Photo story on viral music trivia showfrom @nyt_nyc

Themes

• Viral content
• Music culture
• Creator economy
• Street interviews

Techniques

• Environmental portraiture
• Low-angle photography
• Text overlay
• Candid photography

Trends

• Man-on-the-street content
• Short-form video success stories

Post caption

“Track Star” is the YouTube series that brings out the music lover in celebrities and civilians alike. Started by Jack Coyne, his brother, Kieran, and a friend, Henry Kornaros, the men founded their media company, Public Opinion, in 2022, when man-on-the-street videos were starting to take off. Most of those efforts were either obviously staged or uncomfortably aggressive. “We wanted to make stuff that would hopefully make you smarter as opposed to add to the noise of ‘gotcha’ videos and pranks,” Kieran Coyne said. They’ve since pivoted to a topic many knew, loved and could get excited about: music. At first, they just chatted up regular people, but celebrities soon wanted in on the action. In the past few years, they’ve interviewed a range of stars – including Olivia Rodrido and Zohran Mamdani. At the link in our bio, read more about how “Track Star” is made. Photos by @pet__fish.

Text overlays

• title · photo_0

  How ‘Track Star’ Became a YouTube and TikTok Music Phenomenon

• informational · photo_1

  “Track Star,” an online show, is simple: The host Jack Coyne plays a song and contestants win $5 if they can name the artist. If they’re correct, they can go double-or-nothing until they lose it all or tap out.

• informational · photo_2

  “We are tricking people into telling a story. They’re listening to something, they get fired up, and then they get to talk about it.”

• contextual · photo_2

  Coyne (left), said. “Track Star” recently hosted the musician John Fogerty, who has written some of the most recognizable songs in rock ‘n’ roll history.