Taylor Swift, one of the most influential artists in contemporary music, has once again surprised fans by making her songs available on the TikTok platform. This move not only heralds the release of her highly anticipated album but also sheds new light on how the artist perceives this social media platform.
Despite Taylor Swift's close collaboration with Universal Music Group (UMG) since 2018, it appears that Taylor has likely signed a separate agreement with TikTok. This move seems to contradict UMG's interests but also demonstrates that Swift does not need record labels - she needs her fans. Just like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift cares about fans, especially superfans. Why is this possible? Swift has full control over her songs, thanks to owning the masters. With the masters of her songs in hand, Swift can promote her music and herself as she pleases, without the obligation to consult her plans and strategies with the record label. If you think about it correctly, this is an important signal for any artist on how to control their career if they think about it in the right way. Major labels' interests do not always align with those of musicians!
Swift's move to TikTok may also stem from another reason. UMG is unable to provide the artist with a specific engagement from her fans. The TikTok platform provides her with this information!
Certainly, the discussions between the record label and Swift's team were and are difficult. However, Swift emerged victorious from this duel. She is slowly becoming a pioneer in the relationship between majors and artists. Her example shows that it is worth fighting for what you believe in!
Swift has always used various forms of social media to connect with fans. From the start of her career, it was Tumblr, and before the release of the "Reputation" album in 2017, the artist deleted all her posts on Instagram. For the "Midnights" album in 2022, Swift released a series of videos on TikTok revealing the titles of subsequent tracks. For her, the TikTok platform is a source of fan engagement. And that remains a critical component of her success.
Although Swift has invested a lot of effort in fighting for artists' rights in the past, her return to TikTok may suggest that fan engagement is a priority for her. Despite allegations of leveraging her position in the music market to her advantage, Swift remains one of the most influential figures in the industry.
In conclusion, Taylor Swift's return to TikTok not only underscores her independence in making decisions regarding the promotion of her music but also proves that fan engagement remains a key element of her career. For Swift, TikTok is not just a social media platform but also a tool for building and maintaining close relationships with fans.
Image: Taylor Swift performs in Singapore on March 2. (Ashok Kumar/Getty Images) (Ashok Kumar/TAS24 via Getty Images)