Tay Zonday, the voice behind 2007’s viral sensation "Chocolate Rain," skyrocketed to internet fame before stepping back from the spotlight, later revealing the challenges he faced with sudden stardom, the song’s overlooked social message, and his journey to finding a quieter creative path.
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00:00Chocolate rain, some stay dry and others feel the pain, chocolate rain.
00:07Remember Chocolate Rain?
00:09That grainy, yellow-tinted video from 2007 featuring a young man with a deep baritone
00:13voice singing about chocolate rain while turning away from the mic to breathe?
00:17If you were around in the early days of YouTube, you know exactly what we're talking about.
00:20Tay Zonday became one of the first viral sensations, but the story behind his rise and where he
00:25is now is even more fascinating.
00:27Let's take a look.
00:28To fame, Tay Zonday was Adam Bonner, a Minnesota native juggling his academic pursuits and
00:33creative passions.
00:34By 2007, Bonner was three years into a Ph.D. in American Studies while moonlighting as
00:39a musician at local open mics in the Twin Cities.
00:41Recognizing YouTube's potential, he created the persona Tay Zonday to separate his music
00:46from his academic career.
00:47In April 2007, he uploaded Chocolate Rain, a self-produced song featuring hypnotic piano
00:52riffs, cryptic lyrics, and Zonday's unmistakable bass voice.
00:56The video's quirky delivery, complete with Zonday moving away from the mic to breathe,
01:00caught fire online.
01:01By the end of the year, Chocolate Rain had millions of views, an astounding achievement
01:05in the early days of YouTube.
01:06What started as a niche hit on 4chan quickly transcended the platform.
01:09Parodies, remixes, and celebrity covers flooded the internet, propelling Zonday to mainstream
01:14fame.
01:15He appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, was parodied on South Park, and even remixed his song for
01:19a Dr. Pepper commercial.
01:20Tay Zonday became the face of a viral internet moment before going viral was even a term.
01:25I don't think so.