Central New Jersey native Cory Singer was one of many artists on TikTok. But during the early days of the pandemic, he decided to share something that he’d been trying to steer clear from and avoid most of his life—his autism diagnosis.

All of a sudden, the singer, songwriter and theater actor found thousands upon thousands of people coming to his TikTok page for his often funny and poignant clips where he talks about what it’s like living with autism (he was diagnosed with Asperger’s when he was 4) as well as his songs.

Singer now has nearly half a million followers on the platform. His fans and followers include not just other people on the autism spectrum (many of them kids) but their parents, as well as others working to normalize the condition.

Before that, he’d always wanted to be an artist, growing up singing in school theater, and then pivoting to songwriting after winning an episode of Bravo TV singing competition show “The Kandi Factory” when he was a senior in high school in 2013. Kandi Burruss (who wrote TLC’s “No Scrubs”) wrote him a song based on his own experience, which ignited his own interest.

In 2021, for Autism Acceptance Month (April), he released “Someone,” about his own experience searching for a partner who understood him. The song went viral. He followed that up this year with “Break of Dawn,” in which he finally does find that special someone.

In April he performed the National Anthem at the New Jersey Devils game for Autism Acceptance Night. He’ll release his next song, “Chance of a Lifetime,” which he calls a marriage proposal song, on July 8.

The 27-year-old, who’s day job is in production at a food plant that makes artificial flavors, said he views himself as an artist who’s also an advocate.

“The advocacy was accidental,” Singer said in a recent video call from his home. “I was actually trying to not talk about my autism for the longest time and just focus on the music. TikTok came along, and I just made a joke about being autistic,  but the response was just so overwhelming. Then I started posting more about my personal experience.”

Singer said he was shocked—at first—that other people related to him. But when he spoke to other neurodivergent people, he found that they had similar experiences, and it started to make sense. Since his diagnosis, he went nearly 20 years without understanding what it really meant. If he didn’t know, most neurotypical people were probably also in the dark, especially if others on the spectrum kept their diagnoses private. But they want to learn now, he’s realized.

“There weren’t people like me on the Internet [when I was growing up], talking about our personal experience of having it (autism),” he said. “How many other people are struggling? So why not just talk about it, you know?”

How did you grow your TikTok account to have such a massive following?

Cory Singer: Well, I talk about the facts about autism, and I get people interested in it. I get people engaged in it. It’s hard to be a musician on TikTok because there’s so many, but because of people … like me on TikTok …more and more autistic people are coming on and talking about it as well. That’s part of it. I came on TikTok right as it became big. When the pandemic happened, that’s when it really blew up.

You know, it’s information that people need. We’re in a certain time right now in this day and age where people are trying to be more inclusive. That extends to all areas of how people are; whether they are autistic, whether they are blind, deaf, whether they’re amputees, different skin color. … People want to learn. I think that’s the biggest thing: that people do want to learn.

What are your goals when you share your own story publicly? Are you trying to connect with other people with autism? Are you trying to reach neurotypical people to normalize it?

Cory Singer: It’s both of them. For one … like I said, I wish I had someone like myself I could relate to, so maybe I can be that person for that 13-year-old kid who doesn’t understand why they are the way they are; why people look at them differently or why they operate differently. And also for the neurotypical; for them to better understand autistic people, so they can learn. … So they know how to behave toward them, what have you.

One of the things you do is write songs about living with autism; what’s your process for writing such a song?

Cory Singer: I’ve only written a couple songs about it, like “Someone.” When that song came about, I had been writing for many years at that point. … But it was the first time where I actually got honest and just let it all out. I just went to a personal place inside me. … I remember specifically what was happening: It was late at night. I was about to go to bed, I came up with the melody I came up with the chorus. [Sings:] “I want someone to love me as I am!” I go to bed, because I’m really tired, and I’m like, “that’s a good song.” I wake up the next day, I do what I need to do, and then I get right to writing the song. It took, maybe, a half hour to write—not very long at all. The song just happened. My writing process in general, a lot of times, is me just sitting down and trying to grind it out.

Is that something that you try to replicate or was that a one-off and you have different experiences for different songs?

Cory Singer: Different experiences for different songs, I’d say. Sometimes when I’m not thinking about a song, I’ll start writing a song. Like when I’m at my day job. I carry a little notepad with me all the time, like a little notebook, and even while I’m supposed to be working, I’ll go to the side and start writing a song. Or if I hear someone say something that’s that could work as a great lyric, I’ll write it down. I’ve written songs with those kinds of notes. Sometimes the songs just happen  naturally, and sometimes I gotta just grind and force a song out of me. Even if it’s not good, I got a song out of me, and maybe the next song will be something special.

Do you do autism as a disability.

Cory Singer: Yes, very much so. And I get that I am neurotypically passing, but I still have my struggles and I learned how to deal with them, unfortunately, through years of neglect and masking and learning about it later in life. But growing up, I definitely had a lot more troubles. In school I wasn’t a good test taker; I couldn’t comprehend what was being taught to me. People don’t realize and they forget that autism, if someone has it; it’s beyond their control. They can learn to hide it, but they still have it. Yes, autism is definitely a disability.

What sorts of responses have you gotten from others on the spectrum? What do you tell them, or what do they tell you?

Cory Singer: The response has been very overwhelming. It’s humbling. … I get letters from people from different parts of the world who say that my videos have  helped them out, and they feel like they have someone that they can relate to. … I’m getting a little emotional right now. I get people who say, “Your videos are helping me understand my child better, and to help raise them as best as I can.” Some people reached out to me that said that by watching my videos, they were able to relate to me so much they went out and to see if there were autistic and they got the diagnosis, and that explained everything in their lives. To have that much of an impact just by doing this—recording myself in front of a  phone. … To actually sit and think about it’s like, “Damn.”

How did you get into music and the theater? How old were you at the time?

Cory Singer: When I started my first play, I was in fourth grade. I was the clown in “The Velveteen Rabbit.” I had one line. I don’t know what it was. I just always wanted to be on stage and I wanted to be the center of attention, if that makes sense.

I grew up watching TV and movies and watching stage productions of “Peter Pan” with Cathy Rigby. … That’s what instilled, in me, the passion of performing. That’s what got me respect in school. Like I said, I was bullied and stuff growing up, but that’s what gotten respect. I was the weird theater kid, but I had talent that I was able to put behind that. …

I was always asked to do all the national anthems at the school sporting events and all that. Where I’m from, wrestling is the big thing, and I was kind of seen as a good luck charm. “You gotta sing for us.” That’s how that got started. … Theater is always gonna have the love of my heart. That’s where a lot of my inspiration for music comes from. I grew up listening to “Sweeney Todd,” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Company,” “Chess”—all these great musicals.

Speaking of singing the national anthem, I presume that doing it for the New Jersey Devils recently was not as nerve-wracking as it might be for some people who never sang it publicly before.

Cory Singer: Oh no, I was a nervous wreck. Even outside of school, I’ve done the national anthem many times for charity events, for minor league games. But this is my first major league. It was a cool experience, though. I can’t believe it happened, still. They even made me my own custom jersey.

What are your goals for your music career going forward. I’m sure you’re thinking beyond TikTok.

Cory Singer: Oh yeah, beyond TikTok. TikTok is weird. I made a video venting about this. I am more—and that’s the message I want to get out there—I am more than my autism. I’m more than just an autistic person. I’m an artist. I’ve been doing this for nine years. I put a lot of work and effort in. I record music. “Someone” did well because it was specifically related to autism, but [for] a lot of my other songs, it’s hard to get the attention; you know what I mean? I do want to move beyond it.

I think I’m starting to move in the right direction with the music. After nine years of hard work, I’m starting to get into that momentum, slowly but surely. Maybe at some point leave my day job. Even if I’m just a writer, I’m still doing what I love. I love to create, and I think that’s also why TikTok appeals to me.

Follow editor Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter.