Where Are They Now? Artists Who Went Viral
Whether it’s having a trending track on TikTok, gaining mass views on YouTube or even becoming a meme, we see stories of artists' virality come and go, with varying degrees of value. So this week, we’re talking about some of our favourite musicians who went viral, and where their careers went next.
Bo Burnham
After sharing videos of his songs to YouTube, back in 2006, musician/comedian Bo Burnham went viral. His DIY-approach saw self-recorded tracks about topics ranging from race to gender and sexuality capture the attention and adoration fans worldwide. He then began performing at a string of comedy festivals, and released his debut EP ‘Bo Fo Sho’ in 2008, which was followed by his self-titled debut album the next year. Over the past decade, he’s performed and released multiple comedy specials, which have been well received by critics and fans alike.
Even though it’s been 14 years since Bo Burnham released his first viral videos, his work remains a hot topic amongst internet communities. His 2021 lockdown-themed Netflix special ‘Inside’ exemplifies that. The special now boasts nominations for 6 Emmy and 2 Television Critic Awards. Tracks from ‘Inside’ have clearly resonated with TikTok users too - over 450,000 videos have used official versions from the soundtrack, and a user’s edit features on 446,700 TikToks. Before TikTok, Burnham had also amassed a following of 2.4 million users. For Burnham, it seems that going viral and staying viral is his strength.
Mason Ramsey
It feels hard to believe that the viral video of Mason Ramsey yodelling Hank Williams 'Lovesick Blues' went viral 3 years ago, but that’s when it all went down. In its first few days, that video gained 25 million views, and now, it sits at 80 million.
Ramsey later performed at Coachella and Stagecoach, and featured on a remix of ‘Old Town Road’. He also voiced a character in Angry Birds 2, and appeared on the Ellen Degeneres show. Overall, it was a pretty interesting and successful year for the young yodeller.
The young artist hasn’t released for 2 years, so we’re not entirely sure where his career trajectory is heading for now. We wouldn’t turn our noses down on a 5-year anniversary celebration of the Walmart clip though.
Carly Rae Jepsen
When Carly Rae Jepsen released the iconic single ‘Call Me Maybe’ in 2007, she actually already had a debut album under her belt, and had placed third in Canadian Idol. But it was that viral hit that really resonated with people. The video, which now has more than 1.2 billion views, was followed by two highly successful albums, ‘E•MO•TION’ and ‘Dedicated’. She’s supported artists like Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Hanson on tour, performed as part of Fox’s ‘Grease Live’, and recorded the theme song for ‘Fuller House’.
Last year, her release ‘It's Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries’ reached #11 on the US Holiday Digital Songs chart. The singer-songwriter also teased a ‘quarantine album’, to be written with ‘Call Me Maybe’ co-writer Tavish Crowe, and we’re eagerly awaiting an update on that.
It’s pretty clear to see that a viral hit (or video) can skyrocket an artist’s career, but what’s equally important is what they do to follow it up. A viral release is only as good as the plan following it.
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