Superfruit and the rise of Youtube celebrities
Superfruit, an American musical and comedy duo comprising of performers Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying, are better known for being members of the Grammy-winning acapella group Pentatonix. Since the 2013 launch of their eponymous vlog and music-centric YouTube channel, they have rapidly gained followers, fame and success outside of the group, culminating in the recent release of their debut album. They are a fantastic example of how the YouTube celebrity phenomenon is shaping modern popular culture and vice versa, with creative industries working together to expand artists’ careers and YouTubers using their reach to support causes close to their and their audience’s hearts. So where does their music make them stand in the most powerful celebrity influence on the youth of today?
Superfruit released their album ‘Future Friends’ this September as the culmination of two EPs, the first released in June and the second alongside the album. They have explained this choice was based on how modern people consume music, to keep their audience wanting more and to pace the release of their products. This and the massive fourteen music videos posted on YouTube over several months to accompany their album, show how in touch with and dedicated they are to their fans and current culture. The latter also reminds the average subscriber that they can still be an art form and have important messages in today’s age of making controversial statements. The ‘Future Friends’ videos are less about shocking the audience and causing trends and arguments online — a la Taylor Swift’s ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ — and more about sharing stories through various changes and elements of relationships in artistic and challenging ways. Many incorporate interesting visual concepts such as the differing styles and costumes and pose-oriented choreography of ‘Imaginary Parties’ and the use of projections and colour in ‘Keep Me Coming’. These combine or contrast with the songs’ subject matter, with some having lighter and more fun atmospheres to complement the pop and electronic hits. The video for ‘How You Feeling?’ — about dealing with anxiety while partying — follows Mitch and Scott in an impressive single take through their house and various party scenes, while ‘Heartthrob’ — harking back to the 1990s and teenage crushes — features them wearing face masks and fawning over celebrity posters.
Other songs and videos include more poignant messages, displaying the duo’s ability to not only supply their audience with the entertaining aspect of the best friends’ relationship and music that is so admired, but to also deal with more complex and important issues. Superfruit have said their project allows them to express aspects of themselves that Pentatonix doesn’t, describing it as ‘more gay-friendly and a lot more open, more sexual, more liberated’. They are known as openly gay and for celebrating and supporting the LGBT+ community, and don’t let this down in ‘Future Friends’, frequently including gay-friendly lyrics and themes. ‘Sexy Ladies’ shows gay men having fun dancing with women and making their exes jealous — the video features an amazing performance by Vine star Parker Kit Hill that shouldn’t be missed. ‘Worth It (Perfect)’ discusses a challenging relationship being worth it despite eventual failure and the trials of trying not to change each other, against a video backdrop celebrating gender fluidity. Based on a photoshoot of the duo, it stars two young dancers swapping gender stereotypes with the girl dressed in a suit and the boy in a pink dress. ‘GUY.exe’ — my favourite and presumably the most expensive video to make of the series — is a full-on, concept-based production about a mad scientist creating the perfect boyfriend in his laboratory, with hilarious and well-executed acting and choreography to match.
This range of subtle and more striking LGBT+ inclusion is just an extension of the openness of Mitch, Scott and their brand. But it feels especially prominent when you consider how few openly gay music groups seem to feature in mainstream culture and charts, and their choice to create a pop album certainly seems to challenge that. Superfruit and Pentatonix frequently receive messages from fans explaining that either or both have emboldened them to be themselves and even come out, showing the influence they have as YouTube and music stars. Pentatonix also gained the majority of their fame from YouTube, after posting music covers following their win on singing competition programme ‘The Sing-Off’, and largely attribute their success to the digital fan base they acquired. I think the open and diverse nature of both groups, combined with the idea of the YouTube celebrity, was key to this. Several surveys have put its emergence over past years into popular culture down to the new side it shows audiences of the said celebrity. The form allows them to appear more genuine, relatable and engaging, largely because in speaking to a camera, they create a visually more personal relationship with fans compared to those of your typical film, music or television stars. Young people appear to trust and be influenced by YouTube celebrities more than traditional ones due to this, and with the importance of social media in current culture, the effect is unsurprising.
Stars like Superfruit, also active users of it, connect in this way with social media, its raising of awareness and support for LGBT+ issues and evolution of communication for today’s youth. Their and YouTube’s relevance as a form to this move of modern times has aided its assimilation with other creative industries; many YouTubers’ fame and fan bases have enabled them to publish bestselling books and create and promote music like ‘Future Friends’, with increasing success. After vlogger Zoella’s release of a beauty range you can buy in person in several British stores, and personality Grace Helbig’s television talk show on E!, it is clear that YouTube and its celebrities have great potential to further their reach into uncharted territories. It is only a question of how far they can go, and I personally think Superfruit will be deservedly at the front of the pack.
Edited by Cheyenne Abrams
