TikTok’s head of music partnerships in the UK Toyin Mustapha insists the social media platform is "for any artist at any point of their career" despite its popularity with younger acts.
Seeking to dispel a common misconception about the company, Mustapha highlighted the success of catalogue on TikTok.
Speaking in our August issue following TikTok's Music Week Awards win, he said: “Catalogue has had such an incredible resurgence on TikTok, which demonstrates that it is a place for any artist at any point of their career. The TikTok audience is age and genre agnostic; it really does not care whether a song is old or new.
"TikTok caters to all artists at any stage. A big reason for that is that it’s not a passive experience like it used to be. Fans and users are very active and engaged, so they’re interpreting how song lyrics speak to them or how songs sound to them, whether it’s something they could set an amazing video to recap their holiday to, or what outfit they’re wearing, or whatever educational piece they want to share.
"It’s about a piece of music that helps deliver that message for them, while also enabling them to be creative. That really does uniquely place us as a platform."
Ordinary is such a great song; there’s a rawness and a vulnerability to it
Toyin Mustapha
Alex Warren's Ordinary became the longest-running UK No.1 hit of the 2020s earlier this summer, scoring 12 consecutive weeks at the summit. Released in February this year, the track went viral on TikTok prior to reaching the chart peak.
The 24-year-old previously co-founded the TikTok collective Hype House and boasts 18.8 million followers and 1.1 billion likes on the platform. Mustapha reflected on how TikTok had contributed to the US singer-songwriter's breakthrough.
"Ordinary is such a great song; there’s a rawness and a vulnerability to it," he said. "It shows how songs resonate on TikTok. If you look at a lot of the content, it’s reflected in family reunions, family connections and self-growth. People use it to document highs and lows and that’s very reflective of how the song is. That power is why it took off.”
Mustapha also discussed the company's role in breaking domestic artists like Skye Newman and Music Week cover star CMAT, whose single Take A Sexy Picture Of Me inspired a TikTok dance craze.
“What Skye Newman has achieved in such a short span of time has been incredible," he said. "I remember having lunch with Dipesh Parmar [Columbia president] before it all started. We’ve known each other a long time; it was so nice to see him being so excited about Skye and to see her do what she’s done and see that authenticity really drive her success on TikTok.
"It’s been incredible. As a debut artist, it feels like she’s rewriting the rules. It’s really great to see a debut artist just fire out the blocks like that, especially one from the UK."
We really want to support human artistry and make sure human creativity is at the centre of anything and everything
Toyin Mustapha
He continued: "With CMAT, Take A Sexy Picture Of Me has been a really great trend. The really special thing is it’s rooted in meaningful lyrics that clearly resonate. And, while the original inspiration from what CMAT has said was very serious, seeing her turn it into an uplifting, empowering message is really incredible.”
As one half of the electronic DJ duo Toyboy & Robin with his best friend Robert Drake, the executive was once a recording and touring artist himself. The duo were signed by Craig Kallman and Gina Tucci to Warner-owned Big Beat in the US.
Offering his thoughts on the artist protest against the Data (Use And Access) Bill related to AI and copyright, Mustapha suggested he could empathise with musicians' concerns.
“I definitely understand where artists are coming from and I have been, to a degree, in their shoes," he said. "I can’t say I was Elton John level, but I do get it. I think that’s why it’s really important for people to know that as a platform, we are responsible. The best way I can put it is we are committed to nurturing that human artistry and that’s something that I’m proud of us for thinking about. That is definitely something I want to make clear.”
He concluded: "We really want to support human artistry and make sure human creativity is at the centre of anything and everything. My job is to work with artists and their teams and to make sure they connect with TikTok users. We want to make sure that we are supporting and nurturing UK artists and their artistry. That’s the bottom line.”
Subscribers can read the full Music Week Interview with Mustapha here.
