T I K T O K

Words: Abigail O'Branovich Photography: Abigail O'Branovich T A K E S Styling: Canva O V E R

Musical.y, Vine, may it rest in peace. They have both culminated into one spot…Tik Tok. Tik Tok is a hub for people to create content and share dances. A very prominent trend right now is “Point of Views”, or POVs. In a POV, a user will create a story, or insert themselves into an already existing story with music playing behind. However, the music playing behind those videos has a rich history that is not being acknowledged.

POV’s are a big trend on Tik Tok. People will choose a song to play and have their character mouth the lyrics from the song as if they were actually saying it in the given situation. A common song that keeps occurring in the app is “Sway” by Dean Martin. This is a personal favorite of mine and I feel that it is being manipulated in a way that was never meant to be listened to in the first place.

| 30 When the song is used in the app, it “Love Story”, it won’t say that is by sounds deeper and slower. The song Dino or , unless said is typically used in romantic and artist released it under their account. This is an almost sexy situations, opposite of If a Taylor Swift sound is created and what the intention was in the 50s. released under Johnny Appleseed’s infringement on the To note, Tik Tok only provides 15-60 account, Tik Tok will claim that it is second cuts of the song. When a their sound. People go on living artists’ work. They song is used on the platform, the thinking that a hit made by a same section is being used. Ergo, member of the Rat Pack is a new have spent a becoming familiarized with the song that was released last year. This users. is an infringement on the artists’ copious amount of Another trend that has started is work. They have spent a copious “Love Story”. Users dance to Taylor amount of time on their art. And, for time on their art. Swift’s 2010 bop that transitioned a user to, basically, claim it as their her from country queen to a pop own is wrong. And, for a user to, sensation. Lots of comments have However, songs have found a way arisen under the videos claiming that of becoming popular on the app as basically, claim it as they didn’t know that is was the well. ’s “Heather” has star’s song, they only knew it from become a very popular trend. Users their own is wrong. Tik Tok. This just goes to prove that drift their eyes across the screen as songs that are heard on the app are they watch Heather “walk by”. I think presumed fresh and new. that Tik Tok is good and bad. If you People tend to think this because were to use it as a jumping point to under the song (refer to picture of get your music out there, I think that boys dancing) it will say it is a great idea, as most of Gen Z is (johnnyappleseed123’s original on there. But, to dehumanize a song sound) or, a different name entirely. that was popular in the 50s, is a which is not true. If the song is different game in and of itself. playing “Sway” or

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