How a lip-syncing star turned viral fame into Billboard charts
In short: Before the era of TikTok, Jacob Sartorius used short-form video to escape bullying and find a global audience. From Vine to the Hot 100, his journey illustrates the rapid, transformative power of social media stardom in the mid-2010s.
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on October 2, 2002, Jacob Sartorius’s path to fame began far from the spotlight. After being adopted and raised in Reston, Virginia, he discovered a passion for performing through musical theater at age seven. This early interest in the stage eventually transitioned into the digital realm, where he utilized platforms like Vine and Musical.ly to build a massive following.
The mid-2010s marked a period of unprecedented digital growth for Sartorius. By August 2016, his presence on Vine had amassed over 8 million followers. For Sartorius, these platforms served a deeper purpose than mere entertainment; he noted that social media provided an escape from bullying, offering a space to be himself away from the pressures of real-world scrutiny. This period of intense visibility also saw him recognized by Google, which named him the ninth-most-searched musical artist of the year in 2016.
Sartorius successfully leveraged his social media momentum to enter the music industry. His debut single, "Sweatshirt," released on May 3, 2016, reached number 90 on the US Billboard Hot 100. He followed this with a series of tours, including the All My Friends Tour in 2016 and the international Last Text World Tour in 2017, which spanned seven countries. His single "Hit or Miss" eventually achieved his highest chart position, peaking at number 72 in the United States. Beyond music, his public presence extended to activism, such as speaking at the March for Our Lives protest in Los Angeles in March 2018.
His career during this era was characterized by rapid-fire releases and high-profile associations, including a 2018 relationship with actress Millie Bobby Brown. From the release of his EP "Better with You" in late 2018 to serving as an opening act for The Vamps on their Night & Day Tour, Sartorius remains a definitive figure of the first wave of social media-driven musicians.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Jacob Sartorius
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