Dominic Richard Harrison, professionally known as YUNGBLUD, has teamed up with TikTok musician Chloe Noone for a remix of his song “parents.” Released in 2019, “parents” has surpassed 1.7 million streams on Spotify and is certified silver in the United Kingdom.
The song was originally released on his 2019 EP, “the underrated youth,” but YUNGBLUD released an instrumental backing of “parents” on TikTok and asked for collaborators to add a verse for a remixed version. After responding to multiple submissions, Noone was chosen as the lucky candidate that would be featured on the track.
As an aspiring singer-songwriter, 19-year-old Noone began posting snippets of her songs on the global platform. This has led to mass commercial success for other people, whether by releasing their own work or by getting their music circulated through popular trends and dances.
Nessa Barrett and Jaden Hossler, professionally known as jxdn, have reached mainstream radio success after achieving TikTok success, and artists like The Kid LAROI and Doja Cat have received radio play and commercial success after their music gained traction via viral trends on the app.
YUNGBLUD and Noone released the song with her original lyrics, which they recorded together in Parr Street Studios in Liverpool just one day after she had been selected.
With a garage band and DIY sound, the indie-punk song is a rebellious, coming-of-age anthem. Although the original song is teenage angst at its peak, the remix advocates for women’s rights. Noone sings, “I’m sick and tired of women bein’ labeled as the villain / when in reality all we want is equality / ‘cause it’s a dress not a yes, I won’t say it again / your sexist ideology, that respect is earned by modesty, yeah.”
Referring to the patriarchy, Noone sings her own lyrics. The rest of her verse goes, “Women are powerful, beautiful, wonderful / we’ll scream it at the top of our lungs / our body, our choice / all together, use your voice.”
With subtle references to intersectional feminism, Noone’s writing complements YUNGBLUD’s indie-pop-punk production.
YUNGBLUD revealed the collab in mid-March on Instagram, saying that “chloe noone, is 19 years old from Liverpool!!! her verse just jumped out of the screen and especially right now what she is talking about is something that people need to hear! i love chloe and her family are amazing. i can’t wait to bring her out on stage to sing it with me. this whole thing is about us always, this is our culture, we are one! parents feat. @chloenoone_music is out everywhere now.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMhSn6kLDFf/
The added verse created a layer of depth that, as YUNGBLUD states, is relevant and necessary, but speaks to the possibilities for a young, underground artist to be recognized and introduced to the mainstream.
Noone’s connection to YUNGBLUD came from a free app that can easily be downloaded on your phone, pointing to TikTok’s growth as a platform for people to connect and gain traction.
However, discoverability is separate from retention, so the question remains: Who will Chloe Noone be as an artist, and can she survive the twists and turns of the music industry?
With 65,000 followers on TikTok at only 19 years of age, Noone is just beginning her career, and her future in the industry cannot be predicted, but TikTok’s role in it will certainly be something to watch out for.
Looking at other artists who started on TikTok, viewers can see that Dixie D’Amelio and Addison Rae have branched out to launch their own pop singing careers after reaching optimal TikTok fame. However, there is a soft spot for TikTok musicians when it comes to pop-punk. Travis Barker, famed for playing drums for Blink-182, signing jxdn to his record label, which is linked to Machine Gun Kelly and YUNGBLUD himself. LILHUDDY started on TikTok, but he recently branched out and started his own music career; he’s now signed to Interscope records.
TikTok is a place where singer-songwriters write original tracks and/or post their original lyrics in tandem with established artists, much like Chloe Noone did. But it is also the place for Broadway fanatics, spoken word poetry, harmony happenings and a capella innovations. The app has it all, and producers, writers and record execs are noticing.
Look no further than Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow, who will be releasing an album with Broadway-inspired songs based on the hit Netflix show “Bridgerton.” They have also received a feature from BBC and shoutouts from the show’s cast.
Artists like Tate McRae, Madison Beer and Olivia Rodrigo cannot be linked directly to TikTok fame, despite having a large following and being active on the app. They got their start in music and then moved to TikTok. Whether artists branched out to TikTok or influencers branched out to music, the app is the place where music is happening. It may be fleeting like all other technology and trends can be, but for now, it is a space for musicians, producers and writers to create and collaborate like never before.
