Taylor Swift fans have come up with a clever solution after her music was removed from TikTok due to a licensing dispute between the social media platform and her record label. Along with other popular musicians like Olivia Rodrigo, Drake, Rihanna, and Ariana Grande, Swift’s music was taken down by Universal Music Group (UMG) when they failed to reach a new licensing agreement with TikTok.
The disappearance of Swift’s songs from TikTok on February 1st led to an outpouring of shock and disappointment from her devoted fans, known as Swifties. Some fans even made jokes suggesting that Swift would have to re-record her albums for a third time, as she is currently in the process of re-recording her catalog to gain ownership of her early songs. One fan even proposed calling this hypothetical third recording “TikTok Version.”
However, other fans have found a way to keep Swift’s music alive on the platform. They have started posting covers of her songs as a workaround to the removal. This has given serious musicians an opportunity to showcase their talents by sharing their versions of Swift’s music and encouraging other users to utilize them in their videos.
For example, singer Euan Blackman posted a cover of Swift’s 2020 song “betty” with the caption, “So all of Taylor Swift’s music is getting removed from TikTok, but it’s fine because you can use this sound instead.” Similarly, Talia Sporkin shared her own rendition of Swift’s 2023 track “Sl*t!” and invited requests for other Swift songs to cover in the comments section.
In addition to musicians, influencers have also joined in on the trend by posting comical videos of their covers. Chris Olsen, an influencer, hilariously sang Swift’s 2008 hit “You Belong With Me” while playing air guitar with a vacuum cleaner. Another user even filmed themselves dancing to a Swift song in a grocery store.
While some independent artists on TikTok didn’t cover Swift’s songs, they took advantage of the social media attention and the absence of UMG’s big names to promote their own original work.
Overall, Swift’s fans have demonstrated their creativity and dedication by finding alternative ways to enjoy her music on TikTok despite the licensing dispute. This workaround not only allows them to continue sharing their love for Swift’s music, but it also provides a platform for emerging musicians to showcase their talents.
