Kesha is trying to keep things light for fans who are worried about the looming ban on TikTok in the U.S. — by reminding them that her single “Tik Tok” will always be there.
The singer shared a video via Instagram on Saturday, January 18, featuring herself wearing a black hoodie and closing her eyes while part of her 2010 hit song played. Over the view, she wrote, “TikTok may be temporary, but TiK ToK is forever,” and added both a peace sign and black heart emoji.
The song was an instant hit when it debuted, spending nine weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Kesha performed the song in Oakland, California, in 2023, where she changed the opening line of the song from, “Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy” to “Wake up in the morning feeling just like me.” The lyric swap came after Cassie (real name Cassandra Ventura) filed a lawsuit against Diddy in November 2023,, accusing the rapper of sexual assault and abuse. Diddy has denied all allegations against him.
Joe Biden Signed a Federal TikTok Ban: Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Since Cassie’s lawsuit, many others have also come forward with allegations against the disgraced music mogul. Diddy has continued to deny the allegations against him, and is currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York.
During her 2024 Coachella set, Kesha changed the opening line of her song again, this time to, “Wake up in the mornin’ like f—k P. Diddy.” In May of the same year, she confirmed the lyric swap was permanent after she was approached by TMZ at LAX airport.
“Yes, it will be, so the fans should learn it for my upcoming shows. I want to hear it louder than ever,” she said. “I stand by that.”
“I’m not the kind of person that just shuts the f— up, I know what I stand for, I know my integrity is rock solid so I speak the truth,” Kesha continued. “And the industry can kind of like suck my d—.”
The TikTok Ban Explained: What Does It Mean for Influencers and Followers?
As for the social media app of the same name, the Supreme Court has upheld the U.S. government’s proposed TikTok ban, and the app’s owners ByteDance have pledged to make the app inaccessible for users in the United States beginning at midnight Sunday, January 19.
The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act was proposed after Congress expressed worries about espionage on behalf of China by ByteDance. The company has said they will remove TikTok from smartphone app stores. The parent company later explained on Friday that they will cut off services and “go dark” unless the U.S. assures Apple and Google that they won’t be penalized for hosting and distributing TikTok.
The loss of the app will have a major impact on content creators and influencers who earn income through the TikTok Creator Fund, as well as those who earn revenue through brand sponsorships and by selling merchandise on the platform.
