Was TikTok Killing REAL Music? Queen Naija’s Daring Assertion and Why It Issues

By: Wet ” Nation Cutie” Cates

Okay, seize your popcorn, as a result of this one goes to be an actual trip. If you happen to haven’t heard, Queen Naija simply dropped a controversial assertion about TikTok and the way forward for music—and let me inform you, she didn’t maintain again. The R&B singer, identified for her powerhouse vocals and unapologetic takes, sparked a debate that’s already going viral. However did she go too far? Or is she onto one thing all of us want to listen to?

Let’s break it down. 

By now, everyone knows what’s happening with TikTok. The platform that skyrocketed numerous unknowns to fame is on the ropes. Between political drama, nationwide safety issues, and threats of an entire ban, it’s trying just like the app we’ve all been scrolling by religiously may very well be saying goodbye before we expect.

TikTok has been a cultural game-changer—don’t get it twisted. It’s a platform the place artists have gained hundreds of thousands of followers primarily based on 15 seconds of viral clips. Whether or not it’s a catchy beat, a viral dance problem, or a lip-sync to the newest chart-topping hit, TikTok has catapulted artists from obscurity to superstardom.

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Now, right here’s the place it will get spicy. Not too long ago, Queen Naija made waves when she mentioned, “I really feel like TikTok being gone will open doorways again up for artists who make REAL music.”

Gasp!

Let’s pause and take a second as a result of this can be a BIG declare. What does she imply by “REAL music”? Is she throwing shade on the TikTok group? Or does she simply need to see the return of full albums, lyrics with that means, and music that doesn’t simply stay for a 10-second viral clip?

It’s not like Queen Naija mentioned that TikTok artists aren’t artists. No. She particularly mentioned actual music, and there’s a large distinction.

Look, TikTok has given many artists the possibility to be seen—whether or not they had been prepared for it or not. Lil Nas X went from viral meme to a Grammy-winning artist because of TikTok. Olivia Rodrigo’s hit single “Drivers License” virtually lived on the app earlier than it turned a chart-topping anthem.

However right here’s the factor: Whereas TikTok is an unbelievable instrument for discovery, the actual query is: Does a viral TikTok track really translate into long-term musical careers?

Positive, individuals love the catchy hooks, the dances, the 15-second snippets that take over your feed. However what occurs when the viral development fades? Is that “artist” nonetheless round? Will they nonetheless have an album that stands the take a look at of time, or had been they only a flash within the pan.

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Don’t get me flawed, I really like a viral second. However let’s be sincere, making a profession off a one-hit-wonder is like successful the lottery—uncommon, fleeting, and principally a product of the algorithm’s whim. True music, the type that lasts, requires greater than a catchy soundbite. It requires artistry, time, effort, and most significantly: emotion.

Now, Queen Naija is onto one thing. REAL music is concerning the craft. It’s about sitting down, writing lyrics that talk to your soul, creating melodies that carry that means, and placing your coronary heart on the monitor—particularly when the studio isn’t a spot the place you’re simply following tendencies or mimicking what’s viral.

It takes months, years, and generally a lifetime to create a physique of labor that may stand the take a look at of time. We’re speaking full albums, stay performances, and a reference to followers that doesn’t depend on a TikTok problem however on pure artistry. Actual musicians are constructing legacies—albums that folks will nonetheless be bumping in 20 years. “Straight Outta Compton” by N.W.A? A traditional. “Confessions” by Usher? Iconic. These aren’t TikTok hits; these are actual, timeless albums which have created whole musical eras.

Now, earlier than we go any additional, let’s not discredit TikTokers. There are individuals on TikTok making artwork in their very own method. They’re creating moments, influencing tendencies, and bringing consideration to new music in methods conventional platforms can’t. They’re entertainers in their very own proper, and their affect is plain.

One commenter on Queen Naija’s assertion made a wonderful level: “Individuals on tik tok are actual artists additionally.” 

And you realize what? I completely agree with that. TikTok artists are creating artwork in their very own lane. However Queen Naija by no means mentioned they weren’t artists—she simply mentioned they aren’t *making actual music*.

There’s a distinction between being a “creator” and being a “musician.” The strains have blurred, and it’s time we acknowledge that either side can exist with out tearing one another down. TikTokers, maintain doing all your factor. However bear in mind, there’s nonetheless a spot for albums, stay reveals, and music that sticks with you lengthy after the app has closed.

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The top of TikTok—if it really occurs—may very effectively open up the door for artists who’re targeted on creating timeless, genre-defining music. We may even see a return to the times when artists needed to grind it out by conventional channels, specializing in constructing fanbases the old style method: by stay reveals, full albums, and never simply viral TikTok dances.

However for us music lovers, the last word takeaway is that this: Actual music by no means goes out of favor. TikTok or not, we’ll at all times be right here for the true artists who make us really feel, make us cry, make us dance, and most significantly, make us consider within the energy of music.

So inform me, what do you assume? Is Queen Naija proper? Will TikTok’s finish really pave the way in which for REAL music to rise once more? Or are you a part of the TikTok crowd that believes these artists are simply as deserving of recognition? Drop a remark beneath, share your ideas, and let’s maintain the dialog going. 

Let’s not overlook—in terms of music, whether or not it’s 15 seconds or quarter-hour, true artistry will at all times discover a method to shine.