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 journey. Should you haven’t heard, Queen Naija simply dropped a controversial assertion about TikTok and the way forward for music—and let me let you know, 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 considerations, and threats of a whole ban, it’s wanting just like the app we’ve all been scrolling by means of religiously could possibly be saying goodbye ahead of we expect.

TikTok has been a cultural game-changer—don’t get it twisted. It’s a platform the place artists have gained thousands and 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 most recent 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 stated, “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 it is a BIG declare. What does she imply by “REAL music”? Is she throwing shade on the TikTok neighborhood? 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 stated that TikTok artists aren’t artists. No. She particularly stated actual music, and there’s an enormous distinction.

Look, TikTok has given many artists the prospect to be seen—whether or not they have 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 grew to become a chart-topping anthem.

However right here’s the factor: Whereas TikTok is an unimaginable software for discovery, the true query is: Does a viral TikTok track actually 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 pattern fades? Is that “artist” nonetheless round? Will they nonetheless have an album that stands the check of time, or have been they only a flash within the pan.

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Don’t get me fallacious, I like a viral second. However let’s be trustworthy, 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 traits or mimicking what’s viral.

It takes months, years, and generally a lifetime to create a physique of labor that may stand the check 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 basic. “Confessions” by Usher? Iconic. These aren’t TikTok hits; these are actual, timeless albums which have created complete 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 approach. They’re creating moments, influencing traits, and bringing consideration to new music in methods conventional platforms can’t. They’re entertainers in their very own proper, and their affect is simple.

One commenter on Queen Naija’s assertion made a wonderful level: “Folks 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 stated they weren’t artists—she simply stated they aren’t *making actual music*.

There’s a distinction between being a “creator” and being a “musician.” The traces have blurred, and it’s time we acknowledge that each side can exist with out tearing one another down. TikTokers, preserve doing all of 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 actually occurs—might very properly open up the door for artists who’re centered on creating timeless, genre-defining music. We may even see a return to the times when artists needed to grind it out by means of conventional channels, specializing in constructing fanbases the old school approach: by means of 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 imagine within the energy of music.

So inform me, what do you assume? Is Queen Naija proper? Will TikTok’s finish actually pave the best way 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 under, share your ideas, and let’s preserve 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 approach to shine.

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