Ashley Matheson is TikTok’s latest content queen! The influencer and model grew up around the world of dance, which inspired her to first join the app in 2019. Since then, she has continued to entertain a loyal fanbase of over 1.8 million social media followers. Ashley’s content is heavily dance-based but also showcases her unique personality and humor. Videos of her lip-syncing, following the latest TikTok trends, and even showcasing a deformed french fry have earned millions of views and likes (over 26.5 million)! And her TikTok handle, @peepeepoopoogangnamstyle, might just be as entertaining as the account itself. We recently spoke with Ashley about her favorite trends, dealing with TikTok fame, and more!
What inspired you to start making TikToks?
Growing up, making up dances and being on camera was a big part of my childhood. I got back into dance in high school and started modeling. Going into the end of my high school career, I had been really into making trillers with my friends but never posted them. One day when I was scrolling through my Instagram stories I saw one of my friends post a story of her doing a TikTok dance to the song “Envy Me” which was really popular at the time and I downloaded the app. I started by posting dance videos to friends only. After a month or so I started posting publicly, and about two months after that I had a small following of about 10k.
What is your favorite type of content to make and why? Any favorite trends out right now?
Right now my favorite kind of content to make is lip syncing and personality videos. My lip syncing videos seemed to become popular at the beginning of the pandemic and I found they brought in the most engagement. Making dance videos started to draw a lot of attention to my body and it was not necessarily positive, so I stopped making those as frequently. I also love being able to show my personality into my account through vlogs, comedy videos, story times and those always show positive feedback. My favorite trend at the moment has to be popcorn duets because I love being able to show my musical talent on the platform.
Which video do you most credit for starting your TikTok success?
My “put a finger down” video gave me 43 million views and 4.2 million likes. That video started the trend of telling embarrassing stories after saying put a finger down and brought me up to a following of about 400k in February of this year.
If someone wants to "make it to LA", what's one piece of advice that you would give to them?
Not everything you see about LA is true…it’s glamorized and a lot of things are not as they seem. However, it has a lot of opportunities and is a great place for people to start a career in media. You have to make sure that you don’t change your morals for anyone and to have a lot of self respect.
Who are you partnering with for a dream TikTok collaboration?
A dream TikTok collaboration would be with Emma Chamberlain. She's always been a social media star I wanted to meet because her personality is so unique and hilarious. I love her and the message she puts forward on YouTube.
How has the pandemic changed your creative process, both on and off the app?
The pandemic gave me a lot of time to focus on TikTok and invest time into my videos. I put out a lot of content and it gave me a reason to get up and get ready in the morning. I got to really engage with my followers and see what gets a good response and what doesn't. It helped me build up my image that I portray on the platform. Off the app, I finished over 40 paintings which really helped me kill time and stay sane. I made about a painting a night for two months straight.
New York or Los Angeles?
If I had to choose, I would pick Los Angeles because it’s warmer and kind of a hub for TikTok. However, if I didn’t have TikTok I would most likely choose New York because of my modelling career.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
I'd love to fly — If I could just fly around everywhereI’d never need a car and I’d be helping the environment! :)
Any projects you have coming up for fans to be excited about?
I'm currently working on my first ever musical project. Those who follow me will know I’m super into music and I love to sing so I'm starting out with a feature on a track and I am also working on my first ever EP. Oh and we will be doing some funny and cute merch as well so look out for that in the upcoming weeks!
