The devil works hard, but @netty_mac works harder. With nearly 18,000 followers and 495,000 likes on TikTok, @netty_mac has established herself as an icon in the online LGBTQ+ community by covering decidedly-queer music. Her version of Ayesha Erotica’s “Literal Legend,” which amassed hundreds of thousands of views, blew me away. I especially enjoyed her enthusiasm, delivering the words with such confidence and style. I sent a message to Netty on TikTok, not expecting anything, but was surprised to see that she had sent me a reply. Starting in DMs and moving to email, I learned about Netty’s rise to stardom, the rigorous cover-recording process, and why she won’t be confined to a single genre on her debut album.
JOA: You’ve achieved incredible success in such a short amount of time. When and why did you create @netty_mac_karaoke?
Netty: I created the TikTok account on April 30th, so almost two months ago. The reason I initially created it is because I love singing and wanted more people to join on my collabs on Smule. [I] just wanted to share my invites and have people join on them to sing with me. I had no idea it was going to turn into me making my own music and having so many amazing followers in such a short time. [I] love them all [so much.]
JOA: You receive song requests daily from fans hoping to hear you cover their favorite songs. What is the selection, recording, and uploading process like? Is it difficult to manage all of these requests?
Netty: I receive more song requests than I can possibly do. I use Smule as my singing platform (for now.) I’ve had to upload [a lot of the songs,] convert [them] into MP3 format, and sometimes when the lyrics aren’t available online, [I] have to hand-type them in. Then you have to split the song into two parts for duets, and [of course] make sure the lines show up with the timing properly, so the process can take anywhere from an hour to several hours. Depending on what’s involved, I always try and listen to the songs a few times (especially if I don’t know them) before singing them, so it can be a bit of a challenge at times. Rap songs are usually the hardest lol. But I love to sing. It helps me cope with stress, much like using a punching bag lol.
JOA: What is like to be recognized by artists like Ethel Cain, Arca, Chase Icon, Charli XCX, and Slayyyter? Were you a fan of these artists prior to covering their songs on TikTok?
Netty: I have to be honest, I was in complete shock—especially when Paris Hilton started following me after I covered “Stars Are Blind,” so I followed her back. If I had known that these amazing artists would see my covers to their songs, I would’ve spent more time learning them so they were perfect rather than half-ass[ed] [because] I don’t get enough time to learn the songs. They’re not as good as they would’ve been if I had taken more time to learn them. So in that sense, it’s a bit embarrassing when these amazing artists are seeing, commenting, and sometimes even posting my covers on their social media platforms. It’s been amazing yet also overwhelming. [Because] I have so many song requests, I try and cover approximately ten a day, which at that rate, I fear I’m never gonna catch up lol. But I’m truly honored and blessed to have so many amazing fans who are so supportive and have convinced me to try my hand at developing my own music.
JOA: How have your fans influenced your taste in music?
Netty: TBH, I haven’t heard of a few of the artists that I’ve covered, and I also love all music, so they’ve kept me pretty up to date on the music. I never listened to Chase Icon before or Arca, now I adore them. They are both amazing artists. Ethel Cain also was introduced to me, and she is amazing as well. My fans have always kept it challenging for me which I love.
JOA: You’ve become an icon in the LGBTQ+ community. How does this feel?
Netty: Well, as I’m a part of the community myself, being bi, I am proud to support my fellow members. I think it’s amazing.
JOA: What are five songs that YOU would like to cover?
Netty: Honestly, I love all music. I love SOPHIE and would love to cover some of her unreleased songs, but unfortunately I’m unable to find any. But I [also] enjoy singing Chase Icon. I would like to cover “Nancy,” her latest single. I’m also going to try “808,” and I’ll be covering SOPHIE’s “Just Like We Never Said Goodbye.” I’m going to give “Siren” a try from Shygirl, and I’d like to try “I Don’t Wanna Know” [by Charli XCX] and [a few more songs] from Ethel Cain, who is truly an amazing artist. So many great songs to sing. It’s hard to narrow it down to just five lol.
JOA: We’ve heard from you that your album is on the way. Is there anything we can expect?
Netty: As I mentioned before, [because] I love all music, I don’t want to be categorized under any specific genre. I’m going to do rap, indie, pop, hyperpop, [and] jazz vibes like Lana Del Rey. I’ve been working on writing some songs. But [because] I only know how to play guitar, I’ll need help from people to arrange the beats. But I love singing [and I] only recently started doing it in front of people lol. My singing was limited to the shower or housecleaning prior to this past year or so lol.
I love this so much. Such an honour. TYSM! you did an amazing job on this! Xoxox NettyMac ❤️🙏
incredible journalism