Introducing Singer-Songwriter and TikTok Sensation Cory Singer
There’s a lot of things that you might be surprised to learn about TikTok phenom Cory Singer.
For one, he’s a triple-threat: in addition to being a social media influencer with nearly two million likes on the popular short-form video-sharing platform, Singer is also an accomplished musical theater performer and an avid singer-songwriter.
The multi-talented 26-year-old got his start in professional musical theater back in elementary school. He quickly fell in love with performing and stayed involved in thetheater scene, earning an NJ Perry Award nomination for his role as The Mayor in Seussical The Musical in 2012 as well as a nomination for Best Vocalist from Broadway World in 2013. In 2019, he returned to the stage to participate in a run of three different shows in a five-month period: Young Buddy, Follies and They Call it Gravy, We Call it Sauce.
In recent years, Singer has devoted most of his creative energy to developing his craft as an indie singer-songwriter. Although he credits the show tunes he listened to growing up with influencing his approach to songwriting, he derives inspiration from a diverse array of genres and artists, ranging from Queen to Neil Young. Believe it or not, it was actually Kandi Burruss who drove Singer to start creating original music.
At the age of 18, Singer appeared on the Xscape member’s Bravo music competition series, “The Kandi Factory.” After being named the winner of his episode, he got the chance to record “I Can Do Anything,” a song penned by Burruss herself.
“It was laid out for me, the lyric sheet, like, ‘verse,’ ‘pre-chorus,’ ‘hook,’ ‘verse,’ you know? I was like, it's that simple? And I just started writing,” Singer recounted.
You also wouldn’t suspect that the New Jersey native lives with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism spectrum disorder. However, autism is not something that’s ever kept Singer down. In fact, his advocacy on behalf of the autistic community is one of the things that propelled him to TikTok stardom.
“I tried starting out doing music on TikTok, but because there’s so much competition in that area, it’s harder to break in. So I was trying to be a comedian, you know, embrace my theater side,
and one day I made a joke about my autism, that I have Asperger’s -- that’s what I was diagnosed with -- and I said, ‘There’s nothing wrong with it except for the fact that it sounds like ‘ass-burgers,’’ and my phone started blowing up. I was like ‘Oh wow, damn it, I’m on to something,’” Singer explained.
Despite being so involved with his music career and holding a day job, Singer remains quite active on the app. He posts daily, occasionally holding nighttime livestreams to have fun and connect with the thousands of followers who see themselves or a loved one in Cory. By no means does Singer take his role in the autistic community lightly.
“I don’t wanna be the representative for autism, because here’s the thing with autism: you wouldn’t be able to tell I have autism, but there are people who are nonverbal. They have a lot of support needs and all that, like, they can’t function without help, so it’s hard for me to represent autism -- it’s such a broad spectrum. What I do is share my life living with autism and it has created a safe space for parents, family members, husbands, wives and kids living with autism a place to talk freely acout their challenges and their successes in life,” Singer elaborated.
Outside of TikTok, Singer has been ramping up his songwriting efforts in preparation for an upcoming release. He has booked studio time for the end of January, so fans can expect to hear something new from Singer next month!
Music Update Central had the opportunity to interview Cory. Catch his insights below!
Music Update Central: What is your songwriting process like?
Cory Singer: Very loose, sometimes I go in with an agenda but typically when I am relaxed and do not have a plan I write my best songs.
MUC: What is your favorite kind of music to make?
CS: the songs I write from my heart
MUC: How did you gain such a strong tik Tok following?
CS: By talking about my autism I connected with the autistic community.
MUC: What is the coolest piece of fan mail that you have received?
CS: A young woman from the UK wrote me and shared that my tiktok and content has really helped her accept herself more. That is what this is all about.
MUC: How do you stay so positive in today’s world?
CS: I have a sense of humor and I enjoy making other people smile and laugh.
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