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---
title: Jay-Z&#x27;s Tidal Music Streaming App Is Why Artists are Going Blue
description: No, it&#x27;s not for charity
canonical: https://time.com/3763487/tidal-avatar-blue-jayz/
author: Laura Stampler
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article:published_time: 2015-03-30T15:54:56.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:18:11.643Z
og:title: Why Jay Z, Rihanna and Kanye Have Gone Blue on Twitter
og:description: Wondering why your favorite musicians changed their avatars?
og:url: https://time.com/3763487/tidal-avatar-blue-jayz/
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og:image:alt: NBA All-Star Game 2015
og:type: article
twitter:card: summary_large_image
twitter:title: Why Jay Z, Rihanna and Kanye Have Gone Blue on Twitter
twitter:description: Wondering why your favorite musicians changed their avatars?
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![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8403bbe138db96c1/698785c706f2c16d3e334a79/463720896.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# Why Jay Z, Rihanna and Kanye Have Gone Blue on Twitter

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by 

[Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/)


## Laura Stampler


Mar 30, 2015 3:54 PM UTC

![NBA All-Star Game 2015](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8403bbe138db96c1/698785c706f2c16d3e334a79/463720896.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

Rappers Sean Combs and Jay Z attend the 2015 NBA All-Star Game

Rappers Sean Combs and Jay Z attend the 2015 NBA All-Star Game Elsa—Getty Images

by 

[Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/)


## Laura Stampler


Mar 30, 2015 3:54 PM UTC

Jay Z has prompted musicians to turn their Twitter avatars and Instagram photos into a square of solid bright blue Sunday night — and it has nothing to do with Blue Ivy.

Musicians are going teal to support Jay Z’s new music streaming service called [Tidal](http://tidal.com/us). Details are still sparse, but Tidal is marketing itself as an artist-friendly streaming experience. Taylor Swift wrote an op-ed for the [_Wall Street Journal_ ](http://www.wsj.com/articles/for-taylor-swift-the-future-of-music-is-a-love-story-1404763219)last year explaining that she was pulling her music from Spotify because artists weren’t properly compensating.

“Together, we can turn the tide and make music history,” Kanye West [tweeted](https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/582391919218532352).

Here’s who else is joining in:

> [](https://twitter.com/rihanna/status/582573208550936576)

> [](https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ/status/582412016142385153)

> [](https://twitter.com/S%5FC%5F/status/582391785923743744)


> [](https://twitter.com/coldplay/status/582397349005271040)

> [](https://twitter.com/iamdiddy/status/582419614065238016)

> [](https://twitter.com/deadmau5/status/582395905380360192)


> [](https://twitter.com/rihanna/status/582392326573670400)

> [](https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/582391919218532352)

> [](https://twitter.com/Usher/status/582391880333197312)


More [details](https://twitter.com/RocNation/status/581812699954343936) to come Monday at 5 EST.

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