The follow-up to such a massive hit might seem daunting, but Masked Wolf says if he could tell his younger self where he’s at now, he’d understand the challenge ahead: “I would literally slap myself in the face and say, ‘Get up, it’s supposed to be this hard.’”Ī version of this article originally appeared in the Apissue of Billboard. ![]() “Our goal right now is to get music out there that’s going to continue to shine even more light on him.” ![]() I used to get emotional, so I never really went.”Īs “Astronaut in the Ocean” continues to soar, Masked Wolf has his sights set on a remix, and is working on his major-label debut album he and his team are looking to build on the sound he’s already established through older tracks like “Night Rider” and “Vibin.” “We want to make sure people understand it’s not about the song, it’s about him,” says Fain. “I sold my Eminem tickets because it’s what I wanted to be. “I used to never go to concerts because I used to get jealous,” he says, explaining how he always wanted to be the performer, not the attendee. ![]() Ironically, it was also one of the first concerts Wolf had ever attended. “I was so energetic - it’s weird, because the story of ‘Astro’ is feeling out of place, but now I feel like I’m in place,” says Wolf. It was one of the biggest live concerts to happen since the pandemic began. Since Australia has eased its COVID-19 restrictions, becoming one of the first markets where musicians have been able to tour in 2021, Masked Wolf performed “Astronaut in the Ocean” and a few unreleased songs for a crowd of 8,000 at the Gold Coast Lunar Electric Music Festival in March. By the start of 2021, Elektra rereleased the track. “So when you get that window, you really need to reposition and then just capitalize on it for as long as TikTok will allow you to.” In December, Wolf signed a global recording contract with Elektra/Warner Music Group (excluding Australia and New Zealand, where he retains his deal under Teamwrk Records in partnership with ADA/Warner Music Australia). “We instantly leaned into that because TikTok is fickle and it’s short-lived,” Jacob Fain, Elektra Records SVP of A&R, explains about his team’s strategy. “What you know about rollin’ down in the deep? When your brain goes numb, you can call that mental freeze,” Wolf spits, alluding to keeping his head above water during tough times. And though the song arrives in a party-centric package, courtesy of electronic producer Tyron Hapi, it centers around Wolf’s battles with mental health and depression. That mindset has now helped Masked Wolf score his first-charting hit with the electric rap single “Astronaut in the Ocean,” which currently sits at No. By 15, he gravitated toward hip-hop, feeling particularly inspired by American hip-hop acts like G-Unit, especially leader 50 Cent’s winner-take-all demeanor, as well as Eminem, whose songs “Stan” and “Lose Yourself” motivated him to write music that formed a narrative. “Astronaut” appeared on Masked Wolf’s debut mixtape Astronomical, which dropped in September 2021.Growing up in Sydney, Masked Wolf, born Harry Michael, was raised by his Greek immigrant grandparents, and developed a love for music and playing instruments at a young age. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart, meaning Wolf had the biggest hip-hop number in the world’s biggest hip-hop market.ĪRIA and APRA Award nominations came, and, in late 2021, the Aussie rapper and Hapi (who is represented by BMG Rights Management Australia) were inducted into APRA AMCOS’ The 1,000,000,000 List, a special honour that recognises more than 1 billion streams across all legitimate streaming platforms (including Spotify). Masked Wolf Pre-Chorus I'm walking through a ghost town Y'all ain't playin' my sounds Don't tell me to calm down Don't tell me to calm down Only time I go backwards is when I wanna moonwalk. 4 on the ARIA Singles Chart, and logged four months in the Top 10. In his homeland, Masked Wolf’s breakout track peaked at No. 1 BILLL /bzmLuVX7eb- Masked Wolf September 12, 2022 Thank you to every person from every country that listened. Not in a thousand years did I ever think I would achieve this, I dreamt of 1 million, I dreamt of just being paid $500 a week and being able to do music full time, I said to myself I would be happy with that. 1 in eight markets and spending 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. The tune became a global chart hit, hitting No. “Astronaut” has been flying high since it went viral on TikTok in late 2020, a full 18 months after its initial release through Teamwrk Records. “Thank you to every person from every country that listened. ![]() “Not in a thousand years did I ever think I would achieve this, I dreamt of 1 million, I dreamt of just being paid $500 a week and being able to do music full time, I said to myself I would be happy with that,” reads a social post. The 31-year-old Sydney rapper is taking a moment to savor this unexpected moment.
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