Every TikTok musician trying to make a name for themselves from the comfort of their bedrooms can only dream of the kind of viral success Teddy Swims has achieved. The singer, 31, sat down with Metro.co.
uk to discuss his recent collaboration with Rockstar energy – which saw him giving a surprise performance in Reading train station to hordes of delighted fans – and his quick rise to fame. As the music industry weathers rapid change thanks to the effects of social media, many have decried TikTok and other video platforms as the death of true music as an artform instead of a marketing tool. But Teddy couldn’t disagree more, explaining that he thinks social media has democratized a music industry that’s historically been elitist and exclusive.
‘I think it’s a beautiful thing, because there’s room for everybody to be successful and get what they want and find their audience,’ he says in his syrupy Georgia accent. He continues noting that many musicians balk at the idea of building a social media following because they’re precious about their art. To Teddy, that’s foolish pretense.
‘They think they’re an artist, but they’re not an entertainer, and so they don’t want to do the content. They don’t really see how much of an opportunity it is. It can be authentic to you.
I think it’s been a beautiful thing to see that if something feels authentic, people can connect to it.’ He continues: ‘It puts the power in the people’s hands to decide what song.