How one 19 year old went from unknown to headlining Coachella in under a year

Nobody could’ve predicted sombr’s explosion in virality. At just 19, his breakthrough hits in March “back to friends” and “undressed” dominated as trending audios on TikTok. By the end of March, he’d jumped to 10 million monthly followers on Spotify. In April, this number would double.

As of September, sombr has amassed 58 million monthly listeners, with “back to friends” hitting over 800 million streams, and is set to make his Coachella debut in 2026. In an oversaturated, highly competitive era of music characterized by social media viral one-hit-wonders, he’s maintained and even expanded his relevancy. 

The only question is, How did he do it?

Mastering Social Media

One of sombr’s main mediums for connecting with his audience is his TikTok presence. He often posts with his own audios, referencing pop culture or trends. In one video, he yells, set to the audio of his own song, “12 to 12”, with the caption “if i see one more soul crushing tsitp (The Summer I Turned Pretty) edit to my song i’m unreleasing it.” In another, he plays his song “undressed” with the caption “me when it’s 20 years from now and my kid says they’re so hungry they could eat the girl i wrote this song about”, simultaneously following a popular TikTok trend while cheekily adding concrete “lore” to his own track, solidifying the character of the girl he writes about. Many commenters responded to this strategy, with one saying “this song is literally haunting that girl rn”. 

The 90s Are Calling

Despite his position as a modern social media icon, sombr has also capitalized quite a bit on nostalgia. His fans frequently comment on his visual and musical similarities to Jeff Buckley. He’s covered 90s hits including “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star, “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead, and of course, “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” by Jeff Buckley himself. With Oasis touring this summer, vinyl/cd collecting becoming popular with teens, and old staples like low rise jeans and bucket hats back in fashion, it’s clear that there is a widespread cultural demand for 90s content. sombr’s marketing tactfully plays into this trend.

In part, sombr’s rise to success can be attributed to his masterful branding. He walks the line between marketing and genuine connection through social media, capitalizing on our culture’s insatiable hunger for authenticity.