>> The singer Halsey put up a TikTok last week complaining about her label’s obsession with TikTok. “I have a song I love I wanna release ASAP,” she told fans on the platform, “but my record label won’t let me. I’ve been in this industry for eight years and I’ve sold over 165 million records, and my record company is saying that I can’t release it unless they can fake a viral moment on TikTok.”

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The article is talking about how Record Labels are no longer doing upfront funding. The artist has to become a viral sensation on TikTok __BEFORE__ the record labels put up the money for them.

Oliver Tree told the same thing on a number of podcasts on YouTube

they’re not gonna let him make an album unless he reaches a million followers on instagram and then changed this number to 6 million

he just accidentally made a hit song “Life goes on” and only then was he allowed to make the next album

That doesn't make sense. Halsey is already signed. She doesn't need the capital or really even the label any more. But at one point she did - so she signed away those rights and the record label is holding it over her right now.

Authenticity. Once you can fake that you’ll really go places