With the slow downfall of Saturday night television, people’s attention has turned to social media. With a total of over one billion active users, TikTok has become the leading content-sharing platform that has put a twist on finding the next big talent.
After years running talent shows on prime-time Saturday night television, music industry giant, Simon Cowell, has seen this growth in social media as a potential market and has transferred his skills over, alongside others, to create a unique and ground-breaking venture StemDrop.
Working together, TikTok, Syco Entertainment (Simon Cowell’s British media entertainment company), Universal Music Group, Republic Records and Samsung, are set to release their new talent-finding venture StemDrop on October 26th, 2022.
This blog will look at what StemDrop actually is, what it involves, and what both Simon and TikTok had to say about the drop of this exciting new feature.
So, what is StemDrop?
With an ever-changing world, StemDrop has been brought in to revolutionise the industry of music collaboration on a global scale. Acting as an incubator for new talent, artistry and creativity, StemDrop will provide an opportunity for all artists and music creators from anywhere in the world to collaborate with some of the very best and most iconic song writing talents of all time.
October 26th marks the date that “A Song for the World” is released. TikTok users and creators all around the world are presented with an exclusive music “stem” called “Red Lights”, which is written and produced by some of the most prolific hitmakers from around the globe.
Creators can experiment with the first of its kind “StemDrop Mixer”. Through individual effects, harmonies and melodies, the users can create and upload their own unique version of the song, allowing them to showcase their talent to the world and hopefully become noticed by Simon Cowell, Universal Music Group and Republic Records.
The first StemDrop – Red Lights
Written by Max Martin, Savan Kotecha and Ali Payami, the song “Red Lights” will be exclusively released to the TikTok community on the back of the launch of StemDrop. In a hope to kick-off this new generation of global music collaboration, the song and its “stems” including its individual components such as the drums, bass guitar, vocals etc. will be released to the TikTok community – and their job is to get creative with it.
Through the new StemDrop page, creators will be able to create, record and share their own versions of the song, releasing it to their followers and the world, kick-starting and pushing their music careers.
Who are the songwriters behind the exclusive single “Red Lights”?
TikTok have teamed up with three of the biggest music producers and songwriters in the world to start-up their brand-new musical venture. Building a team led by Max Martin, TikTok hope to not only produce their first “stem” but also produce a song that can top the charts.
Max Martin is a Swedish record producer and song writer who has worked with some of the biggest names in the world of music. Rising to prominence in the late 90’s, Max made a string of hit singles such as the iconic Britney Spear’s single “…Baby One More Time”, Backstreet Boys’ “I Want it That Way” and Celine Dion’s “That’s The Way It Is”.
Coming in at third for the most number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, Max Martin has had 25 incredibly successful singles. Only falling short behind music legends Paul McCartney and John Lennon, Max is one of the most successful individuals in the industry.
Second on the list is the American record producer and songwriter Savan Kotecha. Just like Max, Savan has worked with some of the biggest artists of the 21st century. Co-writing songs with The Weeknd, One Direction and Ariana Grande, Savan has also had an amazing career.
Finally, there is Ali Payami. Ali is an Iranian-Swedish record producer, songwriter, and worldwide DJ, who won a Grammy for Album of the Year for his contributions to co-writing Taylor Swift’s album 1989 back in 2016. Also having worked with the likes of Ellie Goulding and Katy Perry, TikTok have drafted together one of the strongest teams in the industry to help them launch StemDrop successfully.
What Simon Cowell had to say about the launch
“Hit songs are like diamonds and they can change an artist’s career overnight. With tens of thousands of songs uploaded every day this idea will give aspiring artists the opportunity to collaborate with some of the most successful songwriters in the world.
“The premise was always very straightforward… ‘What would happen if the best songwriters in the world wrote a song for the world…….?’ We have no idea what’s going to happen. I do know there are so many incredibly talented people who are trying to stand out and I hope and believe this could make a big difference to their careers.
“It says everything about Max Martin, Savan and Ali that they have decided to give this song to the TikTok community to record and collaborate with them.
“I want to thank them so much for believing in this idea. In addition, I want to thank TikTok, Samsung and Universal for their support and enthusiasm. Again, their passionate support of talented people is amazing.”
What TikTok themselves had to say about their new feature
Talking about the launch, TikTok’s Global Head of Music, Ole Obermann, said: “We are thrilled to finally announce StemDrop to the world. Some of the biggest names in entertainment, music and technology are coming together to supercharge music discovery in a way never seen before, using the power of TikTok to unearth new talent.
“Every day, brilliant, undiscovered artists and songwriters turn to TikTok to share their music and find a global audience; StemDrop will put a spotlight on this talent and act as a springboard to help them build their careers.”
Revolutionising the way in which in new talent is to be discovered, TikTok has provided a platform for new and upcoming artists to showcase their skills and develop their careers. Here at Influencer Matchmaker, we are really excited to see what is to come of this venture and hope it brings limelight to new and talented individuals from around the globe.
