📷 Image Credit: Vogue 👆By: Twiggy Jalloh TL;DR You never know exactly where the next big star is coming from, but add TikTok to the mix and voila, meet Flo Milli. Here she discusses her rise to fame through the app. Tamia Monique Carter hit the ground running with her breakout track, "Beef Flow Mix." You might know her better as Flo Milli, the rapper who has gained fame on TikTok. She now has over half a million TikToks featuring her track. Here's how her breakout song made it big on TikTok; users found it, liked it, streamed it, and now she has over 125 million streams. The TikTok community did its thing and blew her up with popularity. Now she has many avid fans outside of the app, including Halle Berry, SZA, and even Cardi B. Flo went from a social media sensation to an artist hitting the Billboard top 100s. TikTok is now a major stepping stone for many up-and-coming artists and musicians. Artists and musicians before Tiktok needed access to the broad reach TikTok has to offer. The dance and music trends on TikTok are fantastic for artists to break through with songs you might not usually listen to through your "For You Page." We love seeing a great success story! Way to go, Flo Milli! Sources:Vouge Written by: Sofia Christensen, Intern Edited by: Lisa Knight, COO & Mentor

📷 Image Credit: Bloomberg 👆By: Lucas Shaw TL;DR The animated series, Cocomelon on YouTube is the MOST viewed channel...IN THE WORLD! Cocomelon might be the next Peppa Pig. Cocomelon has become the most viewed YouTube channel in the world. The animated video series gets more than 3.5 billion views monthly, yes, billion! To put that number into perspective, Cocomelon is more popular on YouTube than Taylor Swift, Netflix, and ESPN combined. The creator, Jay Jeon makes millions of dollars from the YouTube video series. He recognized his potential to make even more by venturing into toy making and live events and is even thinking about creating a theme park ride, following suit like the brand Peppa Pig. It can be challenging for YouTube creators to make their mark outside the platform, but Rechtman just purchased Cocomelon and is hoping to be one of the few that make the transition successfully. To turn these YouTube hit series into billion-dollar industries, Rechtman is planning on getting licensing with music and merchandising for the shows and their characters. Rechtman thinks that Cocomelon has the potential to become the biggest property in the world for kids. Sources:Bloomberg Written by: Sofia Christensen, Intern Edited by: Lisa Knight, COO & Mentor

📷 Image Credit: ARS Technica 👆By: Ron Amadeo TL;DR Mega Messaging is coming your way with the first signs of a merge between Instagram DMs, Facebook Messenger, and Whatsapp. The Facebook mega messaging merge has begun (say that 3x fast). Last year Facebook announced they have the plan to merge all their messaging apps with Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram Direct Messaging. The merge started with Facebook messenger taking over Instagram Direct, and then Instagram began advertising, "There's a new way to message on Instagram." This update will feature cross-communication between the two messaging platforms, promising a "colorful new look" with emoji reaction options. The Instagram messaging icon will change to match the Facebook messenger logo upon update. For now, the update seems optional, but this might change in the future with more updates mandating the change. Facebook has been a prominent leader in the messaging space, with Whatsapp having more than 2 billion monthly active users and is the second biggest messaging app on the planet. This merger between the three platforms could put them over the top. We have only seen the first step with Instagram DMs and Facebook messaging merging, but keep a lookout as we're sure Whatsapp will follow close behind in the mega 3-way Facebook merge. Sources:ARS Technica Written by: Sofia Christensen, Intern Edited by: Lisa Knight, COO & Mentor

📷 Image Credit: The Verge 👆By: Julia Alexander TL;DR Reels and TikTok differences? Reels are trying to drive screen time to the Instagram app...as a feature. In past articles, we've been covering the TikTok copycat that Instagram engineered with its feature called Reels. Reels are released, allowing us to dive into what similarities and differences exist between the two apps. The most significant difference; Reels is a feature on the Instagram app, and TikTok, as we all know, is its platform. Instagram execs claim that Reels enables users to create short-form videos with different features than what TikTok provides. One of those key differentiators is the ability to use a new part of the camera already on Instagram that will include a barrage of tools and filters. Another difference with Reels being a feature of Instagram, Reels will be part of the explore page. Are TikTok and Reels really different? Well, Instagram stole the idea from Snapchat with the Instagram stories feature. We suggest you try Reels, and YOU be the judge. Sources:The Verge Written by: Sofia Christensen, Intern Edited by: Lisa Knight, COO & Mentor

📷 Image Credit: Elle 👆By: Ariana Yaptangco TL;DR Charli and Dixie D'Amelio collaborate with Orosa, creating a new nail polish line. Why do we care? TikTok has paved another avenue for creators to monetize BIG by partnering with brands. At this point, it feels like everyone knows the D'Amelio sisters, Charli and Dixie. If you somehow missed it, the sisters are trendy on TikTok, with millions of followers on the app. Today though, we aren't talking about their TikTok fame but their latest project, their nail polish collection with Orosa Beauty, which dropped early this week. The sisters said Orosa sent them samples of their nail polish, and they instantly fell in love with the product. They were impressed with how fast the Orosa polish dried and the easy glide of the application brush for a smooth coat. So when the brand reached out to collaborate with the D'Amelio sisters, they were more than happy to get involved. According to Charli and Dixie, the most incredible part was the level of involvement and decision-making offered to create the collection. The sisters had developmental control and input from color choice to naming and everything in between. The girls each shared their favorite color, Charli's a hue of pink, and Dixie likes the gray tone colors in their collection called "Rapids." We love that the two sisters make the collection with very different personalities and styles. There's definitely something in there for everyone. Please go check it out! Sources:Elle Written by: Sofia Christensen, Intern Edited by: Lisa Knight, COO & Mentor