MidReal Story
Uncharted Melodies: Taylor's Transatlantic Journey
Scenario: Taylor Swift: If TikTok Is Banned, I Will Leave the U.S. for a surprise job
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My heart is beating out of my chest.
TikTok’s going to be banned in the U.
I’ve been sitting in this same coffee shop, staring at my phone for the past hour, trying to wish away the panic bubbling up inside me.
But it’s not working.
I need to do something.
Anything to quell my anxiety.
So I send a message to two of my closest friends, Selena Gomez and Ed Sheeran.
Hey, are you guys awake?
I know it’s early for you, Taylor.
What’s up?
I can hear you thinking.
Selena is the first to respond, which is typical for her.
HEY GIRL, WHAT’S GOING ON?
And before I can even respond to her text, Ed chimes in.
I mean, it’s only a matter of time.
It’s not like this hasn’t been a conversation for years now.
I don’t want to talk about it.
I’m so sick of hearing, “It’s not like this hasn’t been a conversation for years now.”
So what if it’s been a conversation for years?
Does that mean we should be any more prepared for it when it finally happens?
No one was prepared for this.
And I don’t know what I’m going to do if TikTok gets banned in the U.
“People will still be able to listen to your music,” Selena says when I finally tell Ed and her about my news that TikTok might be banned in the U.S.
“They’ll find other ways to support you.”
That’s not the point, I want to scream at her, but she’s just trying to make me feel better so I bite my tongue and swallow my words instead.
“Yeah, I know,” I say with a weak smile.
“Don’t worry, Taylor,” Selena says gently, like she knows how close I am to falling apart right now.
“You’ll figure something out.”
But what if I can’t?
What if this is the end?
It’s not like I have time to rebuild on another platform if TikTok goes away for good.
“TikTok’s been the driving force behind my last two albums,” I finally admit when my voice doesn’t sound so shaky anymore.
“Not to mention all the bonus money I’ve made from the platform itself.”
“It’s been huge for all of us,” Ed agrees with me.
“I mean, it’s not like we’re going to be starving if the app goes away tomorrow, but it’ll be a huge blow.”
And it’s not just about my career or the money I’ll lose.
It’s about the impact on the music industry as a whole too.
I mean, record labels are going to lose tons of money if the app gets banned in the U.S., which means all the artists will take a hit on their royalty checks too.
Not to mention the fact that all of our music will be erased from apps like Spotify and Apple Music overnight if the ban does happen.” Ed pauses for a moment before adding, “It just doesn’t make sense for the government to actually go through with a ban when you think about it that way.”