Beyoncé has been applauded for a new rap that pays tribute to — and raises the profile of — strippers and adult entertainers who have been put out of work by the lockdowns.
The singer appeared on the new remix of Megan Thee Stallion's song "Savage," a twist on the original song, which was a viral hit. The new version, released on April 29, has quickly become another hit.
In it, Beyoncé tips her hat to two platforms — an Instagram Live strip club and a subscription service — that adult entertainers have been using to earn money during the pandemic, catapulting them from underground cult-status into the mainstream.
"Hips tik tok when I dance / On that Demon Time, she might start an OnlyFans," Beyoncé raps.
OnlyFans is a popular website that allows people to subscribe to content from adult entertainers. It's not so new as Demon Time, but it has become an increasingly popular way for people to make money online during the lockdowns.
Unable to work in person and unable to get government assistance, sex workers have been left with few options to make income during the time of COVID-19.
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When 'Demon Time' hits, strippers dance wearing masks — and celebrities have been tuning in on burner phones
Many of these dancers protect their identities by wearing different face masks along with their lingerie. They usually post a purple smiling devil emoji as a symbol.
The term "Demon Time" was popularized by Justin LaBoy, social-media entrepreneur and strip-club connoisseur, after he lived streamed performances of various strippers on his Instagram page to his 60,000 followers, according to the Daily Dot.
"We all need to be making money right now, especially if you're what the world considers a 'non-essential worker' and you lost your job," LaBoy tells Complex. "These women shouldn't do this for FREE. The rest was history. The women who went live made nothing less than $1,000 that night, with one woman leaving with $4,000."
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LaBoy told Complex that he's added more organization to the streams since they first began by having various Instagram pages that broadcast them during different times. Since expanding the streams, big-name stars like YG, Kevin Durant, and Jake Paul have tuned in.
LaBoy told TMZ that most of them, at first, would use burner phones because it wasn't socially acceptable. He hopes Beyoncé's seal of approval will change that.
Instagram has been playing whack-a-mole with 'Demon Time' because of its policy on nudity
LaBoy used to announce when the shows would take place on his Twitter but had to stop after Instagram began using his tweets to preemptively take down Demon Time accounts.
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"Believe it or not, many of the [Demon Time] viewers are from Europe, Asia, all over the world, so their sleeping schedules have been all fucked up trying to chase the show," LaBoy told Complex. "I wish I could have a set schedule and give them more consistency, but when you're breaking IG laws, you've gotta come up with a formula. Not everyone can have immunity like some of these rappers."
That hasn't stopped a string of copycat streams from popping up all over Instagram and attempting to recreate LaBoy's success with virtual clubs of their own.
OnlyFans — a subscription site for erotic content — saw a 15% spike in traffic after Beyoncé's rap came out
OnlyFans has become another alternative way for strippers and other out-of-work sex workers to make money during the pandemic.
While OnlyFans was a popular site prior to surprise mention in the "Savage" remix, Beyoncé's "endorsement" put even more attention on the platform.
It's a site where users can subscribe to erotic content creators by paying a monthly fee set by the creator.
"The surprise call-out from Beyoncé on the 'Savage' remix was very exciting for us, to say the least," Tom Stokely, OnlyFans co-founder and COO, told The Daily Beast. "Her stamp of approval comes on the heels of major stars joining the platform in recent weeks, including Blac Chyna, The-Dream, Safaree Samuels, and Casanova."
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