Following criticism of the app’s lack of inclusivity and censorship of Black creators in the wake of George Floyd’s death, social media behemoth TikTok has become a hub for Black Lives Matter content.
TikTok recently released an official statement, apologizing to the community and acknowledging their concerns. “First, to our Black community: We want you to know that we hear you and we care about your experiences on TikTok,” the statement reads. “We acknowledge and apologise to our Black creators and community who have felt unsafe, unsupported, or suppressed. We don’t ever want anyone to feel that way. We welcome the voices of the Black community wholeheartedly.”
As of today, June 10th, 2020, TikTok videos containing the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag have accumulated a staggering 8.7 billion views. As the newfangled epicenter of music-related social content, TikTok’s platform is responsible not only for countless new trends in culture and music, but also for unearthing old songs and breathing life into them through timeless lyrics.
One such example is The Chainsmokers‘ single “Paris,” an audial ode to unbridled youth and puppy love. The track from the duo’s 2017 debut album Memories…Do Not Open has recently emerged as a de facto Black Lives Matter anthem on TikTok due to the lyric, “If we go down, then we go down together,” which was turned into a widely used hashtag. You can check out a few recent TikTok videos containing “Paris” below.
