Bob Dylan makes a TikTok account days before it could get banned in the US

Bob Dylan has made a TikTok account, just days before it might be banned in the US.

A video was posted under a verified account named Bob Dylan (@bobdylan), featuring a series of clips from various Dylan eras soundtracked to songs including ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’, and ‘Hurricane’.

“Explore the world of Bob Dylan, now on TikTok. #bobdylan,” stated the caption of the first, and currently only, post.

@bobdylan

Explore the world of Bob Dylan, now on TikTok. #bobdylan

♬ original sound – Bob Dylan

This comes as TikTok has announced plans to cease operations in the US on January 19 unless the Supreme Court blocks or delays its ban. Per a report from Associated Press, TikTok has confirmed that it intends to shut down its app in the United States on January 19.

This, however, would be a last resort if the Supreme Court decides to enforce laws that will force the Chinese-owned platform to sell to a third party and break ties with parent company ByteDance. ByteDance has said that it has no intentions to sell the app.

Dylan’s last-minute attempt to see what TikTok is about follows a pattern in his behaviour. Last year he started to use X (formerly Twitter) more than he did before, posting birthday wishes and general messages on top of his usual announcements, as Elon Musk was driving people away from the platform.

In other Bob Dylan-related news, Timothée Chalamet rode a Lime bike into the London premiere of the Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. Once he hit the red carpet, Chalamet got off the bike and ended his ride using his mobile phone before turning to get photographed.

With A Complete Unknown about to hit cinemas on January 17 in the UK, NME has launched a special print edition magazine celebrating both the film and the legacy of Dylan. The 26-page one-shot is available now – find out where to get it here.

Dylan praised Chalamet’s performance in the film, describing him as a “brilliant actor” and saying he is “sure he’s going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me.”

Dylan also had some impact on the film’s script, as revealed by producer Peter Jaysen. “He met with [director] Jim Mangold multiple times,” he said.

In a four-star review of the film, NME said: “The most important (and often trickiest) job of any music movie is to get the music right. And this nails that. If you’re a Bob newbie, you’ll leave the cinema ready to dive into his back catalogue. If you’re already a fan, the next few weeks will be spent making playlists of lesser-known B-sides or reading the lore around a scene you weren’t familiar with. And that’s why it was a good idea to make this film – a mad idea, but a good one.”