Today’s music world is all about giving power to audience. With such a saturated market, and pop-stars blasting themselves from all directions just to get your attention, the music-seeker now wants to have something of their own. A sense of discovery, on their terms, where they have the power to share it and show others what’s cool. Our post today comes from YAB member, 20 year-old, Rachel Voorhees. She tells us about the new YouTube sensation, Alex Goot, and breaks down why he resonated so quickly with Millennials world-wide.
Rising Star, Goot, Catches Millennial Attention
While the media tends to direct the focus of Millennials to the artists on Top 40 radio, we still take notice when someone new comes along and puts a dent in the music scene. Two months ago, an aspiring musician by the name of Alex Goot did exactly that.
The 25-year-old musician had been posting covers of songs popular among Millennials on YouTube for quite some time before the masses took notice. Some of his covers were songs by relevant artists of our generation such as Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, and One Direction. However, it was his cover of “Beauty and a Beat” by teen superstar, Justin Bieber, that really got his name out there.
A week after being released this past January, the cover had already reached over 1 million views and was featured on the home page of YouTube’s website. Millennials like myself frequently browse this site and when I saw this video, I was curious to find out what all the buzz was about. I think I can speak for many Millennials when I say that I was instantly a fan.
The cover featured two of Goot’s friends, Chrissy Costanza, lead singer of Against the Current, and Kurt Schneider, a young music producer and filmmaker. The arrangement that this trio put together made Millennials fall in love with the song in a whole new way and really get to know Goot’s style. They added harmonies that the original song didn’t have and with the main instrument as piano, the song had more of an acoustic sound.
Since this cover has gone viral, Goot has gained thousands of followers on Twitter and is currently on a nationwide tour with Secondhand Serenade. In addition, the Bieber cover now has over 15 million views. So why did this particular cover attract so many Millennials? I think it has everything to do with Goot’s ability to use a song already popular among Millennials as a means of connecting with them. In true Millennial fashion, Goot took an existing platform and made it his own. Goot was both smart and daring when he decided to cover a song by a popular teen superstar. Covering another artist’s song, especially one by an artist as popular as Bieber, is a risky move, but Goot nailed it.
As you know, Bieber’s music resonated with millions of Millennials across the globe back in 2008 when he uploaded his first video on YouTube and now, anything that has his name attached to it is bound to get our attention. I think Millennials were pleasantly surprised with the way Goot was able to pull off the song and make it entirely his own. Once you catch Millennials’ attention and earn their respect, they’re going to be loyal fans. Some would say we are the ones who determine the success of musicians and we are the critics that matter most. We look for the artists that we can relate to and the ones that can lift us up. Alex Goot and his music embody this quality.
That being said, Goot is now able to spend his time promoting his original music to his newfound following and his first studio album was released over the summer. His lyrics are both relatable and catchy, and I think that is what keeps his supporters by his side. As long as Goot continues to resonate with our generation and Millennials use the power of their voice to promote his music, there is no doubt that he will rise to the top.
For more information on Alex Goot, please visit his website at gootmusic.com.
RACHEL VOORHEES, HUDSON VALLEY, NY, AGE: 20
Rachel is currently a Communications student at Adelphi University with a concentration in Journalism. After she graduates she plans to work in media, specifically for music promotions and/or non-profit. In her free time, you can catch Rachel singing and dancing with friends at a concert in New York City or doing volunteer work. She has a serious passion for pop culture and raising awareness about social issues both locally and globally. With her writing, Rachel hopes to keep readers informed about what’s happening in pop culture and how they can volunteer their time to a worthy cause. To learn more about Rachel, check out www.rachelvoorhees.net.
