The efforts to ban TikTok haven’t slowed down the social media network’s impact, especially in the music industry. In July, the app officially entered the game by launching a music streaming service of its own. While many recording artists have the platform to thank for their newly found success not, not everyone is pleased with its algorithm’s push for constant content.
During a conversation with Metro, rising pop star and past Uproxx cover star Griff expressed her frustrations with TikTok’s influence over record labels and, at times, its intrusive nature. Despite having opened for artists such as Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and more, the singer still has to fight it out with others to shift their users’ attention toward her music.
“It’s very strange. My ratio of job is more social media now than it is about music, which is kind of sad,” said Griff.
She added, “You kind of just have to do it. Do I love it? No. But it can be really useful if you’re really diligent with it.”
Griff then stressed that it’s all just one big guessing game to see what sticks when she stated, “Not even maybe — absolutely. I’m not really sure record labels know what they’re doing. No one knows what they’re doing. It’s kind of amazing because it’s made music a little bit more democratic. But it also is really frustrating because everyone is revolving around an algorithm that no one knows how it works.”
Other acts, such as Halsey, even accused labels of pressuring talent on their roster to manufacture viral moments to push new releases.
While Griff stressed that TikTok does provide users with great networking opportunities, she shared, “Anytime there’s a camera on my face, I don’t feel very comfortable.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.