"TikTok's Battle with UMG: Music Removal and the Future of Sounds"
UMG announced the removal of its artists' music from TikTok due to failed contract negotiations, citing concerns about compensation, AI-generated content, and online safety. While most Western UMG artists were affected, many K-Pop groups like BTS and BLACKPINK were primarily unaffected. However, the purge expanded to include any music related to UMG, muting fan edits and dance challenges. RIIZE's "Talk Saxy" was initially unaffected, but has now been muted on TikTok, prompting the group to share a fan's cover of the song.