10 Recording Artists Who Know How To Use Tumblr

Tumblr: charlixcx.tumblr.com/

Charli XCX is a UK singer/songwriter who co-wrote "I Love It," a recent international hit by the group Icona Pop, and also just released her own solo record, the critically-acclaimed True Romance. Her music is all about recontextualization and recombination, one part bubblegum, one part electro, one part "alternative," one part...well, you get the idea. She's mastered the art of taking shifting influences and transmitting them in one coherent package. Her Tumblr presence reflects her bit-of-everything persona, with a distinctly feminine bent: One minute, it's animated Daria slides, then it's the Powerpuff Girls; a minute later, The Cure performance GIFs. Scattered throughout are photos of the artist herself, clad in clothing that captures her own colorful—and, at times, a bit goth—persona.

Tumblr: iam.beyonce.com

Beyoncé certainly needed no help from Tumblr to develop her career, but this is part of the reason why hers ends up seeming so generous. Sure, the inherent narcissism of celebrity life plus a Tumblr full of selfies probably isn't the world's most selfless gift. But we do get a view of some behind-the-scenes action that is only available through the superstar singer's Tumblr. Huge photographs of her performances from the stage (albeit completely context-free) give us an up-close look at her dominating performances. And, occasionally, a glimpse at a her relationships with Jay-Z. Most fundamental of all, Beyoncé's Tumblr presence has, no doubt, solidified the Beyhive's presence on the site as well.

Tumblr: azealiabanks.tumblr.com/

The combative Harlem spitfire has drawn more attention for beef than music in recent months, but in the Internet era that's less likely to sideline her career; after all, she's not just a musician, but a social media icon. And, if you set her Twitter beef to the side, nowhere has she made her presence more felt than on Tumblr. Not only does the artist incorporate the aesthetics of Tumblr-perpetuated genres like #SeaPunk into her music; she also uses the site for her own uniquely-cultivated vision. Art, photography, her own music, a wreath of penises—it's all a little left-field, but defiantly her. Also, when you move your mouse around the page on her Tumblr, it scatters little pixie-dust plus signs everywhere, which is always awesome.

Tumblr: blog.theweeknd.com/

At this point, Abel Tesfaye's Tumblr is limited to the occasional performance photo and promotion for his upcoming release Kiss Land. But initially, Tumblr was the vehicle that launched his career. House of Balloons, his critically-acclaimed mixtape debut, premiered on his Tumblr. The sleek, shades-drawn black-and-white Terry Richardson-meets-R&B aesthetic of his presentation was a much a part of the singer's mystique as his actual reclusiveness. At once stylish and lecherous, The Weeknd's licentious touch relied heavily upon its visual appeal. His mysteriousness meant that he was defined by a few stark images. The Weeknd, then, was a true Tumblr auteur.

Tumblr: thelvlsix.tumblr.com/

A pack of American Spirits come to life, Wiz Khalifa's Tumblr perfectly captures the grungey earthtone-hippie style the rapper draps across his slim frame these days. He hasn't actually updated too much recently—probably busy changing 98% hemp diapers—but it was especially notable for Wiz's apology to his fans, entitled "Strictly For My Taylors," and still available near the top of his Tumblr to this day. In it, the rapper used the platform to connect directly with his most ardent fans. It "creatively wasn’t my best work," the rapper said at the time. "No regrets though. We live and we learn."

Tumblr: golfwang.tumblr.com/; oddfuture.tumblr.com/

Odd Future created a singular musical and visual aesthetic, and there's no better platform for those shenanigans than Tumblr, where the group's entire sensibility could infiltrate a larger culture, and ultimately, find a loyal fanbase. They released music through their the Odd Future tumblr and photographs through Golf Wang, and it managed to transform them into modest stars. (It was also thanks in part to the highly rebloggable graphic design sensibilities of Tyler, The Creator). Ultimately, many of the photographs the group chronicled on the Golf Wang Tumblr even made it into book form. But the real role Tumblr played in the group's rise was that the site's creative users were the perfect target audience for a left field hip-hop skate crew.

Tumblr: frankocean.tumblr.com/

Frank Ocean's Tumblr is minimal, humble, and enigmatic, not unlike the singer's poised presentation in song. Unlike the rest of the Odd Future collective, there's a tranquil tone to many of his posts—to go backwards in his Tumblr archive, you click on "river." To go forwards, "lake." But of course, his most famous Tumblr moment came when he decided to write a short yet powerful post about a love affair he had with a man. This moment still stands apart as a significant one in music history, and it makes sense that Tumblr would be his space to express himself; it is a space that made for easy intimacy with fans, a method of direct communication and without the political implications of releasing such a statement through some intermediary publication.

Tumblr: kreayshawn.tumblr.com/

Kreayshawn epitomized youth culture in so many ways: her entire style had the highly-curated touch of someone who had cycled through a million reblogs, looking to show off her personal sense of style. Even as she retreated from the music world's eye in the wake of her album's disappointing performance, her Tumblr remained a glance into the rapper's creative veins. She maintains one of the most active Tumblr pages of any of the artists in this list, posting personal stories—she recently wrote a funny but tender one about her grandfather—to her quirky aesthetic tastes (her current page is mocked up like a 2007-era Myspace page), with a decided hip-hop bent. She's the definitive child of the Tumblr generation.

Tumblr: www.yamborghini.com/

No one has been able to parlay Tumblr-fame into real-world-success quite as effectively as A$AP Rocky and his crew, the A$AP Mob. As we discuss in our in-depth interview with A$AP Yams, whose RealNiggaTumblr (now R.I.P.) was the breakout website for the crew, Yams cultivated a distinct aesthetic sensibility, developed a large, diverse following, dropped his friends into the mix, and their careers took off. As he's careful to mention, though, there are many steps to take a rapper from Tumblr fame to the real world kind, and his blueprint should provide artists with an understanding of the legwork required.

Tumblr: actuallygrimes.tumblr.com/

Grimes has one of the best Tumblr accounts going. Alongside a variety of photos, GIFs, and the veritable pop culture detritus that define her distinct aesthetic worldview, she also will drop thoughtful commentary about her experiences and share her tastes and opinions. One such essay, entitled "I don't want to have to compromise my morals in order to make a living," expressed in open and honest terms many of the negative experiences she'd experienced touring. Of course, no great Tumblr auteur would be complete without a little controversy; she didn't like how news sites were reporting on her posts and considered quitting the platform entirely, which certainly says something about how she perceived the intimacy of the platform. Then she returned, just like the rest of us.