Miley Cyrus' Controversial Marketing Strategy

Miley Cyrus has kicked off 2023 in a spectacular fashion, with the controversial release of 'Flowers', a new single that has utilised the internet's rumour mill.

As the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus and a former child star, Miley Cyrus has spent decades in the public eye. What's important to the 'Flowers' release is that her many years in the spotlight means that public knowledge around Cyrus' personal life is extensive. Thanks to that knowledge, a simple act like releasing her new song on the birthday of her ex-husband, Liam Hemsworth, has attracted plenty of publicity. This was a pretty clear hint that indicated the song was about a little more than flora.

The rumour mill has continued churning since the 'Flowers' release date, with fans claiming that the song is a response to Bruno Mars' 'When I Was Your Man', after his song was included in the pair's wedding playlist, back in 2018. Other rumours have been more shocking, like claims that the 'Flowers' music video was filmed at the same house that was the location of Hemsworth's multiple affairs.

Fans have also noticed that some of the song's lyrics seem to allude to other events that were publicised during Cyrus and Hemsworth's relationship, like the loss of their California home during the 2018 wildfires.

A lot of these rumours haven't been substantiated, but they have drawn plenty of attention to the release these past few weeks. That’s left us to question where they originated. Insider tracked a lot of the original posts on Twitter, and major pop and fan accounts weren’t willing to disclose their sources.

The stats show that the 'Flowers' release has been monumental across multiple platforms. The track has broken Spotify's one-week streaming record, with over 96 million streams. If you head to TikTok, you'll see that various versions of the 'Flowers' audio has been used in more than 1.5 million videos. On YouTube, its music video has been watched over 109 million times. We wouldn't be surprised if a significant number of these views came from eagle-eyed super fans who are keen to spot any further Easter eggs planted by Cyrus.

What stands out about the 'Flowers' release (besides allegations of infidelity) is the power of implication and controversy. By depending on fan's existing knowledge, Cyrus has created a whole conversation around her release, without any explicit name dropping or explanation. The public has been given the chance to read between the lines with this release, and they seem to be loving it.

The Habit Weekly

Social Media, TikTok, Apps, Artist Tools, Reports, streaming

Key Takeaways From IFPI's Engaging With Music Report

Social Media, TikTok, Apps, Artist Tools, Reports, streaming

Last week, IFPI shared the Engaging with Music Report 2022, which features a collection of data sourced from 44,000 respondents, aged 16-64.

Social Media, TikTok, Apps, Artist Tools, Reports, streaming

Social Media, Campaigns, TikTok, Instagram, Apps, Artist Tools, Par

Zebr: The App Creating Viral Hits

Social Media, Campaigns, TikTok, Instagram, Apps, Artist Tools, Par

Beyoncé, Sam Smith, Doja Cat, Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa all have a few things in common. Most of those things are outside the scope of this newsletter, so today, we’ll focus on just two of the commonalities. All of these artists have seen viral success on TikTok, and they’ve all gone viral with the help of Zebr.

Social Media, Campaigns, TikTok, Instagram, Apps, Artist Tools, Par

Campaigns, Platforms, Content, Partnerships, Apps, AR, Augmented Reality, Social Media

How Snap and Live Nation Are Bringing AR to Live Music

Campaigns, Platforms, Content, Partnerships, Apps, AR, Augmented Reality, Social Media

Back in May, we shared the news that Live Nation and Snap were joinig forces to deliver a series of augmented reality (AR) filters for a range of live music events, as part of a multi-year deal.

Campaigns, Platforms, Content, Partnerships, Apps, AR, Augmented Reality, Social Media

Campaigns, Platforms, Content, Partnerships, Apps, YouTube, DSPs, YouTube Shorts

Artists Utilising YouTube Shorts

Campaigns, Platforms, Content, Partnerships, Apps, YouTube, DSPs, YouTube Shorts

It's been just over a year since YouTube Shorts launched globally. So this week, we're reflecting on YouTube Shorts' artist partnerships, and their popularity with music fans.

Campaigns, Platforms, Content, Partnerships, Apps, YouTube, DSPs, YouTube Shorts

Platforms, Apps, Campaigns, DSPs, streaming, Trends

Key Takeaways From Spotify's Culture Next Report

Platforms, Apps, Campaigns, DSPs, streaming, Trends

This year’s report focuses on Generation Z, exploring how they’re “shaping audio streaming and culture” at large.

Platforms, Apps, Campaigns, DSPs, streaming, Trends

Platforms, Apps, Campaigns, DSPs

Extending Artists' Reach

Platforms, Apps, Campaigns, DSPs

Since there's nothing quite as powerful as getting music in front of more eyes and ears, we're diving in to some of the most creative and controversial ways we’ve seen artists extend their reach.

Platforms, Apps, Campaigns, DSPs

How DSPs are backing BTS' new album

Platforms, Apps, Campaigns, DSPs

Whether they’re live streaming to millions of fans, breaking chart records or rolling out a new campaign, there’s often something fascinating going on in the world of K-Pop supergroup BTS. This week, they’ve piqued our interest as they’ve built the hype for their anthology album ‘Proof’, out today via Big Hit Music.

Platforms, Apps, Campaigns, DSPs

Platforms, Apps, Campaigns

Promoting 'Harry's House'

Platforms, Apps, Campaigns

In late March, Harry Styles delighted his fans when he announced that his third album, ‘Harry’s House’ would be released on May 20th.
The official announcement was made alongside the release of a short teaser clip, and the album’s art, arriving as part of a themed pre-release campaign. Here’s some of our favourite tactics from the rollout.

Platforms, Apps, Campaigns

Artists Who’ve Embraced The Power Of Apps

Platforms, Apps, Campaigns

]Each day, we open our phones and access a multitude of apps. Some for fun, some for convenience and some out of necessity. The past decade has seen a boom in the world of apps, with design capabilities improving and our overall time spent on apps increasing. This week, we’re taking a look at some of the best executed mobile phone apps from musicians.

Platforms, Apps, Campaigns