Just days before it’s expected to be shut down in the United States, Bob Dylan has officially joined TikTok.
“Explore the world of Bob Dylan, now on TikTok. #bobdylan,” stated the caption of the first and (thus far) only post on his brand new account. Meanwhile, the video showcases a series of clips from various Dylan eras soundtracked to “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” and “Hurricane.”
Of course, the iconic songwriter has less than a week to get his fill of TikTok dances, the Costco guys, and Subway Surfers gameplay before the platform officially goes dark in the US. TikTok users are painfully aware of this fact, as top comments on the video include “A little too late, bro,” “In true Bob fashion, showing up right at the last minute. ????,” and “BOB DONT LET THEM DELETE TIKTOK ????????????.”
The move continues Dylan’s apparent streak of ill-timed social media adoption. Last year, as Elon Musk continued to run Twitter into the ground, Dylan became an avid tweeter (at least on the Bob Dylan scale). Whereas his account had previously been reserved for announcements and promotion, he start to use the platform to share birthday wishes, give his opinion on restaurants, and reply to fans.
Passed last year, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act sought to force TikTok’s parent company ByteDance into divesting from the company in the name of national security. ByteDance has not done so, and as such the ban is expected to go into effect Sunday, January 19th. While TikTok recently presented its case to the Supreme Court, hoping to delay or overturn the ban, the court is expected to uphold the law.
But, hey, at least you can enjoy 30-second snippets of some classic tunes for the next few days.
For more on the TikTok situation, check out our breakdown of the debate. Then, read why we think TikTok is a shitty music discovery platform. For more Bob Dylan-related fun, read our review of A Complete Unknown and revisit our chat with our 2024 Film Performer of the Year Timothée Chalamet.
@bobdylan Explore the world of Bob Dylan, now on TikTok. #bobdylan
♬ original sound – Bob Dylan
