the app. However, is more than just an app to people, it’s a path to fame. This essay will explore how the social network TikTok has changed the perceptions of celebrities and undertake the exploration of how Tiktok has changed the view of a musical artist. This essay will explore how TikTok’s platform enables everyday people to become famous for just being their authentic self and creating content that can directly communicate with their audience. This essay will argue that TikTok has shaped the new up-and-coming celebrities by giving them freedom of creativity. This essay will discuss how the formatting of the TikTok platform can be compared to micro-celebrities. Tiktok is fundamentally changing the way contemporary pop-culture consumers view celebrities and who can be a celebrity, specifically within the music industry.

TikTok has promptly taken over the social networking domain, therefore, has gained a following of aspiring internet celebrities. Along with the increase of internet celebrities, TikTok’s platform has become commercialised and professionalised, with the top celebrities on the platform earning millions of dollars annually (Abidin, 2021). However, what is so interesting about TikTok’s platform is how their current models of celebrities are distinctly different from other social networking platforms such as Instagram or YouTube. A central difference between these platforms is that Tiktok has given artists a platform to showcase their music, in a way that is captivating and different from pre-existing platforms (Abidin, 2021). Tiktok has drastically changed the music industry and the way musical consumers view artist’s identities. You do not have to have a record label; you could simply be in your mum’s basement making music on garage band and blow-up on TikTok. Tiktok has allowed anyone to be a content creator or artist and with TikTok’s continuous growth, it looks like it will continue to do so. This shows that Tiktok is fundamentally changing the way contemporary pop-culture consumers view celebrities and who can be a celebrity, performantly within the music industry.

Tiktok is undoubtably the fastest and most powerful social media celebrity manufacturing machine. This social network is constantly creating international stars on its platform from everyday teenagers to aspiring artists (Jennings, 2020). Within TikTok’s quick rising to fame in the last 18 months, it is clear that the music industry is being affected by the TikTok community. It can be argued that for Tiktok to permanently change the music industry, the app needs to deliver more than exposure to the rising musical artist. In order for Tiktok to ‘change the game’, the social network needs to give the up-and-coming artists opportunities to make money off their work. This may be in instances such as; signing to a major record label, making brand deals and having sponsored content, or continuing with mass streaming (Anderson, 2021b). However, TikTok was not made to be the next step for musical artists and consumers do not expect it to be. The Tiktok community has a love for the way Tiktok is different from other platforms and how its algorithm works for individual consumers. The platform is not a site where music is sought out, like Spotify or YouTube. Music is part of the app’s structure. This highlights the way Tiktok is changing the way contemporary pop-culture consumers may view the musical industry.

Musical and Celebrity Identity 

Music plays a huge part in a lot of people’s lives. With the rapid increase in technology, the importance of music has grown (Põdera, 2015). This growth in technology has also given more diversity in how people experience music, such as the listener, performer, composer, arranger, and consumer. Music is a channel of communication, it communicates and gives opportunities to share one’s thoughts, emotions, and meaning (Põdera, 2015). TikTok is an app that allows music to be widely shared, inviting individual or collaborative responses. 

It is fundamental to acknowledge how musicians identify themselves within the music industry, especially with TikTok having such a huge impact on the industry. A musician’s identity is dependent on their social and cultural surrounding as an individual (Põdera, 2015), however, TikTok’s platform does not necessarily regard the musical identities of their celebrities. With TikTok not being the mainstream or original area to gain credibility or identity as a musician, the concept of how to be a celebrity or musician is a credible question. Social networking sites are still rapidly increasing in use and a person’s brand is built from the perception of their social media. This makes social media sites a perfect platform to build a celebrity’s brand. TikTok’s place in social media is so unusual compared to other sites due to TikTok creating celebrities and not just promoting their brand (Johns, 2016). There is minimal academic literature on how celebrities are represented in social media, regardless of the increased use in social media and with the majority of celebrities using social media as a tool to brand their image (Johns, 2016). This is unusual since Tiktok has risen to fame within the last 18 months and undoubtably changed how people view ‘traditional’ celebrities and ‘online’ celebrities. This shows that Tiktok is fundamentally changing the way contemporary pop-culture consumers view celebrities within the music industry.

The development of celebrity identity highlighted through micro-celebrities  

The devolvement of TikTok celebrities is creating a blurred line between the type of celebrity identity. TikTok’s celebrities can be compared to micro-celebrities. However, there is nothing ‘micro’ about Tiktok. In order to be a miro-celebrity, a person is required to create a persona, producing and publishing content, and showcasing an authentic feel to online fans. Micro-celebrities have an authenticity with their content due to the direct interaction that they can have with their fans online and public discussion with their supporters about personal information (Marwick, 2013). Micro-celebrities embody all the characteristics and principles of celebrity culture, they apply these principles to online interactions (Marwick, 2013). ‘Online’ celebrities are commonly not viewed the same as ‘traditional’ celebrities. This is due to the lack of money, agents, and managers they have behind the scenes. Furthermore, traditional celebrities have a different working environment compared to those who only produce content through the internet. Due to these different environments, traditional celebrities have a goal of transparency and they expect more exhibitionism than those who are online celebrities (Marwick, 2013). Nevertheless, micro-celebrities receive the same amount of criticism and can be viewed the same as traditional celebrities in the eyes of bloggers, their audience, and critics. However, they are expected to still uphold their authentic and natural selves. The rise to become a micro-celebrity does seem more achievable, nevertheless, there is still a high cost of being a celebrity (Marwick, 2013). TikTok celebrities can have a similar experience to micro-celebrities as they are classed as online celebrities and portray their authentic self, however, they overlap with the sense of traditional celebrities. This shows that Tiktok is fundamentally changing the way contemporary pop-culture consumers view celebrities.

TikTok has shaped the new up-and-coming celebrities by giving them freedom of creativity 

TikTok is making headlines for the new generation of celebrities. The 25-year-old Los Angeles resident Tai Verdes had been trying to enter the musical business, but his career was not picking up (Anderson, 2021b). He had multiple auditions for The Voice and American Idol that were not successful. Still, from May 2020 to August 2020 everything changing for the aspiring singer. Verdes “Stuck in the Middle” single received over 4.5 million streams, reaching Spotify Viral 50 chart number 1 spot along with his song being used in thousands of videos on TikTok. The now well-known singer has record deals from multiple different major record labels. He is currently signed to Arista Records, a label that allows him a large among of creative control. Verdes gives all his musical accomplishments to TikTok. Verdes stated that TikTok made people listen to his music (Anderson, 2021b). Verdes is just one of the new artists that has engaged with his online audience and popularity in order to make his dreams come true. TikTok gave him the platform to grown as a content creator, however, he is now classed as a musician who is very well known and has a big following. This is an example of how TikTok has shaped new up-and-coming celebrities by giving them freedom of creativity and online community. This shows how Tiktok is fundamentally changing the way contemporary pop-culture consumers view who can be a celebrity within the music industry.

TikTok’s platform enables everyday people to become famous for being their authentic self 

Major and indie record labels are recognising the importance of an online presence. With this newfound importance, TikTok’s rise within the music industry is so notable due to the industry’s precarious time (Anderson, 2021a). TikTok’s platform has advanced rapidly as a short-form video platform. Paul Sinclair, the vice president of Atlantic Records, believes that the platform is fascinating and “has longevity” (Anderson, 2021a). He believes that it is not only going to last as an important social network due to the loyalty of its users, but also that if music fans are continually going to TikTok to explore music and trends, Tiktok will always have reverence to the music industry (Anderson, 2021a). If people like a content creator, they are going to excel. Tiktok is an online social capital, it connects people and creates communities. The platform not only allows consumers to actively engage with the artists and content creators, but it gives people a more personal platform where consumers can relate to one another in regard to their popularity. For example, Peach PRC is a popular TikTok content creator that has slowly developed her musical identity on TikTok. Since joining the social network in 2019, Peach has grown a large and devoted audience of 1.2 million followers on the app (Dorrington, 2021), not from music but from posting random but likable content that the everyday consumer could relate to (Chels, 2021).  A reoccurring pattern that is promoting artists on TikTok are viral snippets that, through TikTok, lead to viral singles. Peach’s first single ‘Blondes’ went viral on TikTok as a clip, shortly after the full song was released, and gained over 4 million streams on Spotify (Chels, 2021). Peach’s next single shortly followed and reached 10 million streams. Recently, Peach released ‘Josh’ which has furthered her career as a musician (Dorrington, 2021). Peach is just one of the many new music artists that have risen to fame due to TikTok. 5 years ago, this strategy of gaining fame would be unthinkable. TikTok’s platform enables everyday people to become famous for just being their authentic selves and creating content that can directly communicate with their audience. This is due to the setup of the social networking site and the strength that the TikTok community holds. This shows that Tiktok is fundamentally changing the way contemporary pop-culture consumers view celebrities and who can be a celebrity, specifically within the music industry.

TikTok has grown a lot over the past 18 months. It has developed as a platform that has created a space for aspiring celebrities in the music industry, artist like Tai Verdes and Peach have shown this. This essay has explored how the social network TikTok has changed the perceptions of celebrities and has undertaken the exploration of how Tiktok has changed the view of a musical artist. It has explored how TikTok’s platform enables everyday people to become famous for just being their authentic self and creating content that can directly communicate with their audience. It has shown that TikTok has shaped new up-and-coming celebrities by giving them freedom of creativity and has discussed how celebrity identities are becoming blurred through the comparison of new TikTok celebrities and traditional micro-celebrities. This has shown that Tiktok is fundamentally changing the way contemporary pop-culture consumers view celebrities and who can be a celebrity, specifically within the music industry.

References

Abidin, C. (2021). Mapping Internet Celebrity on TikTok: Exploring Attention Economies and Visibility Labours.Cultural Science Journal, 12(1), 77–103. https://doi.org/10.5334/csci.140

Anderson, S. (2021a). How TikTok is changing Music. Quartz. https://qz.com/guide/how-tiktok-is-changing-music/ 

Anderson, S. (2021b). How TikTok stars are reinventing the path to fame. Quartz. https://qz.com/1974075/how-tiktok-stars-are-reinventing-the-path-to-fame/

Chels. (2021). Peach PRC presents her debut single ‘Josh’!.Plinkwifi. https://plnkwifi.com/2021/02/25/peach-prc-presents-her-debut-single-josh/

Dorrington, A. (2021). How Australian TikTok sensation Peach PRC became the new princess of pop. Fashion Journal. https://fashionjournal.com.au/music/peach-prc-tik-tok-music/

Jennings, R. (2020). Tikked off: What happens when TikTok fame fades. Vox. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/2/27/21153364/tiktok-famous-backlash

Johns, R., & English, R. (2016). Transition of self: Repositioning the celebrity brand through social media-The case of Elizabeth Gilbert. Journal of Business Research, 65-72. https://www-sciencedirectcom.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/science/article/pii/S0148296315003124

Marwick, A. (2013) Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity, and Branding in the Social Media Age, Yale University Press. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/curtin/detail.action?docID=3421330.

Põdera,K., & Kiilub, K. (2015). The formation of musical identity. The European Journal of Social and Behavioural Sciences. http://dx.doi.org/10.15405/ejsbs.153

24 thoughts on “TikTok? I guess I could be a celebrity too?

  1. Hello, Zoe. Great paper! I love the way you show “everyday” people can become famous through sharing their authentic self with a global audience. Tai Verdes sounds like a great example of one such user, and I think it is wonderful that TikTok can encourage new artists like this.

    On the other hand, I disapprove of the way TikTok employees collaborate with existing musical artists by analysing user data and strategically releasing their music on the app to assist existing artists with “creating” hit music, as shown in this article: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/how-tiktok-chooses-which-songs-go-viral-1.1595327 (Banjo, 2021). It appears that TikTok executives sometimes specify which clips appear in “personalized” recommendations, instead of leaving such suggestions up to algorithms (Banjo, 2021). With this intervention TikTok can encourage creation of an artificial “musical hit” which appears organic to users.

    This seems deceitful to me, but I am not a regular TikTok user – what do you think? Are you aware that TikTok employees occasionally intervene in your personalized recommendations? Does it bother you that they are intentionally promoting existing artists to you, without labelling it as advertising? Do you think Peach PRC was advised by TikTok on which singles to promote, in the way Banjo (2021) details they advised Megan Thee Stallion? I really look forward to hearing your opinion on the article I have linked, and your answers to my questions. Regards, Karena

  2. Hi Zoe!

    I loved reading your paper and I thought it was a great analysis of the music industry in 2021 and TikTok. I also loved your discussion around PeachPRC and how she is changing what it means for celebrities to have an online audience. I think her authenticity is unmatched and other celebrities should take notes!

    Another artist that I think has cemented herself as a celebrity because of TikTok is Megan Thee Stallion. Her song ‘Savage’ would not have been as famous was it not for TikTok and people making dances and memes to the song (Adetaro, 2020).

    I think TikTok has created a whole new genre of celebrity, and is constantly changing the pop culture landscape. I would love to know whether you think TikTok has had a bigger impact on the music industry or overall pop culture?

    Thanks,
    Ruby.
    ——

    Adetaro, J. (2020). TikTok is changing how artists make music and it’s not always a good thing – CORQ. CORQ. Retrieved 4 April 2021, from https://corq.studio/insights/tiktok-is-changing-how-artists-make-music-and-its-not-always-a-good-thing/.a

    1. Hey Ruby,

      Thanks for reading my paper!

      I would have to argue that Tiktok has a massive inflince on the whole of the musical industry, not just up and coming artists. If you have a quick look at any ‘Top 100 songs; around the world, multiple Tiktok songs will be on there. I don’t believe that any social media platform has had this much impact on the musical industry before TikTok.

      Zoe

  3. Hi Zoe!
    I was instantly drawn to your paper and I really enjoyed reading this!
    As someone who engages with a lot of the social media platforms, TikTok is a platform I haven’t considered using as it was never appealing to me but after reading your paper I’ve definitely learned a thing or two about TikTok and its influence.
    As you’ve mentioned, there are a lot of ‘celebrities’ or influencers and even musicians who have gained popularity through this app, and in saying that, Olivia Rodrigo comes to mind. With that being said, this makes me question whether the music she produces will be as popular in a year as it is now or is it only popular because of the uprising fame she has been receiving via TikTok.
    You mentioned that TikTok’s platform enables everyday people to become famous for being their authentic self but there are other apps that have already been doing this such as Instagram and Youtube.
    There are so many young teenagers who have become significantly popular through TikTok but I’ve never classified these teenagers as ‘celebrities’ before just because they were found on TikTok but your essay really makes me question whether they should be identified as celebrities or not.
    A very thought-provoking read for me, well done! 🙂

    1. Hi Saranya,
      Thank you so much fro reading my paper and commenting!

      I think the popularity of musical artist in the future is a really interesting point. Keeping fame and an interested audience is a difficult task, even some well know artist have only stayed relevant for short periods of time.

      I think that your example of Olivia Rodrigo, is a a great example and potency an outlier. Due to TikTok, she broke out to be a musical artists, but I believe that here musical career will continue to thrive. She has released two new singles after Drivers License, and is releasing an album soon. Her popularity is rising and people love her as an artist. In this example, even if TikTok loses popularity as a social media, Olivia’s music will not be impacted.

      Other Social media’s have everyday people that have risen to fame, but I would argue that TikTok has defiantly changed the game. In part the layout and way content is consumed on the app plays a part in grabbing the attention of an audience better than other social medias. The informality of this app creates a broken barrier between the influencer and audience. I believe that this an aspect of Tiktok that is very unique and helps many users rise to fame due to the close relationship content created have with their audiences.

      Zoe 🙂

  4. Hi Zoe,

    Well done on your paper addressing the use of TikTok by aspiring musicians. I have been fascinated by this platform and how it has been used by different communities around the global, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    You suggest that TikTok has changed our perception of celebrities and created a way for up-and-coming musicians to find a path to stardom. I would argue that this is something that has been happening on sites such as YouTube, Twitter and Instagram for the last decade and is not unique to the TikTok platform.

    In her 2016 chapter, You May Know Me from YouTube (Micro-)Celebrity in Social Media, Alice Marwick suggests that “Miranda Sings, a YouTube star with hundreds of thousands of followers, are able to use social media to amass enough fans to support themselves through their online creative activities” (p. 334). While TikTok was not introduced to a western audience until 2018, this chapter from Marwick suggests that practices of micro-celebrity by aspiring musicians was happening on other platforms before TikTok.

    My question to you would be – what makes TikTok different to these existing platforms for aspiring musicians? Is there something about the community that is created on these platforms that makes the path to fame easier? Or is TikTok just another version of existing platform practices?

    Cheers,

    Mads

    _______

    Marwick, A. E. (2015). You May Know Me from YouTube: (Micro‐)Celebrity in Social Media. In P. D. Marshall & S. Redmond (Eds.), A Companion to Celebrity (pp. 333-350). https://doi-org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/10.1002/9781118475089.ch18

    1. Hey Madison,

      Thank you so much for reading my paper.
      Firstly I would like to address to use of different platform and fame. To an extent, yes other platform have created a path to stardom. However, I would disagree that TikTok is not unique. This platform has created musical artist that have successful broken out in to the musical industry. Along with creating a new outlook on the relationship between celebrities and their fans.

      Social media has always had influencers and celebrities. Nevertheless would argue that TikTok has defiantly changed the game. In part I would also suggest that the layout and way content is consumed on the app (short 30 second videos on a ‘foryoupage’) could play a part in grabbing the attention of an audience better than other social medias.

      Zoe

  5. Hey Zoe,

    First off what an amazing idea for a paper, I love it!

    I just want to say have you listened to Shameless the podcast. Recently, I feel they have discussed a lot what TikTok means to up-and-coming stars and how we are literally watching the next Britney Spears or Beyoncé rising to stardom on the app.

    Obviously, the one person who comes to mind is Olivia Rodrigo, I’m surprised you didn’t write about her, but Peach is a fantastic example too. Rodrigo owes, I would say, the majority of her success to TikTok. I would say there is no way her two new singles would have been as popular as they are without TikTok. And this unique app is allowing us to watch her rise to stardom and world domination in a very unique way that has never happened before.

    I think another point of TikTok stardom which is funny is that people who have amassed millions of followers are now seeking careers in music. An example of this is Addison Rae. I don’t specifically know who they are because I’m not on straight TikTok. But I think it raises an interesting point about people who have gained fame through nonmusical ways gaining entry into the music industry versus people who continuously try to gain entry into the music industry by showcasing their musical talent. Personally, I think it does have something to do with image and what is considered desirable by record labels and mainstream media.

    Love to hear your thoughts!

    1. Hello Zoe and Connor!

      I completely agree with everything you wrote Connor. There are so many celebrities that have used TikTok as a way to gain traction for creating a fan base.

      I believe people are now using TikTok as a stepping stone platform to jump to other modes of being a celebrity. From what I can see it is one of the easiest platforms to gain a large following quickly. although I do believe TikTok is a saturated platform when it comes to content the uniqueness of the for you page gives all users the opportunity to become ‘TikTok famous’ if that is something they desire.

      Thank you for sharing your paper, I found it highly interesting.

      1. Hey Grace,

        Thank you so much fro reading my paper!
        I totally agree that TikTok is a stepping stone to becoming a celebrity, of all genres. I believe that TikTok is becoming more saturated, more users increase the possibility that content will be viewed.

        Would you argue that talent has an effect on TikTok fame?

        Zoe

        1. Hi Zoe,

          I believe that you don’t necessarily have to have the talent to gain TikTok fame but rather a niche. Tiktok can be highly saturated with content which can cause creators to struggle to be able to gain that platform without a niche. For example, the account”alexgriswold” has branded themselves to be TikTok’s mum and dad. This niche of content has caused them to be able to gain a platform without a need for traditional talents.
          https://www.tiktok.com/@alexgriswold?lang=en

          I would love to know your thoughts on this too!

          Grace

          1. Hey Grace,

            I have to agree that due to the wide range of content made on TikTok, niches have a big impact on how people have risen to fame.

            There are plenty of TikTokers that I believe have little talent, or just don’t show care it on the platform. This platform creates celebrities for being uniquely themselves, regardless of talent. Nevertheless, it boosted content creators that have talent in a very helpful directions in order fro them to pursue their goals more.

            Zoe 🙂

    2. Hi Connor,

      Even though I would credit Olivia Rodrigos musical success to TikTok, I wanted to focus on artists that did not have fame behind them. Therefore, I could explore how anyone could rise to fame.

      I would have to agree that there are TikTok celebrities that are randomly wanting a musical career, Dixie D’amelio is also a great example of this. However, I think this a ‘normal’ trait that celebrities go though. Even Paris Hilton and Tyra Banks have tried to pursue music at some point.

      I started using TikTok in 2019, and at the time I would have never seen people becoming famous from this app, or starting their musical career on it. I would have to agree that it is not the usual pathway to become a musician. However, I do believe that it is a great and successful way for new artists to ‘catch their break’.

      Zoe

      1. Hey Zoe,

        I think you make some interesting points. However, the fame Olivia Rodrigo had before releasing Drivers Licence is an interesting example, personally being in High School Musical: The Musical The Series, stupid name, is a completely different level of fame compared to what she is experiencing now.

        When I began using TikTok in 2019 I too couldn’t imagine how people are utilising it now to launch their careers. I think times evolve and how people have their claim to fame change as well, TikTok is now a very effective tool to gain fame and showcase their art.

        Thank you so much, Connor 🙂

  6. Hi Zoe!
    I really enjoyed reading this as I am an avid TikTok user too haha.
    Your paper brought light to me that I had never seen TikTok famous people as celebrities. I had only previously acknowledged celebrities using TikTok and then the people who became famous because of TikTok. I question will these TikTok celebrities still be celebrities if TikTok is shout down like Musically was? Or will it only be the ones who have made more common careers, like music, still be recognisable in the future?
    I think TikTok is a great platform for up and coming artists. In particular I know of Olivia Rodrigo. I think it is also a great way for artists who are already famous to be recognised and earn an income too (like the “How Bizarre” song).

    1. Hi Alicia,

      I’m glad that I was able to give you an insight into the perception of famous Tiktok users as celebrities.

      I think you raise a really interest point of what would happen to the celebrities if the app was taken down. I would have to say: I’m not sure. There are examples such as Peach PRC and Tia Verdes who have now established themselves as musical artist outside of the app. But for the less known artist, I would say their future might not be recognised.

      I do think that Tiktok is the fastest and most powerful social media celebrity manufacturing machine (Jennings, 2020). But it is definitely also bring back music and musicians that are not as recognised in the younger generation. For example: Billy Joel. Here is a short article: https://www.vulture.com/2021/01/the-best-billy-joel-tiktok-songs-and-dances-watch.html

      I would love to hear what you think about TikToks influence on the musical industry and how you think think it has changes the view of all celebrities.

      1. Hi Zoe!
        I think that smaller musicians may not be recognised if TikTok shut down. I think TikTok is a great way for people to be found as I have heard, correct me if I am wrong, that TikTok’s algorithm is easier to be found than on Instagram for example. Personally, TikTok ‘celebrities’ don’t change my views on all celebrities as I still tend to think of them as TikTok famous/Influencers as opposed to celebrities.

        1. Hi Alicia,

          I would love hear your option on artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, both of her new singles of Drivers License and Deja Vu were in the top charts. As of April it was the most listen to song. Her musical career was boosted due to TikTok and I would say TikTok made her songs and her famous. She was relative well known in the acting business for a younger audience. However, TikTok allowed her is break out as a musical artist. Would you not class her as a celebrity?

          Zoe

          1. Hi Zoe!
            I myself listen to Olivia Rodrigo but had not personally heard of her before hearing the song “All I Want” which evidently, as told by the cover art, is from High School Musical: The Musical. Perhaps if I were younger I might see her as a celebrity but I feel like there is a fine line for younger people between who is a celebrity who is an Influencer/TikTok famous person. Growing up, personally, I see people like Brad Pitt, Pink, Angelina Jolie, etc. as celebrities. Because I have seen social media grow, I see people who are well known via these platforms to be TikTok famous, Influencers, Youtubers, etc. until they perhaps break away from those specific platforms and become more known outside of them.
            Personally I think they can transition from TikTok famous to a celebrity which I think Olivia Rodrigo for example is doing, but in terms of Noah Beck and the likes I don’t see them as celebrities.

  7. Hi Zoe,
    I thoroughly enjoyed this paper as who doesn’t love TikTok?

    When touching on both sides of TikTok fame, it is really interesting to see how some people rise to fame through standing in front of a camera and doing a dance where they barely move and some, who hold strong talent, work so hard to get their music or talent of some sort noticed. Your argument makes me consider if TikTok has become so commercialised that there may be no authenticity left. Do we have to be someone that we are not just to get views?

    It’s argued in Yuenwen Wang’s ‘Humour and camera view on mobile short-form video apps influence user experience and technology-adaptation intent, an example of Tiktok’ (2020) that using the first person camera increases the creators social presence and interaction that they receives with their audience. It highlights these points in a way that support your argument with influencers such as Peach PRC. I would argue that the first person camera view breaks the barrier between the influencer and audience as it creates a friendly relationship where they are able to open up to you and you share a vulnerability with them.

    One point I’d like to raise is how TikTok fame can also spread further than music. A group of people located in Los Angeles, USA called the “Hype House” are now getting a Netflix show due to their fame (LATimes, 2021). It may be bold of me to say that this particular group lacks talent but has a lot of charisma which younger audiences look up to. It amplifies how TikTok can take one very far with a bit of luck on the ‘For You Page’.

    Overall your argument was very strong and raises many points of reflection. I would love to know your thoughts.

    Lauren Cherry.

    1. Hi Lauren,

      I am so glad you enjoyed my paper!
      I find your take on commercialisation really interesting and I do believe that within the last year the app has commercialised. The app has become more ‘superficial’, however, I don’t think there is a link to the way users rise to fame on the app.
      There are plenty of older Tiktok influencers that have gained fame for essentially doing nothing. Maybe not the the same extent as those how have progressed to musical fame, nevertheless they still have gained fame.
      This article is a light read with plenty of examples: https://junkee.com/top-tiktok-2020/280973

      I have no doubt that first person camera view breaks the barrier between the influencer and audience. I believe that that is an aspect of Tiktok that is very unique and helps many users rise to fame. The connection between influencers and their audience has fundamentally changed the way fans view celebrities. Would you argue that social presence and interaction that TikToks have with their audiences have changed your perception of celebrities as a whole?

      TikToks algorithm can sometimes seems to work randomly. I do not disagree that Tiktok can make anyone famous, however, I focused my essay specifically on the musical artist on Tiktok. Nevertheless, my argument of anymore rising to fame does work both ways.

      I would love to know your opinion on the relationship between the rise in fame of musical Tiktokers and non-musical TikTokers.

      1. Hi Zoe,

        That was a very interesting article, thank you for sharing.

        There are many levels of ‘fame’ on the app and I would say that at the end of the day, those who put the most effort in, will succeed the furtherest. I would absolutely argue that social presence and interaction have changed my perception of celebrities. When they choose to interact with their views, showing the raw and vulnerable side of them, it feels like a relationship between them and the viewer is being created. I would argue that with celebrities like Lizzo, for example, who is already a big artist, posting on TikTok Tok and interacting with fans makes me want to listen to their music more. This is the same for others such as Doja Cat and Jason Derulo (who is currently on thin ice).

        However with Peach PRC, since she started on TikTok Tok, I felt more inclined to listen to her music and support her because before releasing her music, she created an initial relationship with her honest and funny personality. She made it feel like it was a ‘friends supporting friends’ situation. Without that relationship, I highly doubt she would have as much support for her music.

        Tik Tok has definitely created a safe space for artists to share their stories. Recently a group called Citizen Queen came up on my ‘For You Page’, they were promoting their new song with all of them sitting in the car together talking about how one of the members is going through a break up and that’s what their new song is about. They then sung it acapella which was beautiful and I felt strongly compelled to listen to the song and have had it on loop ever since.

        To me it was the prime example of TikTok Tok being such a strong and supportive platform for this as if someone who was busking in the city shared their story in person, I would walk away afterwards and not be as compelled to listen to their music, as harsh as that may sound.

        Lauren.

        1. Hey Lauren,

          Thank you for sharing your option on this topic! I am inclined to argue that TikTok is creating a ‘new breed’ of musical artists/ celebrities. (Of course with different degrees of talent).

          I would have to argue that celebrities that are famous before TikToks but use TikTok do not have the same connection to their fans, such as artists like Peach PRC. I believe that the new upend coming artists from TikTok will have a more intense fan base.

          I would love to hear your option on this.

          Zoe

          1. Hi Zoe,

            Thank you for your reply.

            I have seen an account on TikTok, owned by a girl who lives in Melbourne however I cannot remember her name. I think that is it Hannah but I will look her up. She is trying to boost her music career and currently busks in Melbourne every weekend. She livestreams this on TikTok every time and during the breaks of her songs, she talks to those who are watching her livestream and even takes requests from them. I think that this is a really effective way to grow that connection and raise her music career.

            There is also another TikTokker named ‘Fash’ who started off by doing ‘point-of-view’ videos which would receive 500 000 to 1 000 000 views. He slowly integrated his music into it and through the love coming from his fans, his music became popular.

            However, do you think that TikTokkers can use their platform to reach things such as acting professionally or becoming a professional dancer?

            Lauren.

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