YouTube Music: Why?
By Dani Ducharme
This article was originally published in the Spring 2019 print issue.
In the past five years, social media platforms have taken off. Some platforms are for sharing photos with family and friends, while others have the ability to put you on the fast track to fame and fortune. YouTube has created and allowed for a new type of celebrity to be born; the “YouTuber”. YouTube is a creative space for video creators to express themselves to larger audiences. Over the years, major talents have been discovered on YouTube, from Justin Bieber to Shawn Mendes to James Bay. These stars had their claims to fame by posting their melodic covers and tasteful renditions of popular songs on the internet. Some artists have even displayed their own song writing talents. However, these artists don’t fit into the category that I am going to discuss. We are not here to today to discuss their journeys to stardom because they are ACTUAL musicians.
“YouTube music” is an established genre by today’s standards and is defined as content created for views with absurd lyrics and catchy beats. The birth of YouTube music can be traced back to the tragic death of Vine. When Vine died, many people (especially the young folks) were left without an audience and that would not do for these “suddenly-famous” individuals. In an instant, they flooded other social media platforms with their content. This migration to YouTube happened slowly then all at once, their followings quickly regained by loyal fans. They were now given a new platform to share their content, opening a world beyond Vine’s six seconds. And while most turned to variations of vlog-style videos or “challenge videos,” the emergence of music videos from these creators was (sadly) almost inevitable. This ultimately raises the question of why turn to music of all things? Is it a joke? Or are these “stars” actually trying to make a name for themselves?
Almost everyone has heard of Jake Paul, having left a lasting impression on 2018. His insane stunts and somewhat interesting vlogs have attracted his 17 million subscribers. Despite this, Paul’s music career started by releasing his song “It’s Everyday Bro.” The music video for this song has a whopping 217 million views. But why? The song itself is uninteresting with the video featuring a gaggle of teenagers flexing their wealth—lyrics that sound like they were written by a spoiled 13-year-old. Following the release of “It’s Everyday Bro,” Paul proceeded to release more music, like the song he wrote with his girlfriend “Jerika” followed by a series of “diss tracks” directed at his brother. This music proved to be rather awkward and very, very cringy. Yet, the YouTube star keeps releasing new songs. “Jake Paulers comin’ thru. Jake Paulers with the views” sings Paul in one of his other songs, “Jake Paulers,” which talks about the loyalty of his fans, supporting his music and putting up to $2 million a month in his pocket!
Another Youtube sensation to turn to the world of music is Ricegum. His 10 million subscribers who were used to being subjected to his insane wealth and incredibly idiotic stunts are now submersed in his infamous diss tracks. This has driven Ricegum to become a controversial creator and has gotten him involved in bouts of “YouTube drama”. Most recently, he has taken on Jake Paul with Paul’s ex-girlfriend, Alissa Violet. The duo wrote a retort to “It’s Everyday Bro” creatively titled “It’s Everynight Sis.” While most creators like Jake Paul and Ricegum create more comical music pieces, some vloggers or video creators have used their following to try and establish a serious musical presence. YouTuber Gabbie Hanna, who also got her start on vine, has since used her channel to promote and establish her music career. She has used her former solely vlog channel to post music videos and other content related to her up-and-coming singing career. And she is not the only one. A mysterious YouTube personality, Poppy, has also used her following to begin a career in music. Poppy, who is the center of many dark conspiracy theories in the YouTube world due to her monotone voice and odd content, has since flourished with her music. Some of her songs are even said to be a sort of satanic worship when played backwards. In 2015, she even secured a deal with Island Records.
There is no one answer for why YouTube creators turn to music so frequently. The most basic reasoning that I can come up with for the emergence of this genre is that YouTube creators are thirsty for views, with the more followers the richer and more famous one become. Even if the music is created as a joke, people fashion bigger conversations surrounding their creators. Whether it is for the attention of views or it arises from a serious interest in music, I am still here asking the same question. Why?