How the Vlog Squad's Scotty Sire went from being a 'super shy kid' to finding millions of fans as a YouTuber and musician

• YouTuber and former Vine star Scotty Sire is releasing two new singles in one week.
• "I never would have in a million years thought that I would be making music," Sire told Insider in a phone interview.
• His path follows similar moves from YouTubers like Tana Mongeau and Troye Sivan who also leveraged their large followings in bids for pop culture success.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

On Scotty Sire's latest single "Samurai," which debuted April 22, the Vine star turned YouTuber turned musician seems to have some beef.

"If I don't like you and you know it go away," Sire raps over a catchy beat with EDM and hip hop influences. "Yes, your mere existence is a shame. I was smiling when I woke up but you wiped it off my face."

Another new single, "Men Are Trash," which was released on days earlier on April 20, is a pop dance track with lyrics that are just as confident. "I'll be a bad boy who's always good to his girl," Sire sings on the song's refrain.

The artist's younger self would be surprised. As a shy kid, a future with millions of social media followers, two albums, and two nationwide concert tours was far from visible. "I never would have in a million years thought that I would be making music," Sire told Insider over the phone.

The 28-year-old's path to making original music has been untraditional and largely due to his huge success as a social media personality. "I know that I owe the people who follow me a lot, because they're the ones that are listening to the music," he said. "It's not always necessary because it's good music, but it's because they like the other things that I'm doing on the internet."

Sire's rise to social media stardom started with Vine, before the app folded in 2016.

Sire was one of the more prolific creators on the now-defunct video platform Vine, founding the so-called "Vlog Squad" with David Dobrik, Zane Hijazi, Heath Hussar, Toddy Smith, and others. When the app shut down at the end of 2016, Sire successfully moved his audience to YouTube, where he now has 2.97 million followers.

He also has more than three million Instagram followers and two million TikTok followers, and is using the short-form video app to spread his music, too. With dancer-influencer Mariah Amato, he made a dance to go along with "Samurai," a recent trend artists have successfully used to boost the popularity and reach of their music.

His YouTube videos are mostly vlog-style and comedic videos, and he often collaborates with his friends from the Vlog Squad. "I love being involved in the Vlog Squad, and being a part of my group of friends because everyone's great," Sire said.

Sire wasn't a kid who grew up watching YouTube videos, and now, he mostly just watches Dobrik's famous vlogs. Still, if he could collaborate with anyone on the platform, he said it would be Shane Dawson, who's pivoted from sketch comedy to conspiracy theory shorts to documentaries to makeup videos.

Actors like Jim Carrey inspired him as a shy child to dream of becoming an entertainer.

Growing up in Newport Beach, California, Sire was a "super shy kid," he said. But he found solace and inspiration in comedic performers like Jim Carrey. "I remember reading something about Jim Carrey being a really a shy kid, and so he was kind of an idol for me because he was such a great actor," Sire said. "And I was like, 'well, if he was really shy but he can do this on camera and be so funny, then maybe I can do that, too.' And so that's what I tried to do."

"I did always want to do something entertainment-wise. I remember when I was younger I [thought], 'maybe I'll be an actor when I'm older.' But I was also a super, super shy kid, but it's fun to play up a role on screen because I'm so mellow in-person."

He's certainly found his outlet for entertainment on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and with his music, but Sire said he isn't rushing to make any films just yet. "I would go out and audition for something if it felt like a good fit for me, but I wouldn't really go out of my way," he said.

He found his passion for music on accident — but now, he likes it more than YouTube.

Sire had never tried his hand at music until a friend invited him over to record a song a few years ago, and Sire surprised him with having a good voice. "It just kind of happened," he said.

He independently released his first album, "Ruin Your Party," in 2018, and his second album, "What's Going On," in 2019. Sire credits bands like 21 Pilots, Blink 182, and Panic! at the Disco for inspiring his own music, though he said he likes to do his own thing and not stick to one style. "I just really like the freedom to make whatever I want, which is what's fun about being an independent artist," he said, adding that he co-writes all of his songs with his producing partners.

Recently, Sire says he's felt like more of a musician than a YouTuber, despite having found most of his fans on the platform. "I love YouTube and I love creating content, and that's what I think the people that follow me really like to see. But, I have more fun with music, and I'm more passionate about making a song than I am to make a new YouTube video," he said. Still, Sire said he wouldn't just walk away from his YouTube career.

"I would never stop filming with other people or making my own videos as well because I also really enjoy that," he said. "And I just like doing whatever I enjoy. I'm fortunate enough to be able to do both things."

The influencer-to-musician path is increasingly popular, as aspiring musicians can use their online fame to gain listeners.

Sire's path towards music follows similar moves from YouTubers like Tana Mongeau, KSI, Elijah Daniel, and Troye Sivan who all leveraged their large followings in bids for pop culture success. And Ava Louise, the influencer who went viral for licking an airplane toilet seat during the coronavirus pandemic, has said she only took to TikTok to promote her new music. The tactic seemed to work, as her song "Skinny Legend Anthem" has amassed 1.5 million Spotify listeners.

While Mongeau, who also released new music this week, remains a popular social media star, Sivan has transformed into a pop culture icon.

Though Sire might enjoy making music more than YouTube videos, he said he's not planning on moving towards music full-time. "I don't think that I could ever just leave it," he said of YouTube. "And if I did, I think I would be disappointed in myself for giving up on what I was doing before that made people happier."

But Sire said he believes the power of social media has evened the playing field for more singers to independently release their music. "I think that traditionally it was like, you could be a really, really great singer, and you'd go in somewhere and you'd have to be chosen to get songs made for you," Sire said. Now, thanks to social media, he said that "anyone has a chance in the industry to do something with music."

• Read more:
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• A YouTube video editor who works with David Dobrik's Vlog Squad told us what it's like to film top creators, from private jets to quick turnarounds
• The rise of David Dobrik, a 23-year-old YouTuber worth over $7 million who got his start making 6-second videos