Ashlee Mitchell forges profession as music author and TikToker

Freelance author and TikToker Ashlee Mitchell (Communication ’22) has already interviewed massive names within the music business, together with BTS, J-Hope, NCT 127, TWICE, NIKI and Saweetie — all with none formal journalism coaching. 

Her journey into Ok-pop began when she first watched an internet efficiency of BTS on the American Music Awards in 2017. The next yr, she attended a BTS live performance in Chicago.

“I purchased a ticket the day of, and I’m like ‘Wow, that was one of the best live performance expertise I’ve ever had,’” Mitchell stated. “From then on, I bought tremendous obsessed.” 

After attending greater than 10 Ok-pop live shows whereas finding out overseas in Korea for 1 / 4 in 2019, she stated she needed to discover a solution to work within the music business whereas concurrently majoring in communication research and African American research at Northwestern.

Mitchell started volunteering behind the scenes at Ok-pop live shows earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Amidst Black Lives Matter motion protests in 2020, she acquired assist from Ok-pop journalists on Twitter seeking to mentor Black writers, permitting her to begin her personal column with The Kraze and land her first byline at Teen Vogue.

From there, Mitchell pitched and accrued as many bylines as she may at publications like The Grammys and MTV. The extra celebrities she interviewed, the extra she realized her place as a Ok-pop fan had modified, she stated. 

“I don’t suppose I is usually a fan in the identical approach that I used to be earlier than,” Mitchell stated. “With a fandom, you want this stage of fantasy and separation that I don’t have, so I can’t see (celebrities) in the identical approach that I used to.” 

She recalled her first Ok-pop interview with Taemin of SHINee in 2020. Since then, she stated she’s met him a number of different instances, and every encounter has been completely different. 

Conducting so many interviews started feeling like a enterprise alternate, based on Mitchell, as a result of she felt artists displayed a unique model of themselves to media publications versus their followers. 

“A whole lot of Ok-pop firms are tremendous strict,” Mitchell stated. “A whole lot of (the interviews) really feel rehearsed and never tremendous genuine, which is a part of the rationale why I don’t view Ok-pop the identical.”

Considered one of her most memorable Ok-pop interviews included BM of KARD, who wished her luck on her finals throughout an unsupervised dialog, she stated. Mitchell additionally stated she loved her first in-person interview with J-Hope at his Lollapalooza efficiency the place she stated she sat on a sofa subsequent to him and felt the authenticity in his solutions. 

Regardless of the chance to interview idols, Mitchell stated she isn’t disillusioned by Ok-pop’s notoriety with the cultural appropriation of Black tradition and determined to cease working with artists she discovered problematic.

“I expanded to work with different individuals like Saweetie and UMI and Black artists which are related as nicely,” Mitchell stated. “I attempt to suppose, ‘How can I do that article completely different from how a white author would do it?’”

Mitchell additionally started an internet session service to assist others break into the leisure journalism business. 

As a consumer, College of Illinois Chicago graduate scholar Mahveen Jahan stated she seemed as much as Mitchell as an inspiration find alternatives outdoors her personal path within the medical area. 

“You don’t see lots of people of shade doing what she does,” Jahan stated. “It’s inspiring to see how she began so younger and was capable of break into the sphere working with these massive identify artists.” 

Author and aspiring document label govt Daryn McElroy (Communication ’22) additionally credit Mitchell together with her curiosity in music journalism after finding out communications throughout school.

After the 2 met their freshman yr and related over Ok-pop, McElroy stated they’ve remained buddies all through school and past. 

“I’ve carried out a few interviews with Ok-pop idols as nicely, and I don’t suppose I might’ve had that chance if I didn’t witness her doing it first,” McElroy stated. “That positively helped transfer my approach into the business.” 

Mitchell stated she realized being a journalist was by no means a profession aim however a way to get in touch together with her favourite artists.

She has since acted and modeled in Los Angeles, Calif. and Seoul, Korea and created a TikTok account, the place she has amassed greater than 200,000 followers. Sooner or later, she stated she needs to behave in motion pictures and host her personal present the place she interviews celebrities on-camera — one thing she’s unable to do when writing articles.

For now, Mitchell stated she prioritizes forging her personal path past the tutorial system or others’ recommendation.

“Individuals all the time inform you, ‘You must go this manner,’” Mitchell stated. “I’m cussed, and I don’t like to attend. I simply dove headfirst.” 

E mail: [email protected]

Twitter: @jennajwang

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