Simon Cowell's new music project gives TikTok users unreleased music

Record ID: 1693785

  • Title: Simon Cowell's new music project gives TikTok users unreleased music
  • Date: 19th October 2022
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (FILE - JULY 31, 2020) (REUTERS) TIK TOK LOGO ON PHONE SCREEN NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA (FILE - OCTOBER 9, 2019) (REUTERS) TIK TOK ON PHONE SCREEN AND APP BEING LAUNCHED
  • Embargoed: 2nd November 2022 04:11
  • Keywords: AMERICA'S GOT TALENT AMERICAN IDOL BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT KELLY CLARKSON LEONA LEWIS LITTLE MIX ONE DIRECTION SIMON COWELL STEMDROP SYCO TIKTOK X FACTOR
  • Location: MALIBU, CALIFORNIA, USA + FILE
  • City: MALIBU, CALIFORNIA, USA + FILE
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Music,United States
  • Reuters ID: LVA005265716102022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: TV’s most famous talent scout is back. But this time, he’s focusing on social media.
    Simon Cowell, the man behind hits including the ‘Got Talent’ series which is seen around the world, ‘American Idol’ and ‘The X Factor’, is heading to TikTok where he believes the world’s next music superstar could be waiting.
    Users will have access to new unnamed songs by famous producers through the service StemDrop. After getting each song, TikTokers can take the elements of it and interpret them in any way they like, including different genres, tempos and more. The idea is for them to make the music their own.
    “You will have the ability to co-write a song with, you know, one of the greatest songwriters of all time. And that just doesn't happen in the real world” explains Cowell during an exclusive TV interview with Reuters, ahead of the launch of StemDrop next week.
    The idea is that a song is given to the platform for users to adapt in any way they like. The name of the tune hasn’t been revealed, but it’s written by music icon, Max Martin, who has produced hits for big name stars from P!nk and Britney Spears to Bon Jovi, The Weeknd, Backstreet Boys, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift.
    “At the heart of it was a very, very simple premise, which was a song written for, you know, somebody new. And over time, between the two of us, we went, ‘Actually, this will sit much better on a social media platform than a conventional TV show.’ And then just at that time, TikTok just blew up,” says Cowell at his mansion in Malibu, adding: “Max loved the idea when we basically said, 'Would you write a song for the world? Instead of giving your next big song to The Weeknd or Ariana or whoever you're working with, why don't we just give it to the to the community on TikTok?' And he went 'I love this idea.’”
    Unlike other previous Cowell ventures, there’s no guaranteed record deal, but he says it gives aspiring artists the ingredients to record something special that could be picked up by a talent scout.
    “They can write the verse, the bridge. They can make it slow, fast. They can change it into an R&B song, pop song, country song, rock song, whatever... It's completely up to them. We just don't know what's going to happen. There could be one incredible version of the song, and there could be 20 incredible versions of the song. I really, really don't know, other than I believe it's so important that we're doing this to give people a head start.”
    Cowell and Martin have a long-standing relationship, both stalwarts of the industry who have worked with some of music’s biggest names.
    But there’s one issue that still nags at Cowell which goes back decades. Martin chose to give ‘Baby One More Time’ to then unknown Britney Spears, instead of boy group ‘5ive’, who Cowell had signed and were then on the verge of breaking into the American market.
    “I heard the demo. I didn't know Max well. I called Max and I went, 'I have to have this song for this band', because I knew even though it was a girl on the demo, it would work for a boy band. It was just a hit. And he went 'I've promised it to someone called Britney Spears' And I went 'no, never heard of her.' And he went 'well. I promised it to her.' I said, 'I'm going to give you some advice, Max. No one with a name like Britney Spears is going to have a hit. So give me the song, please.' 24 hours later, he calls me: “Can't break the promise.' So... And then, of course, that story has always resonated, which was: a hit is a hit. And these are like diamonds, these songs”, says Cowell.
    It’s been a tough few years for the producer, who is now back to full health following a freak biking accident in 2020. Cowell fell and broke his back, leaving him terrified he’d never be able to walk again.
    “I think if I was going back in time and if I could replay the day I broke my back, I would have to go 'Right, we're doing it. I'm going to break my back' because off the back of it, I realized how unfit I was as part of my recovery. It started with walking and then actually getting back on my bike, etc., etc. because I really, really wasn't fit. So weirdly, even though it hurts a bit and I have no feeling in my left leg because of my nerves, I actually feel better than I felt four years ago. It's really weird” he says and then goes on to laugh: “I feel much better physically and mentally than I have for a long time. So if you want to get well, just break your back like I did.”
    The initial idea for StemDrop is that a song will launch roughly every ten weeks, though Cowell won’t be drawn on who else he’s lined up to work with on subsequent tunes.
    Other partners involved in the venture include Samsung and Universal Music Group/Republic.
    StemDrop officially launches on TikTok on October 26.
    (Production: Phil Lavelle)
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