Ted Gioia: Milli Vanilli were a fraud in 1990, now, their model is a winning formula for TikTok

"If I were in a particularly cynical mood, I might claim that Milli Vanilli anticipated the future of the music industry better than any other new act from that era" - Ted Gioia argues in favor of the German band, asking for their Grammy award be returned. "True, they put more faith in technology than authenticity, but couldn’t you say the same for the algorithm-crazed music business of the current moment? By the same token, they knew how to act the part of celebrities, with the right attitudes and moves, while relying on a team of helpers to fill in the gaps—much like most superstars do today. Most important of all, they had more skills as influencers than vocalists, but that too shows how much they were ahead of their time. Back then it was fraud. Nowadays it’s a winning formula for Instagram and TikTok".