Masked Wolf: Global Hit "Astronaut in the Ocean" & The Impact of Social Media
Ezzah Rafique | March 13, 2021
Masked Wolf garnered attention with his global hit "Astronaut In the Ocean" this year. With HAZZE MEDIA, Masked Wolf talks about the process of creating the song, his reaction to its success, and how social media has impacted him.
Hi! How have you been so far into the year?
Honestly, it's been very interesting, a lot of it has just been writing music and trying to continue the growth of Masked Wolf, I think throughout everything that has been going on I have tried to stay as me as much as possible and not let the exterior affect me.
Your song 'Astronaut In The Ocean' skyrocketed globally on charts and has over 130 million streams on Spotify, what was your initial reaction to how popular the song became? I think I was a bit in this numb state and still am, it's like this, 'is this really happening feeling'? It's hard to describe because so much is going on, but I'm just in grind mode and not able to soak it all in yet.
When creating 'Astronaut In The Ocean' what was the message you intended to portray with it? I know the song dives into themes of depression, did you know going into creating the song that you wanted it to revolve is that? I don't think I ever wrote to be like I'm going to speak about one specific message, it was more about me being open with myself and the listeners who would listen to the song, to kind of say you can talk about the real things in life and still make a really good song at the same time.
What was the writing process like for you for 'Astronaut In The Ocean'? Did COVID-19 affect it, and if so, how did you go tackle any issues COVID caused?
Astronaut was made in 2019, I wrote the chorus in my car while driving home from work, it was cool because I thought of the title and I was like 'that is such a dope name'. Covid for me especially being in Australia hasn't been extremely hard, I'm thankful for that. I was still working my job and was only at home for about 2 weeks only then went straight back to the office. I think Covid actually made my music more known because people were forced to be in lockdown be stuck at home listen to music, cook, read and watch Tv and repeat it all over, so in my opinion, it actually helped. You've released a couple of songs over the past year, how has the release process been for you especially with a lot of press and stuff being remote? And of the works you've put out, do you have a favorite? I'm socially fine when it comes to press etc, I embrace [it], I have always wanted some type of recognition so now that I am getting it and am able to spread my word and meanings behind the song it is a blessing. I would have to say Night Rider is my favourite, the whole build-up and transition to me is epic.
How has social media impacted you personally? Especially given that Tikok has majorly helped with growing your song?
I think the impact all stems from the meaning of the song, the fact that platforms like Tik Tok, Instagram, and more, etc can pick it up which I never expected is just another blessing in disguise. Ever since a boy you dream for your music to be heard so if another platform is going to help do that you aren't going to complain about it, especially if it is about something meaningful. Every artist has a different method of making music, how do you tackle a project? What's your creative process like or how would you describe it as?
I always focus on the chorus first and most importantly finding a beat that can tell a story by itself. I think putting myself into a state of emotion is very key so I can speak about the real things that matter. Is there any artist in particular that you wish to collaborate with in the future?
I am a big fan of Joyner Lucas, so it has been a long dream for mine to work with him.
Where do you pull your inspiration from when sitting down to write or record a song? Who influences your style when it comes to making music?
I try not to get overly inspired and more tap into my dark side of my emotions etc. Artists however like Joyner Lucas, Hopsin & Kevin Gates did help me a lot though. I learnt flow and cadence from them and that you can still speak about serious things and make a good song.
Lastly, do you have any plans for releasing more music this year?
There will definitely be new music out this year, so get ready!