It seems like for the past few years there have been an influx of viral acts across music, especially in hip hop. This can be attributed to a catchy hook, a dance that is infectious or something so polarizing that we refuse to look away. Going viral has become a lot easier because the internet of course, all it takes is making it on Kylie Jenner’s Instagram Story. Such overnight success means, a lot of changes in a a short amount of time, and with the spotlight on the artist they have to act fast if they want to keep the audiences attention.

When somebody goes viral whether it was a calculated move or not they have to realize they are in a different situation than other artists. They may not a solid fanbase that will attack anybody that says something negative about them, or no interviews to let us know who they are. So everybody is playing “catch up” trying to figure out who this person is and if they deserve their time. Along with lack of familiarity, there also seems to be a lack of credibility to those who become viral. Often times whenever we hear something viral, it follows with most people questioning how much time and effort the artist put into their craft, and saying “I could have made this,” or “This shit is wack.” Even time is working against the new viral sensation, after their 15 minutes, the older people will stop paying attention, the the hipster, the teenagers, and then FINALLY the kids that carry their tablets everywhere. If there is no follow up act then they will be scrambling for attention like a dog that hasn’t seen its owner all day, which will probably lead to publicity stunts, and only TMZ wants to see that.

The only things that seems to be on the artist’s side is the trends at the time of them popping off. Longevity is an attainable goal only when you become the trend rather than when you buy in. It’s simple really, if someone is at the forefront of something new that the world hasn’t seen before, they will be revered as a trailblazer. And of course if they are influencing other artist, then yeah definitely we want more because look at what they did the first time around. On the other hand if someone joins a trend that is dying, it may seems lazy and unexciting. Then they have to dig themselves out of a hole to prove who they are as an artist. And being rushed or pressured into putting out work is not a fun place to be as an artist.

Going viral comes at the cost of proving who you are and proving what you can do in your 15 minutes of fame. It can be done, but it’s a tough road to go down. Becoming an overnight celebrity may seem cool, but is it really worth it?