that unusual feeling when somebody tells you your life is about to vary, however doesn’t clarify how? That’s just about what going viral appears like for a lot of artists. One second you’re simply chilling in your room, and the subsequent, your music is all over the place—on hundreds of thousands of telephones, in reels, remix packs, and even wedding DJ units. Your followers shoot up in a single day. Somebody tags you in a meme that includes your refrain, and abruptly, your face is a part of the wave. It’s all a bit surreal. For just a few months after, you’re driving excessive on that thrill, the type that disrupts your sleep sample, overloads your mind with adrenaline, and makes every notification a mini-dose of dopamine. Every part occurs sooner, louder, brighter, like life itself comes with an Instagram filter. However then, one night time, a thought hits you: “What’s subsequent?” and a quiet panic begins to creep in. Everybody’s eyes are on you, as if you happen to’ve obtained an in depth plan all laid out.
Right here’s the factor nobody actually talks about: what comes after a success can typically really feel worse than not having one in any respect. Out of the blue, you’re not simply pursuing your sound anymore, you’re chasing your personal shadow.
I’ve at all times discovered that second intriguing. If going viral is like throwing a celebration, then the comedown appears like waking as much as empty cups, lifeless audio system, and your flooring coated with glitter you didn’t spill. That one hit lingers like a persistent echo. After which there’s the Spotify algorithm, relentlessly selling the identical viral track, irrespective of how a lot the artist behind it has developed. You’d suppose {that a} breakout hit would open doorways to even higher issues. However typically, it feels extra like a golden jail.
When singer-songwriter Dikshant launched his heartfelt monitor “Tum Aankhon Se Batana,” it didn’t simply go viral—it grew to become the heartbreak anthem for an entire era. Certain, he may have simply churned out a remix or a copycat track to maintain the algorithm completely happy. However that wasn’t what he was going for. “I didn’t rush it,” he says. “There was positively some stress, however I didn’t see the purpose in releasing one thing simply to remain within the highlight. I wished my subsequent monitor to actually characterize me, not simply be a strategy to seize consideration. It needed to come from a real place, not out of concern.” Dikshant’s candidness is a breath of contemporary air in an business the place streaming numbers usually overshadow creativity. He even confessed that whereas his follow-up monitor didn’t attain the identical heights as his breakout track, it didn’t sting as a lot as you would possibly anticipate. “Yeah, it damage a little bit. That nagging voice in your head says, ‘Possibly it’s not so good as the final one,’ however I reminded myself that success isn’t a straight line. I wasn’t in competitors with my previous self.” In a world the place many artists merely react, Dikshant is making deliberate decisions.
On the flip facet, some artists put on their virality like a badge of honour as a substitute of a weight on their shoulders. Take Yung DSA’s journey, for example. His monitor “Yeda Yung” was greater than only a hit. It was a cultural phenomenon that despatched shockwaves by means of the scene. With hundreds of thousands of streams, 1000’s of reels, a co-sign from Gully Gang, and a worldwide attain, his success is spectacular, to say the least. If I had been in his footwear, I’d in all probability be stressing about find out how to high that. However not him. “It by no means felt like a burden,” he says with an informal shrug. “I had assist from the scene. My work simply began to take off. Individuals started reaching out. I didn’t fear.” At the same time as Yung DSA maintains a uncommon form of nonchalance, he admits, “the monitor is extra viral than I’m proper now.” When you concentrate on it, that’s each humorous and a bit unhappy. It’s like your creation is outshining you. Your music can explode in recognition when you’re left in its mud. Individuals would possibly acknowledge your sound even after they don’t know your title. However DSA isn’t caught up within the numbers. He’s in for the lengthy haul, devoted to superbly crafting his picture over time.
Now, let’s speak about Kratex—if there’s anybody who appears utterly unbothered by the whirlwind of viral fame, it’s him. His breakout monitor “Taambdi Chaamdi” as a producer was this uncooked, unapologetically Marathi digital home anthem that skyrocketed with none advertising and marketing funds or flashy promotions. After I requested him if he felt any stress to comply with up on that success, he rapidly dismissed the thought. “Hits are decided by the viewers, not the artist. I create music for myself first. If I imagine in a monitor, I put it on the market,” he says, giving off a punk-rock perspective. So what does he take into account success? Not the streams, not the charts, however simply the straightforward act of ending the track. “My subsequent monitor, ‘Jevlis Ka‘, is already a hit as a result of I accomplished it. If I measured success by stats, I’d be too busy refreshing Spotify as a substitute of really making music.” Actually, that basically hit residence for me. How many people gauge our price by numbers, likes, and metrics? Possibly the true victory is simply placing the work on the market.
After which there’s Nyn, the mastermind behind the tremendous catchy and first breakout Haryanavi Pop hit “Kitse,” who sees virality as only a fast cease alongside the best way, not the ultimate purpose. He doesn’t overthink issues or put an excessive amount of emphasis on any single second. He’s all about holding the momentum going. Nyn understands that expectations can skyrocket after a viral hit, however as a substitute of letting that stress weigh him down, he believes, “Nice artists are those that create new moments and don’t get trapped within the limbo of previous successes.”
One of the vital fascinating, sharp-edged voices to burst onto the viral scene is Shreyas Sagvekar, the identical expertise behind “Taambdi Chaamdi” and, extra just lately, the theme monitor for Shahid Kapoor’s electrifying entry within the film Deva titled “Marji cha Malik.” It’s simple to suppose that an artist juggling indie fame and Bollywood endorsements would really feel weighed down by stress, maybe strategically ready for the best launch date or obsessing over the jobs & education tendencies. However that’s not him. He trusts his intestine.
“As quickly because the second monitor was prepared, I launched it. I didn’t overthink it. There was no stress—none from followers, none from myself. I simply go along with what feels proper within the second.” In an business that always treats artists like fleeting tendencies, Shreyas has chosen to embrace maturity over mere momentum. He’s not working away from the shadow of a success however navigating by means of it together with his personal gentle.
Even somebody as grounded as Shreyas is aware of that virality isn’t all only a collection of highs and fireworks. The sudden fame, the noise, the assumptions— all of it comes with its personal set of challenges. If he had the possibility to do it over again, he admits he would possibly take a distinct strategy. “If I may rewrite my journey, I’d attempt to miss the unfavourable points that got here with going viral.”
We actually don’t speak sufficient in regards to the emotional rollercoaster that comes with going viral. The cheers are loud, however they fade rapidly. The stress to maintain your title within the highlight is relentless. Certain, followers could be all about your jobs & education hit, however that doesn’t at all times imply they’re invested in you as an artist—no less than not but. Algorithms have a tendency to focus on what works, which may entice artists in a sound they by no means meant to create. However right here’s the fascinating half: not one of the artists I chatted with need to chase that very same excessive once more. They’re all centered on evolving past that preliminary spark, whether or not which means utterly reinventing themselves or just creating from a spot of authenticity. And perhaps that’s the important thing. As Dikshant properly identified, “You possibly can’t cater to expectations each time. You’d lose your soul that approach.” Actually, if that’s not probably the most poetic mic drop on this entire piece, I don’t know what’s!
Maybe the “second hit” isn’t actually about outdoing the primary; it’s about navigating by means of it. I get it, it’s simple to evaluate an artist based mostly on their greatest success. All of us do it. However what we should always actually be being attentive to is what they do subsequent. That’s the place the true story begins.