Today, the measure of success isn't a record deal or albums sold. That, of course, comes later. These days, if you wanna get rich and famous real quick, all you have to do is upload your video on an online sharing platform, see how many 'hits' you get, and wait.
If you're really, really good or have a good network of friends and word-of-mouth wizards, you'll get there in no time. You will get signed on by a label and sooner than you know it, a celebrity will either do a cover or parody the video. Worst case scenario, they'll be even better than the one you originally put out.
The point I am trying to make here is this. See Justin Bieber's Baby, Rebecca Black's Friday, LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem, Gotye's Somebody That I Used To Know, Carly Rae Jepsen's Call Me Maybe and more recently K-Pop star PSY's Gangnam Style. And closer home, Dhanush's Kolaveri D. The secret to going viral is parodies and covers.
Talent and catchy hooks and good looks will only get you beyond certain millions of hits. What makes you an online legend is the potential for imitation and ribbing. People love a good laugh. That said, they also love great covers. Ask Karmin's Amy and Nick. The duo made it to the big time by covering the likes of Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown will likeable, family-friendly covers and Amy's beaming smile. And that bouffant!
Parodies, as one realises is a medium that if produced well (or not) can trigger a variety of emotions, ranging from outright disgust (any of the names mentioned a couple of paragraphs earlier, can account for one such imitator) to jaw-dropping awe. One thing leads to another and soon, there's a juggernaut of positive publicity.
While Rebecca Black wasn't as lucky (maybe one could blame the kindergarten-ish lyrics), Carly Rae Jepsen (a Bieber 'discovery') got a introduction home video from her mentor and his friends, from Katy Perry, athletic teams et al. That's not all, she even got a time-lapse video set to President Obama's speeches.
And then, there's the man of the moment. PSY as he is known made the 'invisible horse' dance move the hottest thing on the dance floor today. Out of K-Pop and into our collective consciousness, Gangnam Style is quickly becoming our generation's Macarena. We might not understand a word, but we sure as hell can shake out a few moves. They're so damn easy! Closer home, a track that became popular before Kolaveri did was one by Arif Lohar and Meesha Shafi and it was recorded for a musical TV show shot and recorded in Pakistan. Jugni, which recently found its way into a Bollywood film, spawned several imitators in Pakistan before Indians even realised it existed.
Sadly, while Kolaveri spawned several imitators, parodies were next to nil. What really creates instant recall — any expert will tell you this — is constant bombardment. From the time it goes viral to the dying down of interest is a furious flurry of fun-loving music lovers. Love the music but learn to laugh at it as well.
Can we have the next viral hit from India, please?
She loves Justin Bieber Credits: X Factor Australia, Channel 7 Related topics
28 August 2012We love that shows like The X Factor gets us listening to amazing new singers, and at the moment we're still all a flutter over Bella Ferraro!