Q̾u̾i̾c̾k̾ ̾F̾i̾r̾e̾: Alter egos, anonymity, anthropomorphism?
How character-building became an art form
Anonymity, alternate characters and personas have been used since the dawn of pop culture, by everyone from MF Doom to HorsegiirL. But now, with the internet helping us transcend the limits of self presentation (just look at FKA Twig’s new deepfake), and a trend cycle that’s made cosplay a casual pursuit, it feels like character building is reaching fever pitch.
From NPC aliases to avatars, masks to cryptic social media handles, we’re using digital alter egos to explore our deepest fantasies (good, bad and ugly). Meanwhile, a generation of young artists and creatives are using expansive characters to build (and escape to) other worlds, taking their fans along with them.
Why? Well, we can’t forget about the trickier side of building yourself online. Parasocial relationships have reached their peak, and the internet threatens even the most unsuspecting of us with sixty seconds of fame (viral at best, doxxed or cancelled at worst). And so the idea of anonymity and alter egos feels all the more enticing. Does creating a character for yourself feel like a necessary protection against the jury of social media?
Or instead, is there simply a greater market for escapism and belonging? MØRNING’s Creative Strategist Alisha says alter egos online are “like being a part of a sub-community, just for the intrigue of the journey. As the lines between different realms become continuously blurred, it’s common to see this play out for many creatives, as they use their online presence or alter ego to further the omnipresence of their persona, and art”.
As we collectively wrestle with these changing identity codes, search for new meaning in our human world, or look to escape it all together, the abundant realities that alter egos create for us are the perfect antidote…
EXHIBIT A: Music’s market for mythology
Across the board, our increased desire for fantasy has created a rich economy for fantastical myth making and lore that extends beyond the characters themselves. Today, artists are making an art form of worldbuilding itself, from the iconic SAULT, to a surge of young indie bands (see the London based Tapir and HMTLD) that are creating their own mythology and characters to bring their music to life.
The internet, for some, has of course provided fertile ground for the creation of these myths, with internet-based musicians of yore, like Drain Gang, pioneering digital lore-making. “The lore of Bladee, Ecco2k, Yung Lean etc has been vast and deep since their mid-2010s arrival, using the digital world for the repetition of creation and publication, with no restrictions to aesthetic exploration and experimentation”, says Alisha. “This paved the way for the next generation of creatives, like ColdF33t and Evanora to use online worldbuilding to further the feeling and experience of their art.”
EXHIBIT B: Drill masks and dual identities
And what about those playing with anonymity as a way to worldbuild ? We have to look to the UK drill scene, where some of the most popular talents of the moment, like Meekz, Kwengface and SL, are only identifiable through their eyes or signature disguise.
For some, masks are used as a way to remain low-key or to conceal their true identity from any unwanted detractors. However for many others, masks are a device that helps them step into their alternate characters with fervour. “A lot of drill rappers conceal their identities”, says music manager Younis. “Some might be linked to gangs, but also it just adds to that level of mystery that they know consumers are looking for”.
In a music genre where narrative and storytelling holds such weight, disguises allow artists to transcend from man, to brand or myth. See some of Meekz’ artistry below as he goes masked and meta, emulating the NPC trend but as himself for a recent music video.
EXHIBIT C: Orville Peck
Like the artists above, queer country singer Orville Peck has used a signature masked look to define his career as an artist. He famously hasn’t spoken about why he wears the mask, instead letting his audience make their own interpretation. Does it reference drag? The lived secrecy of the queer community? Or is it pure character building? The passionate discussion around his choice says it all about the importance of sexuality, identity, character and performance in society today.
EXHIBIT C: Bo Quinn and beyond drag
And while we’re talking about drag, what about the artist Lynks, with their highly creative kink-adjacent masked looks, or a new generation of drag artists like ‘drag clown’ Bo Quinn and the shapeshifting, sometimes even cyborg, Hungry. These artists are part of a larger trend towards theatricality and transcendence among the drag community, where creative artistry is used to escape the human form altogether.
EXHIBIT E: Chappell Roan and animal-cosplay
Then there’s Chappell Roan, one of the leading voices of pop music’s sapphic renaissance, and the drag project and stage persona of Kayleigh Amstutze. Chappell is ‘mother’ to many: overtly sexual, exuberant and unashamedly tacky, while Kayleigh draws sharp boundaries between herself, her character and her fans (see this summary of Chappell's stance on fame from a Twitter fan account).
Chappell is also one of the female artists to take part in the celebrity SFX trend (see Ashnikko’s alien transformations, Doja Cat’s Choupette rendition or even HorsegiirL herself), donning a pig snout for this year’s Grammy’s. “I just wanted to look like a pig!” she said in an interview.
Increasingly she’s not the only one hoping to escape the human form altogether…
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Any favourite altar egos we didn't mention? Or are you tempted to create your own? As always, let us know in the comments or catch us over on Instagram.
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Until next time!
I can't believe you left Blindboy Boatclub out of this piece!