20-02-2025
Meet the Angelenos on TikTok's Discover List 2025
Three L.A. creators have earned spots on TikTok's 2025 Discover List, which spotlights 50 creators worldwide who are setting trends and making their mark beyond the platform. Los Angeles magazine sat down with movie buff Joe Aragon, performer Yasmine Sahid, and singer-songwriter Lu Kala—who represent the city among five categories: educators, foodies, icons, innovators, and originators—to discuss their creative journeys and what this recognition means to them.
InnovatorFor Joe Aragon, movies aren't just entertainment—they're a daily passion he shares with 1.2 million followers. Creating content six days a week, Aragon covers everything from reviews to watch lists and breaking industry news."I've always been a huge fan of movies, born and raised in L.A. so it's hard not to be kind of infatuated with Hollywood and with, you know, the stardom and all of that. You live so close to it, it's just like natural to like gravitate towards the movie theaters."The city's theater scene shapes Aragon's viewing habits. "I would go to AMC Burbank everyday if I wanted to, if I could," he says, naming his favorite venues: The Egyptian Theatre, Los Feliz 3, New Beverly Cinema, Vista Theatre, Vidiots, and Aero started as promotion for his podcast "House of Cinema"—launched with a friend during Covid—has grown into a thriving digital community. "Success for me is seeing the audience grow, and seeing people react in a way that feels really genuine and positive. When I get comments that say, 'I watched this movie because of you and I loved it,' that is the only success I really need, and that is the best success."InnovatorYasmine Sahid brings nostalgic comedy to life through sketches and parodies of childhood favorites like Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and the Twilight series. The L.A.-based actress, musician, and writer also taps into current pop culture moments."I feel like it [TikTok] is more of a building block," Sahid says. "Over time, I've been getting better opportunities in the film and TV industry because of my TikTok presence. Same with music, I've gotten a few features because of my presence on TikTok."Her social media success has opened doors: she's hosted TikTok's Oscars red carpet, interviewed talent at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, and has upcoming projects, including one for Prime Video."Creators to watch, I remember seeing that list last year and like, all these like big creators that I looked up to and that I would look at their profiles and careers and I'd be like, 'okay that's something that I want to strive for,' and then now being chosen as one of those creators, it is very cool and honoring," Sahid says.
OriginatorToronto native turned L.A. local Lu Kala found her musical spotlight through TikTok. With over 651,000 followers, she shares performances, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and live streams with fans."Whether you wanna dance, whether you're an artist, whether you wanna hear someone tell a joke—there's like people that are 80-years-old and they're famous on TikTok, so I think that's what sold me on it. It was kind of like, 'Wait, there's a space on here for literally everyone and it ended up being just such an amazing way for me to connect with my fans," Kala breakthrough came quickly: "I remember when I started posting, like that first week, I had like 200 followers, and I was like so happy about my little 200. Then I had a video of mine go viral, in that first week of me posting, and I remember waking up to like 47 thousand followers."The platform has propelled her music career forward. Her song "Pretty Girl Era" has garnered over 30 million streams and spent 15 weeks in Canada's Top 40 radio's Top 15. She's earned two Juno Award nominations and Billboard Canada's Women in Music Rising Star Award."A lot of times, I think I'm really hard on myself," Kala says. "[But] even when you think things are not moving, they're still moving, and I'm just so grateful that my name is being mentioned in rooms that I'm not even in. I'm excited to see what this year on TikTok will look like for me. TikTok has done so much for me, so I'm just happy, I'm just happy to be here."
