To some, viral is a dirty word, an annoying one, but for most in the music industry, it’s a goal. Artists and their teams invest heavily in seeing their songs and music videos take the internet by storm, thus propelling the singles toward the top of the charts, racking up millions of streams and selling well in the process. But what makes a viral video? How do musicians and those they work with actually come up with the ideas that “break” the internet?
“If you’re talking about trying to be viral, you’re going to miss,” explained Brandon Bofiglio, an Executive Producer at London Alley. He continued, simply saying, “You’re aiming at the wrong target.” London Alley is known primarily for creating music videos with some of the top artists in the world, with a focus on their productions going viral. The firm has been behind such show-stopping moments like Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua’s Barbie hit “Barbie World,” Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby,” SZA’s “Kill Bill” and Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” amongst many others.
Bofiglio knows what he’s talking about when it comes to making a music video that will go viral. But when asked the simple question of how to create a visual that will do so, his answer is not as straightforward as some who want that elusive virality might hope.
“In the world of wanting things to go viral, context is super important,” he shared. Context is key in many forms of art, but in today’s all-online, social media-focused world, it’s become even more vital. Musicians need to not only tell a story in their music videos, they must reference things happening outside the world they’re creating. They can talk about what’s happening in the country, in the news, they can make a statement, or, more commonly, they can reference something in their own lives.
Top-tier stars are talked about constantly online, both on platforms like Twitter and in the media, and their every move is dissected. So, if artists want to interest those who love them most and then reach an audience outside of those core fans, why not dig into what’s been teased or hinted in their lives? Talk about it without really talking about it, just as they might do in their music.
Hannah Lux Davis, one of the most sought-after music video directors in the business, knows this plan well. “The ‘Thank U, Next’ video was like the perfect example of that,” she stated during a recent call, referencing her work on Ariana Grande’s smash single, which instantly went viral the moment it dropped. “I think we knew even in those initial meetings that that was going to be something viral just because of all the things that were leading up to its release.”
She’s referring to the fact that the singer was newly single and eager to promote stories of women who came out on top following relationships. They used the music video to touch on famous films that dealt with that topic, which turned out to be a brilliant move.
Using well-known intellectual property, if only in a referential way, is also a great idea, says Bolfiglio. “Thank U, Next” (another London Alley production) did so by including familiar scenes from movies like Mean Girls, but also by recruiting some stars to join in on the fun.
When they were coming up with the idea for the video, Grande apparently looked into her phone’s contacts and called Kris Jenner. The Kardashian manager ended up appearing in the clip, helping it go even more viral, as she was also at the height of her fame. “I always try and get a named person to be in it because that immediately gives just a little more legs,” Bofiglio stated about hiring celebrities for parts in his productions.
The fans caught all the insider references and jokes in “Thank U, Next,” and then the rest of the world followed, largely because of the initial success. Of course, the song matters as well, as a bad tune can only go so far with a great video, but the context really is key.
These days, artists and their teams can look at social media and see what people are saying, following along as controversies swirl. Then they can use all of this chatter to inform their next projects. Plenty of stars have done so, and it’s now become a tried-and-true formula, at least for those who have a lot going on online.
“If you’re getting a lot of hate for something, the easiest way to go viral is to do something about the hate,” Bofiglio commented. He added, “It’s not just about what they’re watching, it’s why they’re watching and then what they’re going to do with it.” Artists need to think about how the videos they put out into the world will not only be viewed but discussed, dissected, and shared. Some purposefully include images or moments that can be reused as memes, helping the clips live on forever and instantly become fodder on the internet.
Both Bofiglio and Davis (who happen to be married, by the way) shared that years ago, they used to sit in many meetings with managers and record label executives when the word “viral” was thrown around carelessly. “We’ve had labels that have come to us and just been like, ‘We really want to make this viral.’” Many would ask the two to create something to make a new song or artist go viral, though those working with the musicians couldn’t answer the right questions.
Knowledge of who an artist is, what their brand is, and who their core audience may be are crucial, and anyone who can’t fully describe all three are at a loss when it comes to virality. “It’s a tricky thing to set out to make. It takes the right timing, it takes attention to detail, it takes the client or artist or whoever having a strong understanding of their fan base and their audience and to have a strong understanding of their own brand,” Davis insists, warning those who don’t possess those facts.
But at the end of the day, anyone can go viral for any reason. Those who have a track record of making music videos that people can’t stop watching and posting about can give clues, but it’s not an exact science. Many treatments no one expected to do much became huge, and there are countless examples of artists who followed all the best advice only to see their visuals go nowhere.
Davis put some of her best suggestions simply, stating that before coming up with a concept and filming anything, musicians and their teams should ask themselves, “What would make you talk about it? What would make you share it with your friends? What would make you genuinely excited and shocked?” and that people can work backward from those answers.
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