What Happens After Going Viral? Haku. & The Disillusionment of Social Media
HAKU. became famous online after their cover of a MONO NO AWARE song reached over 25 million views, although going viral doesn’t have the impact you might expect.
If you get anything Japan-related on your Instagram feed, you’ve definitely seen this clip in the past year.
For lesser known creators, social media is a great way to drive interest towards your content, but oftentimes what ends up going viral is what you’d least expect.
Haku. have been on a steady rise over the past five years, but no one—not even the band—could have predicted that their “big breakthrough” would come from a song cover.
Who are Haku.?
Haku. is an all-girl indie rock band from Osaka, made up of Ai (guitar & vocals), Nazuna (guitar), Kano (bass & backing vocals), and Mayu (drums).
Their sound blends pop and indie rock, taking inspiration from both UK and US indie.
The girls met each other during high school at an after-school music club, where their teacher suggested that they form a band given they played different instruments.
None of them had been in a band outside of school beforehand, so they decided to do it for fun and see where it goes.
The band didn’t want to confine themselves to a single style, so they named themselves “Haku”, meaning “white”. You’ll also notice the period, which is a nod to how they formed, as a circle can refer to a club in Japanese.
Haku. started in 2019, but it took them a year to release their first digital single. That song was used in a web drama and also appeared in a local talent discovery project, where it ended up winning the grand prize.
After finishing high school, the members went to a specialized music school while continuing band activities.
Fast forward to 2024 and they’ve released two projects and a single that’s crossed over one million streams.
Haku. have garnered a small, but dedicated following across Japan. One thing they’ve become known for is releasing these studio session videos, which show-off their light-hearted personalities.
The Viral Clip
Every year on August 9th, the band hosts HAKU. Day, a self-organized concert where they invite artists they admire to share the stage with them.
For 2024’s event, they planned a joint show with MONO NO AWARE, an established band that’s been active since 2013.
To promote the gig, HAKU. recorded a cover of one of MONO NO AWARE’s most popular (and playfully absurd) songs: “Kamukamo-Shikamo-Nidomokamo!!” Quite the tongue-full and rightfully so as the song is just a bunch of nonsense tongue twisters.
Haku. had uploaded studio recordings like this for a while so they didn’t expect anything to come from this one, but they were pleasantly surprised.
It went viral on social media, especially on Instagram reels with others reuploading the clip.
There’s something about their sound and demeanor that’s so charming. No clickbait or filters, just four girls vibing and reminding us of how fun music can be.
Haku.’s reach had only been limited to Japan for the most part, but now they were getting attention from all corners of the world.
By 2025, the clip’s popularity started to die down, but then came the fan animations and it started to pick up again.
What Happens After Going Viral?
Since the clip was uploaded in July of 2024, it’s reached at least 25 million people on social media. At the time, HAKU. had fewer than 300,000 Instagram followers, but that number skyrocketed to over 400,000 within a month.
At first glance, you'd expect the band to accomplish a few things from going viral:
Sell-out the concert that this clip was promoting.
$$$ from a surge in streaming revenue.
Attention from major labels.
To the surprise of many, the band didn’t achieve any of these things.
While millions watched the video, only a fraction of them stuck around. Despite the clip growing their fanbase both in Japan and internationally, it was shocking that they couldn’t even sell out the concert. It goes to show that a large reach doesn’t necessarily translate to lasting success.
There was both good and bad reception from all these impressions, but the most frustrating part? It was all centered around a song that wasn’t even theirs.
New listeners couldn’t find this song on streaming platforms and given the long Kanji name, I’d suspect many non-Japanese viewers were put off from trying to learn more about the clip (I know I was).
Realizing the need for a clear direction, Haku. called a meeting to discuss their next steps.
While most bands would’ve tried to capitalize on their brief moment of fame, HAKU. didn’t want to be known for just that viral clip. They wanted recognition for their music, not just their name. So, they decided to move forward as though the viral moment had never happened.
Future of Haku.
Since holding that meeting, Haku. have continued to expand their activities within Japan.
2025 has marked a major step forward with the release of their new EP Catch and their first solo tour to promote it. The band’s goal for both this tour and the future is to create a live-experience that is unique to Haku.
In an industry where success is often reduced to numbers, HAKU. is chasing something much more elusive: music that both reflects who they are and connects with other people.
Thanks for reading my write-up! If there’s any artists you’d like me to cover in a future edition or general feedback for this newsletter, feel free to reach out to me at goosebumpsradio@gmail.com. I also have a Discord server if you’d like to connect with myself and a bunch of other Japanese music fans.
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