Featuring 909Memphis, the track and accompanying visual is a case study of virality (and virility)
Virality is both a gift and a curse. Some parlay viral fame into successful rap careers or reality TV shows, while others vanish from the spotlight and go back to the solace of private life.
For artists, however, virality is often a means of survival. In today’s industry landscape, it’s becoming more and more important for musicians to create work that has the potential to catapult them to critical acclaim, and become a viral hit. Whether it’s a unique gimmick, attention-grabbing lyric, or disrupting visual, a song needs to have one of these elements in order for virality to be a possibility. Luckily for ITSOKTOCRY, he’s got all three.
The new video for his 909Memphis-assisted, chart-topping single, “VIAGRA”, has all the previously discussed elements that give songs trending topic potential. In fact, it’s a lot like one of the clubs SNL favorite, Stefon, often frequents — cause it’s got everything. Talking puppets, Juggalo cowboys, adult babies, Cool Guy’s cousin, and more make appearances in this outlandish visual, but it wasn’t an attempt at virality in the conventional sense. The video’s zaniness and absurdity wasn’t the result of major-label trend research or months-long brainstorming sessions with music marketing experts. The video’s ridiculous because that’s just how ITSOKTOCRY’s mind works.
After “VIAGRA” reached the number one spot on Spotify’s US Viral Top 50, ITSOKTOCRY knew he needed a visual that would help the song continue its chart ascension. But he was on a time crunch. While songs like Ween’s “Ocean Man” or “Shooting Stars” by Bag Raiders became trending topics years after their initial release, typically, the window of opportunity to achieve viral song success is small. In order to capitalize on “VIAGRA”s rise, ITSOKTOCRY had to act fast. So fast, he didn’t have time to filter out the ridiculous ideas from the sensible ones. “I thought of the first random ideas that came into my head,” he shares, laughing, “and mashed them into a cluster fuck of a video.”
The “VIAGRA” video’s rising view count further supports the age-old theory held dear by artists like Allen Ginsburg and Jack Kerouac, that the first thought, is the best thought. That, or the fact the video features an adult dressed as a baby, with what looks to be a five foot long dick.
No matter what people may think, there’s no true formula for achieving virality. You can throw all the money, time, and resources you have at an idea, but the Internet still has the final say on whether or not that idea will become noteworthy. Regardless of whether or not that happens with this visual, there’s no doubt that it will be a fan favorite, and establish ITSOKTOCRY as one of the leading creatives in the underground. Watch the video for “VIAGRA” below.
(and if your erection lasts more than four hours after making racks, please seek medical attention)