00:00Chocolate rain, some stay dry and others feel the pain.
00:05Chocolate rain.
00:07Remember Chocolate Rain?
00:08That grainy, yellow-tinted video from 2007
00:11featuring a young man with a deep baritone voice
00:13singing about chocolate rain while turning away
00:15from the mic to breathe?
00:16If you were around in the early days of YouTube,
00:18you know exactly what we're talking about.
00:20Tay Zonday became one of the first viral sensations.
00:23But the story behind his rise and where he is now
00:26is even more fascinating.
00:27Let's take a look.
00:28Before the fame, Tay Zonday was Adam Bonner,
00:30a Minnesota native juggling his academic pursuits
00:33and creative passions.
00:34By 2007, Bonner was three years into a PhD
00:37in American studies while moonlighting
00:38as a musician at local open mics in the Twin Cities.
00:41Recognizing YouTube's potential, he
00:43created the persona Tay Zonday to separate his music
00:46from his academic career.
00:47In April 2007, he uploaded Chocolate Rain,
00:50a self-produced song featuring hypnotic piano riffs,
00:52cryptic lyrics, and Zonday's unmistakable bass voice.
00:55The video's quirky delivery, complete with Zonday
00:58moving away from the mic to breathe, caught fire online.
01:01By the end of the year, Chocolate Rain
01:02had millions of views, an astounding achievement
01:04in the early days of YouTube.
01:06What started as a niche hit on 4chan
01:08quickly transcended the platform.
01:09Parodies, remixes, and celebrity covers
01:11flooded the internet, propelling Zonday to mainstream fame.
01:14He appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live,
01:16was parodied on South Park, and even remixed his song
01:19for a Dr. Pepper commercial.
01:20Tay Zonday became the face of a viral internet moment
01:23before going viral was even a term.
01:25I don't think so.
01:26Nothing takes priority over Chocolate Rain.
01:30At first glance, Chocolate Rain seemed
01:32like an eccentric, catchy tune.
01:34But beneath the quirky delivery, the song
01:36carried a profound message.
01:37In a 2021 interview, Tay described the song
01:39as an allegory for systemic racial injustice.
01:42Lines like, the same crime has a higher price to pay,
01:45highlight the inequalities that persist in modern society.
01:47Despite its serious undertone, the song's deeper meaning
01:50was often overshadowed by the humor of its presentation.
01:53As a self-described introvert with autism spectrum disorder,
01:56Zonday was unprepared for the overwhelming attention.
01:59While he embraced the opportunities
02:00that came with fame, including sharing a commercial
02:03with Beyonce during a 2010 Super Bowl,
02:05he also struggled with the pressure of public scrutiny.
02:08In his words, the experience felt
02:09like a kayak carried forward by a fast-flowing current.
02:12Today, Tay Zonday is a nostalgic icon
02:14from the early internet era.
02:16But he's embraced a quieter, more personal creative path.
02:19Over the years, Zonday has pursued voice acting,
02:21lending his voice to Gamer Setu Machu Picchu,
02:23an adult twin project.
02:25He also dabbled in Twitch streaming,
02:26playing video games under the handle Tay Zonday
02:29for his 40,000 followers.
02:30Zonday continues to post content on YouTube,
02:33though far less frequently than he did during his peak.
02:35To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Chocolate Rain,
02:37he posted a remastered version of the song in 2015,
02:40reminding fans of his enduring legacy.
02:43♪ Chocolate rain ♪
02:46♪ Some stay dry and others feel the pain ♪
02:49Nearly two decades after Chocolate Rain,
02:51Tay Zonday remains a beloved figure in internet history.
02:54His song, once a viral joke,
02:56is now viewed as ahead of its time,
02:58addressing themes of racial injustice
03:00that resonate even more today.
03:01While Zonday has stepped away from the viral spotlight,
03:04his impact as one of the first YouTube sensations endures.
03:07And if you're wondering, yes, he still looks the same
03:09in every birthday photo he posts on Instagram.
03:12Tay Zonday's journey from academic to viral sensation
03:15to nostalgic icon proves the internet's unpredictable power
03:18to make and redefine legends.
03:19Whether through his music, his message, or his memes,
03:22Tay Zonday's legacy will forever be linked
03:24to the sound of Chocolate Rain.
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