With more than 15.5 million unique users in Spain, in the last two years TikTok has exploded as one of the promotional channels for artists of all kinds to publicize their creations to an audience they would not have been able to reach otherwise. The thing? An algorithm that rewards content that manages to be striking from the second zero and a series of facilities that allow us to establish a closer connection with those who see us. Established and independent artists have taken to the platform.
Immediacy is also present within Omegle, an anonymous online chat that allows two strangers from anywhere in the world to connect without registration.. As in TikTok, originality is the key to establishing a connection that goes beyond seconds between the sender and the recipient: the possibility of changing “partners” is just a click away. The decision is unilateral.
These two seemingly diverse worlds form fairly concentric circles in the case of Balaclavx, a 17-year-old singer from Salamanca who in the past 10 days has racked up more than six million views and half a million likes on TikTok, a platform that has allowed him to increase his audience on Spotify, where he is close to 10,000 listeners. And it is that the sudden surprise of teenagers listening for the first time to some of their songs, accompanied by a quick edit and catchy subtitles, are the pillars on which their virality is based.
Who is Balaclavx?
Daniel Fernandes defines himself as a “normal boy who comes from below” and uses the creation and composition of his songs as a form of expression, to tell his experiences and those of the people around him, exploring genres ranging from afrobeat to 80s funk, through drill, rage or hyperpop.
Despite this exploration and experimentation with all kinds of sounds, The idea behind the stage name comes precisely from the beginnings in which he wanted to devote himself fully to trap. If he made himself known at some point, Daniel did not want to be recognized by his face but by his music, which is why he used the name of this garment to enter the more independent musical scene: with only his eyes in sight, the ears be the focus of the artist’s listening. A simple aesthetic decision meant that the final “a” was replaced by “x”, “with ‘chip’ as the only possible abbreviation”.
Precisely the virality of his unreleased song on TikTok, Mirait is the one which caused this Thursday the launch of its studio version on the platforms, which oscillates in her words between “sentimental and lust”: the story of a girl who does not feel valued in her relationship, is disappointed and looks outside for what she lacks. At the end”seeks to be a devil without being evil“.
Regarding the production of his songs as an independent artist, Balaclavx speaks for the 40s of the process of creating the sound and mixing his songs: “I always did it alone until a year ago when I started seeing gaps in the sound. I always try to look as professional as possible., even with a microphone of dubious quality, and above all I always try to have a nice sound. That’s why I started getting together with people like Nahuel Fragomeni, Ali “Micko”, Roberto Guerrero… who for me are more than people who help me in the final sound of the music, they are friends and I can count on them”.
On his plans for the future, it’s clear: keep working on his music, be consistent with his release pace, and improve day by day: “I wish I could make big music videos like they were movies, make songs of all kinds of genres that sound professional while retaining my essence, give concerts wherever I can, but above all, I would like to be able to enjoy the whole process”.
10,000 people are already part of the listening community. Will you join the Balaclavx fever?