TikTok has turned the traditional music industry on its head. Users on the platform are dictating hits before they reach the charts and revolutionizing the way artists are discovered. But what happens to the creative process when "going viral” takes center stage? This week, Audie talks with songwriter Kaydence and Hip-hop artist Armani White about the TikTok-ification of music, hooking listeners, and what works — and doesn’t — in the never-ending quest to make a good song. Plus, how is TikTok changing the way we listen to music? Music industry expert and consultant Tatiana Cirisano weighs in.  

Kaydence is a two-time Grammy-Award winning songwriter and artist who has written songs for Ariana Grande, Brandy, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez and ZAYN, among others.  

Armani White is a rapper known for his N.O.R.E.-sampling viral hit, “Billie Eilish.” which first made waves on TikTok in 2022. Since then, he has signed with Def Jam Records and released his second EP, Road to CASABLANCO. in May. 

Tatiana Cirisano is a senior music industry analyst and consultant at MIDiA, where she specializes in emerging consumer trends and the intersection of music and technology.  

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The Supreme Court just completed a historic term that sent the country spinning and CNN’s own Joan Biskupic is here to help make sense of it all. Joan’s 30-year career reporting on the court has afforded her a front row seat to its profound changes. Her newest book is titled Nine Black Robes: Inside the Supreme Court's Drive to the Right and Its Historic Consequences.

Transcripts and previous episodes

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Larry Wilmore’s influence as a writer and producer spans shows from “In Living Color” to “The Bernie Mac Show” to “The Daily Show.” He’s acutely aware of the role that television plays in our lives and in shaping our understanding of American identity. Today’s Assignment: Larry Wilmore on his prolific career in television, mentoring younger writers, dapping up President Obama, and what he’s working on next. Larry is also the host of his own podcast “Black on The Air.” We highly recommend it. 

Many of the shows Larry wrote for are part of the new five-part CNN Original Series, “See It Loud: The History of Black Television.” It airs Sundays at 9p ET/PT starting July 9. “See It Loud” will stream live for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com and CNN OTT and mobile apps under “TV Channels” or CNNgo where available. The series will also be available On Demand the day after the broadcast premiere to pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN apps, and Cable Operator Platforms. 

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The pandemic kicked off a dramatic rise in homeschooling. And who had the largest increase? Black families. This week, Audie talks with two parents who chose to homeschool their children, Carlos Birdsong and Sherri Mehta. They talk about what it’s like to be a part of the Black homeschooling movement, how they’re altering the public image of homeschooling, and whether they see themselves as part of the “parents' rights” movement.

Athena Jones's report: ‘A form of resistance'

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One year after Roe v Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, we were wondering: what is happening to people caught up in the web of changing law? It's been a tumultuous and uncertain era for reproductive rights, so this week The Assignment checks in on the activists at the frontline defending women who are being criminally prosecuted under state laws that restrict or ban abortion. Amanda Allen, Senior Counsel and Director at the Lawyering Project, and Dana Sussman, Acting Executive Director at Pregnancy Justice, speak to Audie about their work in this post-Dobbs world. 

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This week, Audie visits a restaurant that got rid of tipping, and looks into the movement to get rid of the practice all together. Our guests are Amanda Cohen, chef and owner of Dirt Candy, a no-tipping restaurant in Manhattan, and David Stockwell, co-owner of Faun in Brooklyn. We talk about the value – versus the cost – of good service, what the pandemic revealed about how customers really feel about tipping, and what happens when your ideals clash with your economic reality.  

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Today, we explore the perils of social media on kids and the way families are fighting back against big tech. First, how the experience of Candace Wuest and her daughter CeCe show the consequences of social media on kids. Then, journalist Kara Swisher takes us through the long view on big tech companies, and finally, Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talks us through his potential solution: the Kids Online Safety Act. 

This is a companion podcast to the CNN Original “Wired for Trouble,” debuting in June on The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper. Past episodes of The Whole Story are available to stream now on Max. 

Kara Swisher is the host of two podcasts: On with Kara Swisher and Pivot. 

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Staffing shortages caused major disruptions for air travelers last summer. Now air crew unions are pushing back against their bosses and losing patience with customers.  From "no toe nail clipping" to "leave the crying babies alone," we hear advice on how to make everyone’s flight experience better this summer. Our guests are Keturah Johnson, international vice president of the Association of Flight Attendants, and former flight attendant Angie Andrechyn, whose passionate resignation letter from American Airlines went viral. 

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Why is astrology having such a moment? The business of astrology — estimated to be worth more than $2 billion — is booming: apps, classes, conferences, startups. All being fueled by the social media age. This week Audie looks to the heavens with two world-renowned astrologers, Jennifer Freed and Chani Nicholas. They explore astrology’s popularity as well as the meaning and history of this ancient personality system. (Oh, and they read Audie her chart.) 

Jennifer Freed Ph.D. is a psychological astrologer and author of ten books, including: Use Your Planets Wisely and A Map To Your Soul: Using the Astrology of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water to Live Deeply and Fully She has served as the clinical director of Pacifica Graduate Institute and is national consultant for EMDR (Post Traumatic Growth Therapies). She is a regular contributor to goop. 

Chani Nicholas is an astrologer and author of You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance. She’s been a counseling astrologer for more than twenty years and is the proprietor of the wildly popular CHANI app, which offers users a personalized, daily understanding of their birth chart. 

Special thanks this week to the fantastic TikTokers we featured: @tobiasthoth, @jkitscole, and the hilarious @mamaa.arii 

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How has technology reshaped the migrant journey? When the Trump-era immigration policy called Title 42 expired, misinformation proliferated on social media platforms that migrants use to communicate and to navigate their way to the U.S. Audie talks with CNN's Rosa Flores about the reality on the ground, and how migrants are navigating sometimes conflicting and confusing messaging. 

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