Some stars are a carefully cultivated product of the music industry, while other artists organically grow their career with little to no help, letting their music speak for itself. Cassidi is the latter of these two. The Los Angeles-based singer built her career from the ground up by making authentic music and impressing each and every time she hits the stage. The songstress now has more than 100,000 followers on TikTok, which has become the perfect platform for her to reach a broader audience. Songs like “Stupid Boys,” “Cautious,” and “Special” have become fan favorites, building her a devoted audience that is constantly growing. Since starting out performing in local bars and coffee shops, she’s gone on to share the stage with the Plain White T’s and in 2021, released a Rihanna cover that instantly went viral. Now — Cassidi is ready to level-up once again. In an exclusive interview with LOOP, she details her whirlwind social media success, moving to LA, and why she refuses to be boxed into a predetermined image of what a pop star should look like.
The proof is in the pudding when looking at Cassidi’s streaming numbers. Despite being a relatively new artist, she racked up more than 6 million views on her cover of Rihanna’s “What’s My Name.” This can probably be attributed to the fact her passion is easily detectable.
“I’m a huge Rihanna fan,” she says. “She embodies everything that it means to be multifaceted in her artistry & in my opinion is simply one of the best of all time.”
Cassidi takes inspiration from female powerhouse singers such as Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston, but at the same time, she’s made a point to carve a lane of her own. “I think that once I started being raw and authentic about my feelings and emotions in my music and taking the filter off, people really resonated with that. Never water yourself down, someone might need to hear what you have to say,” she says. “It’s so easy to get caught up in image or branding, but I stay grounded for the most part. The music always comes first.”
Social media has proven to be the best catalyst for her music, and it’s one she doesn’t take for granted. While some might eye roll at the long line of social media starlets to make a career out of TikTok fame, Cassidi appreciates the platform it gives rising artists. “Tiktok is so useful,” she says. “To me, it feels like the most valuable way to reach more people who may not have found you otherwise”
Cassidi made the move from her small town to Los Angeles in 2021, and she acknowledges it’s an exciting time in her life and career. “This year will hopefully bring lots of shows & things in person. I’m so excited to meet people who have been supporting me & create an atmosphere of people who are all passionate about the same thing,” she says. The one other thing fans can expect? More music to come.