TikTok Opens up a New Music World for Jawsh 685

TikTok has only been part of our lives for two years, but it’s already had a massive impact on the music business, the BBC reports. South Auckland producer Joshua Nanai, 17, better known as Jawsh 685, has seen the benefit of TikTok’s ability to boost unknown acts.

He uploaded an instrumental track called Laxed Siren Beat Loop earlier this year from his bedroom in Manurewa. It quickly got millions of hits and caught the attention of Jason Derulo who sang over the track to create Savage Love, which became the UK’s second-biggest selling song of the summer, according to the Official Charts Company.

Nanai says the attention from new fans, DMs from Derulo, who has 30 million followers on TikTok, and “heaps of labels” wanting to sign him was “really overwhelming” to start with.

Having signed a worldwide deal with Columbia Records, the teenager has a management team helping him decide which beats to put on TikTok.

“I didn’t really have any big resources or anything like that … now I’m planning to make beats with other artists.

“It’s been crazy seeing my music get out there.”

Original article by BBC, September 11, 2020.