She’s funny, confident and cute—and she knows it. Isis Gaston, better known as Ice Spice, shot to fame on TikTok and Twitter in mid 2022 when Drake played her song “Munch (Feelin’ U)” on his radio station. In January of 2023, she released her first EP, “Like..?”, a mesh of Bronx Drill Rap and poppy melodies, with all tracks produced by friend and collaborator, RIOTUSA aka RIOT.
As with most experiences with virality, Ice Spice faced tremendous support as well as extreme backlash. Many netizens, especially teen girls, queer folk, and those who know how to have fun, embraced Ice’s quirky and sometimes messy lyricism, jokingly likening her to Aristotle or saying she should become president. However, she also received plenty of hate, from copypastas of “crowd goes mild!” in the comment sections of her music videos, to genuine hate and harassment online and in real life.
But with haters wanting to make Ice the butt of the joke, she has instead shown her embracement of the memes surrounding her music and persona; Ice Spice has had a taste of success from virality, and she wants more.
In terms of developing ideas for her music, Ice states that she’s been writing poetry and raps since she was a kid, with her father having her practice freestyling about her day while walking to and from school. But it was only until recently that Ice understood that she could achieve success from making music and going viral. Prior to the release of “Munch,” Ice had garnered some attention with TikTok’s #BussIt challenge and subsequently released her drill rap “Bully Freestyle.” With platforms like TikTok and Twitter, Ice realized that fame is more readily accessible than it used to be, and she began to take music more seriously and used social media to achieve success, similar to many other up-and-coming artists.
As for engaging with her fans, christened “Spice Cabinets” and “Munchkins,” Ice Spice knows when to get in on the joke. Across TikTok, numerous videos, comments, and memes lovingly call her this generation’s Princess Diana. And what does Ice do? She releases the song “Princess Diana.”
Though many artists who gain popularity through TikTok tend to fizzle out, Ice Spice doesn;t seem to be going anywhere, nor does she want to. Just recently, she collaborated with English singer-songwriter PinkPantheress on “Boy’s a Liar pt. 2,” with her catchy verse going viral across TikTok immediately, and the song itself reaching the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In my opinion, Ice Spice is currently using virality to achieve a “Pro-C” level of creativity. She is beyond that of normal, “little-c” creativity, even if critics find her music to be lacking. Because Ice Spice has used her fanbase and online fame to her advantage and implemented it into her work ethic and content, she’ll be remembered as a successful artist and internet personality for the foreseeable future.
I think it's interesting how, with help from the internet, pro-C creativity can be achieved in different ways now. It has definitely introduced a way for artists to interact with people and build a fanbase. Ice Spice has definitely capitalized on the opportunities offered by the internet and shown the world she isn't a one-hit wonder.
ReplyDeleteI also think its super wild how these artists are seemingly so interactive with the boundary between the artist and consumers/audience. Making her art seem like a community of tight knit friends by investing in bits and running "inside jokes" really blurs the boundary between audience, artist, and the culture. The internet is truly part of what makes this connection and community possible.
ReplyDeleteNot only is she in on the joke, she makes calculated choices, not only based on all the feedback she receives, but also on what she already knows about her fans and what they would freak out over. This is what makes her so "in" - she was there before. I do not think it is hyperbolic to liken her to the greatness held by figures of antiquity. The Princess Diana comparison goes even further when you realize that both their namesakes have connections to myths of Artemis and the Veil of Isis. She speaks to sensibilities so profoundly human yet unintelligible to those too out of touch to get it. Ice Spice has already become the voice of all those who cannot remember a world before 9/11.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, it it so hard as a public figure to win over an audience. She definitely has a gift to be able to understand how to gain an audience and keep them captivated and remain interested in her and her work. I remember seeing that some of her old tweets got exposed, but somehow they only seemed to benefit her and make her fans like her even more.
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