As established artists continue to find new viral fame on TikTok, the Prince Estate has decided to get in on the action. Starting today, users can create videos soundtracked by their favorite songs from The Purple One thanks to a new deal between the estate and the social media company. To help promote the initiative, the estate has actually created an official Prince TikTok account (!).
It’s a little surreal to see the verified Prince account @prince.4.ever uploading new posts on TikTok, even if they’re mainly clips from old music videos and live performances. Already, there are videos based around songs like “Black Sweat” and Prince’s Batman soundtrack.
“Prince was known for breaking boundaries and TikTok has proven to do so as well,” says the Prince Estate’s Entertainment Advisor Troy Carter. “With the addition of Prince’s full catalogue on TikTok, it is our hope that a new generation of global fans can find meaning in Prince’s music, and be inspired to create.”
It’s only been a few hours since the Prince Estate’s partnership with TikTok has gone public, but it’s obvious the platform is positioning his songs — and older interview clips, like this one from 1985 — to take the app by storm. Unsurprisingly over the moon about the deal, TikTok has released an official Purple Rain filter, rolled out a #Prince4Ever hashtag to simulate a virtual party, and are formally calling for everyone to go crazy.
“We are massive fans of Prince and admirers of his cultural legacy,” says Brandon Holman, Label Partnerships Manager at TikTok, in a press release. “The addition of the Artist’s catalog to our Sounds library will inspire our users to connect with his music in creative and unexpected ways — his catalog is so deep, and many are approaching his songs with fresh ears. I can’t wait to see what’s in store.”
This is the latest effort by the Prince Estate to preserve the artist’s legendary career. They recently released the Prince and the Revolution 1985 live album, organized a SiriusXM channel dedicated solely to Prince, and auctioned off his long-lost Blue Angel Cloud guitar for half a million dollars. Plus, there’s still that Sign O’ the Times reissue on the way that includes 63 previously unreleased tracks tucked inside.
