Here comes a blast from YouTube past…
Did you know YouTube is 13 years old? Yep, our favourite video sharing site has been around since 2005 and has been gracing us with the best (or weirdest, we’ll let you be the judge) video content of our age. It’s been around for a pretty long time, maybe even older than some of you currently reading this, which makes us feel ancient, and as such there have been quite a few creators who have come and gone.
Whether they’ve officially retired from video making, lessened the amount they upload or simply haven’t been seen in two or three years, we’ve seen many creators make the leap back into the real world, such as classics like Ze Frank, who recently made his return a few weeks ago, or current staples, like Cat Valdes, who recently announced she’ll now be uploading videos part time. Times change, as do the paths our faves take, and we’ve loved what they’ve gone on to do after bidding their farewells.
Here they are, our Five of the Best: YouTubers After YouTube!
As It Is – The Wounded World (Official Music Video) | Fearless Records
We’re going to let you in on a little secret: the main reason we’re writing up this article is so we can showcase the new song from As It Is, which is a total jam and a half. (We’ve been blaring in in the office since its release.)
Music lovers are probably pretty familiar with Patty Walter‘s YouTube channel. For the most part, he would upload covers of his favourite songs, but you’d occasionally see the odd chatty or tag video thrown into the mix. On the side, he was performing in a band, As It Is, who, in 2014, signed to Fearless Records, making them the first British band to join the label. Since then, Patty has taken a break from uploading videos to pour his heart and soul into his music, and we’ve grown pretty proud of our Brighton boy.
So what’s Patty been up to since he said “see you around“? Well, As It Is are still signed to Fearless and have released two albums, with a third on the way. They’ve embarked on countless tours and have an upcoming stint on the Vans Warped Tour to look forward to. While we miss Patty’s covers, we’re glad we still get to see him do his thing with the band, who, from the looks of it, are looking to revive emo with their latest music. Anyone else think Patty could be a doppelgänger for My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way?
Tell Her I’m Sorry | Ophelia Dagger
Remember Chelsea Fisher? Back on her days on YouTube, she would vlog under the pseudonym Ophelia Dagger. Her videos were a blend of the humourous and the spooky, and we remember eagerly awaiting their arrival into our sub box.
So what is Chelsea up to these days, you ask? Well, for starters, in 2016 she became a published author with the release of her debut novel, When We Were Alive. It follows three different characters as they look into the negative side of relationships, come to terms with living in today’s world and find beauty in sadness. It’s a pretty good read and one we highly recommend. As well, she recently launched a podcast with Jimmy Hill. Called The Slab, it’s pretty much a must-listen for those of you into the spooky and supernatural.
While she may no longer be uploading to YouTube, we’re glad to see Chelsea hasn’t lost her interest in all that is spooky and weird. It’s what made us love her in the first place!
My My My! | Troye Sivan
Another YouTuber to make the full time leap into music is Troye Sivan, who has definitely blown up over the past couple of years. (And we’ve loved every second of it.)
While Troye mainly sticks to uploading music videos and teasers to his channel, a lot of us know him as the cute and quirky Aussie who stole our hearts with his chatty and heartfelt vlogs. We especially loved seeing him collab with some of our favourite UK creators, like the time he did the 7 Second Challenge with Marcus Butler or when he and Caspar Lee took part in the Photo Booth Challenge. Ahh, the memories…
As we mentioned, Troye’s music has exploded onto the mainstream, especially in the US, where his music is regularly played on radio and where he’s appeared on the likes of The Ellen Show and The Tonight Show. Currently signed to Universal Australia, he’s played countless shows in front of thousands of adoring fans and even made an appearance on Taylor Swift’s Reputation tour! (So jelly.) With a new album on the horizon, we doubt there’s anything that can stop Troye’s rise to the top.
My Pet Jellyfish! | GoAlybongo
Aly Bongo was the YouTuber you’d go to if you were in need a good laugh. Her videos, which featured her spot-on humour, were almost always guaranteed to make you laugh until you cried. (Or make you envious of her travel adventures.) Our faves? How To: Be Famous on Reality TV and Bad Dates, obviously.
While Aly may no longer upload to her channel, she’s still very active on social media, which means we’ve been able to keep up with her life since her final video. Viewers will be happy to know she’s still pursuing comedy, having entered a stand up competition earlier this year. She’s done some online presenting work and is still living it up in Hong Kong. When not in Hong Kong, she can be found travelling the world, making us feel some major wanderlust whenever she scroll through her Instagram.
We’re glad to see Aly’s still living life to the fullest, and we’re excited to see where life takes her next! Who knows, maybe she’ll invite us on her next vacation. We’re great travel companions, we promise.
The Stories We Tell | Jack Harries
Jack and Finn Harries are the two hilarious and big-hearted twins who ran JacksGap. While they haven’t been too active on YouTube in recent years, they’re still managing to have a huge impact on the world, an impact we’re so incredibly proud of.
Let’s start with Jack. Since taking a break from YouTube, Jack has been doing what he’s always loved: filmmaking. He frequently travels the world, making his art (which includes an upcoming book) while also spreading his messages surrounding environmentalism and mental health. Specifically with mental health, he recently uploaded a video of a talk he gave last year, which will leave you with a lot to think about afterward. According to Finn, this is the first of many new videos to be uploaded to YouTube, which we’re super excited about.
Speaking for Finn, he’s been studying architecture at Parsons School of Design in New York, a program from which he recently graduated. (Congrats!) Whilst in school, he continued his travels with Jack, ran a marathon in support of Pencils of Promise, gave a TED Talk and continued his activism. How he managed to fit that all in while working on his degree is admirable!
So there you have it…
Our Five of the Best: YouTubers After YouTube! While we were sad to see them stop uploading on a regular basis, we’re glad they’re enjoying life to the fullest and following the paths they feel are best for them. Who knows, maybe we’ll see them return to YouTube one day! Until then, we’ll continue to follow their journeys on Twitter and Instagram. (And every other social media platform.)
Want more Five of the Best? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered:
- Five More of the Best: Videos About Mental Health
- Five of the Best: GRWM Videos
- Five of the Best: Study Inspiration
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