The diversity of sounds, creators and communities is a special part of what makes TikTok the platform it is today 🌍🎵


This month, we will be celebrating an important calendar moment - South Asian History Month. An important time to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian cultures, history and communities. It is a chance for us all to educate ourselves and understand the diverse heritage and cultures that make up the UK and South Asia.


On TikTok, we want to celebrate the wonderful South Asian creators and artists in our own community. The South Asian community has contributed to music in a big way on TikTok. With over 3.3 billion views on #SouthAsian content, we have seen emerging and established South Asian artists use TikTok to connect with fans, celebrate their heritage and share their latest music and projects.


Our official featured artist for South Asian History Month is London-based artist Renao, who describes his music as "Frank Ocean meets Harry Styles" or "Tyler, the Creator meets John Mayer”. He recently released a new EP 'Day Off' and performed a sold-out show at Camden Assembly. His single 'Nobody' is a growing favourite on TikTok and he recently created a guest playlist for the community, which features newer hits from Joy Crookes 'When You Were Mine' to older pop hits like 'Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)'. Renao also just released a new single 'Break It Down', now available on all streaming platforms, which TikTok creators have been using to romanticise their lives and share their F1 obsessions.


To celebrate the month and the contribution of South Asian artists on the platform, we have launched an official hashtag #SouthAsian, which has already racked up over 3.3 billion views. Creators can also check out our new South Asian Heritage Month TikTok playlist, which spotlights a host of artists and music from in the community - from Girls Like You and Celina Sharma's popular track 'Killer' to M.I.A's club hit 'Bad Girls'.


In the wider up-and-coming South Asian scene, AJ Wavy has racked up over 822k followers who love his iconic mashups blending Bollywood and Western. Rapper, singer-songwriter and producer Tesher also had one of the biggest viral tracks on the platform with his hit single 'Jalebi Baby', which racked up over 3.4 million views and had everyone in the community singing along to the catchy hook 'Jalebi Baby'. BRIT Rising Star 2020 nominee Joy Crookes also leans into the platform, sharing videos of her getting ready for Coachella, stories of love from the London Underground, duets with Ian Wright, and thanking creators for supporting her song 'Feet Don't Fail Me Now'.


Global stars like Zayn and Jay Sean have found new fans on the platform too, with Zayn recently fronting TikTok's #NewMusic campaign, using TikTok to announce his long-awaited comeback and tell fans about his new project. MOBO award winner and R&B star Jay Sean regularly uses the platform to interact with fans, posting snippets of his latest release 'Tu hi Tu', translating classic Bollywood songs and sharing hilarious comedy skits to his favourite throwback collaboration with Rishi Rich.


Speaking on being TikTok's featured artist, Renao said: "I am super excited to be featured on TikTok for South Asian History Month! My first start as Renao really took off when I started focusing on TikTok and the opportunity available on here. TikTok has been very influential in building my core audience and building momentum throughout my career. I love creating a visual world to my music and using the constant addition of new features on TikTok helps tell a story to each of the songs I make and keep the platform engaging for fans. It’s never been easier to reach your target audience. "I love being a part of the community on TikTok, along with all the other South Asian creatives that are educating and advocating for the future of the South Asian culture. We are in a new age of South Asian creativity and it’s not long before we have a global superstar representing us and breaking barriers that have existed before."


Sheema Siddiqi, Artist Community Manager at TikTok said: "TikTok is a melting pot of diverse cultures and sounds. With over 3.3 billion views on #SouthAsian content, TikTok has become a powerful platform for emerging and established South Asian artists to forge meaningful connections with fans, proudly showcase their heritage, and share their latest music. As a result, we're seeing creators expand their musical tastes and discover new sounds they might not have otherwise heard. We want to create a space that uplifts and celebrates music from this community and we're excited to see more South Asian artists flourish on and off the platform."


New to TikTok and want to learn more about South Asian Heritage Month? It couldn't be easier, simply download the app for free via the Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon!


Stream Renao's latest single 'Break It Down' on all streaming platforms today including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon Music and Deezer.