100% Sub Urban: the teen TikTok star who’s taking it deeper
His moody tune Cradles is the second biggest hit on TikTok, and he's set to transcend his 15 second of fame.
Music
Words: Amy Francombe
If you’ve been on TikTok, chances are you’ve heard Sub Urban’s catchy track Cradles. Or rather, that you’ve seen it, thanks to the droves of teens who use a glockenspiel-twinged snippet of the beat to soundtrack their Fornite-inspired dance challenges. Subsequently, around one billion videos have been made with the song and it’s now the second biggest track on the addictive social network.
Directed by Sub Urban himself, the official music videos sees the musician sat in a flaming cradle, as doodles of crawlers and nightmarish figures envelope him. The eerie video has already racked up nearly 73 million views, while the full song has had over 114 million Spotify streams. Sub Urban’s brooding pop caught the ears of The 1975 and Foals, who tapped the 19-year-old to support their respective tours at the end of last year, and a forthcoming EP will give his millions of fans a fuller demonstration of his talent. In the meantime, get the 100% scoop with the young streaming star below.
10%: Where were you born, where were you raised and where are you now based?
I was born in Nyack, New York. I was raised in Ridgewood, New Jersey. I moved to Los Angeles recently, so I’m based there now.
20%: At what point did you realise you’d be able to do what you love for a living?
When I overheard a singer’s conversation at a music festival and they said, “I barely make enough to live but it’s enough to live.”
30%: What’s a piece of advice that changed your life?
Pay attention to the environment around you and don’t take it for granted if you want time to slow down.
40%: What kind of emotions and experiences influence your work?
Honestly, a lot of turmoil. But also some things that I can get a solution out of. Things that build up to choices that change the course of my life. Those are things I like to write about.
50%: What can you tell us about your next project?
I have an EP coming out some time in spring and a music video coming out in the next two months.
60%: Break down your typical day at work…
Constantly changing. Sometimes there’s a day where I am shooting photos with a theme, or a day where I’m recording vocals or producing beats. There’s also days where I literally just go out to eat and sleep all day. My favourite thing to do is to produce music.
70%: What can artists do to help save the world?
If we all just stop going on tour. But show business must go on, hopefully someone will figure something out. We’re not rocket scientists but it would be cool if we could balance both.
80%: Love, Like, Hate?
I love people that make you feel more like yourself. I like video games a lot. I hate people who fill themselves with self-doubt and inject it into others.
90%: Biggest pet peeve?
People who can’t detect obvious sarcasm. People who are quick to discredit someone before doing any research. People who think their morals are universally correct. People who can’t objectively separate their culture and preferred lifestyle when judging other people’s choices that differ from their own.
100%: No.1 holiday destination?
Turks and Caicos, I’ve never seen water that turquoise.
