Yarge joins her fans to celebrate a sync placement with IKEA

Growing up in Punto Fijo, Venezuela, Yarge’s parents ensured she had every opportunity to explore the art world – but it was her voice that always left everyone speechless. Recognizing her talent, Yarge soon began releasing cover songs on social media, where she quickly found an audience obsessed with her vocal abilities.

One of those covers, “Todo De Ti” by Puerto Rican singer and rapper Rauw Alejandro, soon caught fire on TikTok. She was boosted even further when Alejandro showed his support, telling his 30M+ fans across TikTok and Instagram how much he loved it.

Moments like this are what every young artist dreams of, but they can also become overwhelming as pressure mounts to quickly deliver another viral hit. Yarge, who is still in her teens, wasn’t about to let fans forget about her that easily. Within months, she had uploaded many more videos that fans adored, adding her name to a list of emerging Latin Pop artists taking TikTok by storm.

With her audience growing with every new TikTok video – she now has 465K+ fans on the platform – the Venezuelan pop singer partnered with UnitedMasters in 2023 to release her debut EP, NIVELES. The EP was Yarge’s first significant statement on streaming networks, and in the first month, single “He pasado por mucho” surpassed 3M+ streams. 

As younger fans continued to engage with Yarge on social media, it presented an opportunity for brands to leverage her music and tap into her fanbase at an optimal moment in her career. Midway through 2024, IKEA became the first global brand to offer Yarge a sync placement. The Swedish furniture giant picked up a music license from UnitedMasters to include her track “Weekenes” in a campaign called “Welcome to the goodnight club,” which encourages people to create a bedroom they never want to leave.

For Yarge, it provided an opportunity to reach a global audience beyond TikTok that had yet to hear her music. IKEA also gained a new audience in the form of Yarge’s fans. The Venezuelan musician's community is responsible for over half of the comments left on IKEA’s Instagram post, dropping fire emojis and hearts signaling their appreciation for the brand.

Behind the scenes, there’s also synchronicity between the artist and brand that unites the campaign. Working with UnitedMasters, Yarge maintains her independence as a young creative. Similarly, IKEA fosters a DIY culture by offering furniture that consumers can assemble themselves, promoting independence in the home. These shared values drove an authentic collaboration that fans of both the brand and the artist celebrated. 

Following the sync placement with IKEA, we spoke with the Venezuelan pop star about why the sync holds special meaning for her as a Latin artist, the importance of community and TikTok in shaping her career, and her desire to work with brands that share her values. 

When did you first discover your interest in music?

Since I was a little girl, singing and music have always interested me. My father, who is a poet and amateur singer-songwriter of décimas, took my brother and me to Venezuelan music festivals, where he encouraged us to sing songs emblematic of Venezuelan culture. When I was growing up, I discovered on my own, on the internet, music that I liked and that made me feel passionate. But at the same time, my brother Argenis, who is my producer and the first person who encouraged me to make music at about 14 years old, began to go to studios to record rap songs. After a while of continuing to see him, it motivated me to tell him that I also wanted to make music, and he was supportive since he could always notice my passion for music.

What has been your favorite career achievement so far?

My greatest professional achievement is having a community that is aware of everything I share, the shows where I perform, my new releases, and absolutely everything that has to do with me. It is such a genuine relationship because they are people who share many things with me and who identify with the music that I make. I consider that my community is growing over time, but I value it so much that people from various parts of the world are waiting for music or other projects from me.

You have a large TikTok following. What does having such a loyal group of fans on TikTok mean to you?

For me, it means a lot to be able to count on people who support me and who identify with what I do. At first, when you have zero followers, reaching that number seems very difficult, but I never visualized reaching a specific number of followers; everything has happened organically. When you focus on what is truly important, which for me is being real as an artist and in the music I make, the people who like your work come on their own.

What made you decide to partner with UnitedMasters?

The reason I joined UnitedMasters is because they are a company that defends the independence of the artist, and unlike other companies, they do not take ownership of an artist's projects forever. I am also very grateful to the team that accompanies me within the company for the support and attention they give me before all my releases.

Can you describe what it was like to hear your music featured in an IKEA commercial?

Hearing my song in a commercial for such a big company was incredible. Starting with the fact that it is being broadcast in the USA and Canada, which are countries where Spanish is not the primary language. That they chose my song among so many very talented English-speaking artists feels incredible. I am very grateful that they placed a Latin song, which is a very special achievement for me and the team behind it. I feel very grateful to the people who made it possible.

How has the IKEA sync opportunity impacted your career? Since the commercial, have you noticed an uptick in streams, seen an increase in new fans, etc.?

Many fans have told me that they have heard the commercial on TV, and it has made people who didn't know my music before get to know it. I have noticed that people who didn't know me before have started following me, thanks to that commercial, and I have received messages from people who have heard the song in the commercial. So this opportunity has been beneficial.

Are there any dream brands that you would love to work with?

Working with brands has always been a dream of mine. One of my favorite brands is Nike. I've always dreamed of being able to work with Nike and be able to make my own shoes–that would be the best. But I would also love to work with a clothing or makeup brand since I love makeup and fashion. I even aspire to have my own makeup line and brand in the future.

You have new music coming soon. What can you tell us about it?

The music I'm preparing has me super excited. I feel that you can notice a big difference in my evolution and in what I can transmit or do. I would like to be able to express with my music feelings of vulnerability that we all have, but also of feeling happy or hopeful, of being able to dance with your friends and at the same time sharing the music that identifies us. I think that's what it's about, being able to accompany people depending on how they are feeling.

Do you have any special events planned for when you release new music?

I would love to be able to do a show with my fans from my country when I release new music since a special stage and a new musical era is coming. I will be planning that with my team.

Listen to “Weekenes.” License music from Yarge directly on the UnitedMasters Sync platform.