About a month ago, Zara Larsson‘s friends started sending her obscure TikTok videos that used her song with Clean Bandit, “Symphony.” The posts had random observations or dark self-loathing messages — like “I have social anxiety,” “I’m scared of people,” and “I’m pregnant and it’s yours” — written over images …
Read More »The Mormon Swinging Moms Got A Reality Show. These Swingers Have Thoughts
When a friend group of Mormon mothers-turned-TikTok influencers blew up on TikTok, the drama at the center was a rumor that each of the mothers (and their partners) participated in soft swinging —essentially attending parties and swapping partners with each other. Led by TikTok star Taylor Frankie Paul, the rumor …
Read More »TikTokers Keep Inventing Money 'Hacks' That Are Actually Fraud
There’s no such thing as free money. But on TikTok, the apparent solution to that adage seems to be ignoring it entirely — often committing fraud in the process. Over the weekend, the phrase “Chase bank hack” went viral on the video-sharing app after users became convinced that the ATM …
Read More »'Who TF Did I Marry' Gets the TV Treatment
“Who TF Did I Marry,” the viral 50-part TikTok series that captured the internet earlier this year, is finally returning to people’s screens. And this time, it’s as a television series. According to an exclusive reveal from Variety, actress Natasha Rothwell is developing a TV adaptation of the TikTok “Who …
Read More »Is Shanin Blake, the 'Alien Conspiracist E-Girl,' for Real?
“I’ve been chilling in the mountains of Peru/Drinking ayahuasca with the shamans too/Cup of San Pedro to shift the mood,” Shanin Blake croons over a smooth, R&B-inflected groove. She’s got a giant mass of platinum blonde dreads and she’s wearing a white crocheted bikini top, a wide-brimmed hat, and an …
Read More »How Hard Is It to Take Off on TikTok?
I n the beginning, there was nothing. And influencers said, “Let there be light.” Ring lights, that is. For the past five years, I’ve reported on social media’s watershed moments and interviewed countless content creators at different stages of their careers. What I’ve never done, though, is try to become …
Read More »Being Funny Online Is Hard. These Creators Figured It Out
“We’re gonna be making content until the day we die!” It’s an observation that seems extreme, but coming from TikTok comedians Sabrina Brier and Kyle Gordon, it’s a peek into the hilarious and often nonsensical world of making comedy online. As the creator economy expands, influencers and creators have infiltrated …
Read More »How A Simple Apartment Tour Made Two Influencers Stars
Haley Kalil and Caleb Simpson have over 30 million followers combined and are part of a budding generation of creators paving their own paths to success. But if you ask where they got their start, the answer is as easy as picking up a camera. “I picked up a camera …
Read More »Why Creators Have Stopped Editing Their Content
WHEN DAN HENTSCHEL, a 28-year-old comedic YouTuber, goes to make a video, he props his phone up on the dashboard of his car, talks for up to 40 minutes uninterrupted, and posts it. “I don’t edit them,” he says of his videos. “The whole reason why people are enjoying this …
Read More »Tim Walz Joins TikTok With a Signature Dad Joke
Tim Walz is following Vice President Kamala Harris‘ lead and joining TikTok. On Friday, Harris’ running mate launched his own account on the platform — and got his started with one of his silly dad jokes. “Hey everybody, Tim here with Scout at the dog park along the Mississippi doing …
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