Y2K, bbno$ - Lalala

What this video is

Released in mid-2019, 'Lalala' emerged at the apex of TikTok's first major Western cultural wave, when short-form video virality began superseding traditional radio and playlist placement as the primary driver of chart success. The song's deliberately absurdist, self-aware promotional strategy — including fake origin stories planted in music blogs — exemplifies the post-authenticity internet marketing era. The…

Why it matters

A landmark single in the late-2010s internet rap/pop crossover genre, 'Lalala' demonstrated that TikTok virality could translate directly to global chart dominance without conventional radio infrastructure. Its production — Latin-inflected guitar MIDI loops over trap-adjacent rhythms — bridged…

The director

Alex Bortz is a Denver-born photographer, visual artist, and director with a background in streetwear and street photography. He founded the brand Now and Then US and built an early career documenting youth subculture through candid photography. His work has…