Kim Dracula

For the Deftones song, see Saturday Night Wrist.

Kim Dracula
Dracula performing in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Samuel Wellings
Born	(1997-11-24) November 24, 1997 (age 27)[1]
Origin	Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Genres	Nu metal trap metal
Occupations	Singer songwriter rapper
Years active	2020–present

Samuel Wellings, known professionally as Kim Dracula, is an Australian alternative/indie music artist from Hobart, Tasmania whose songs have achieved popularity on TikTok.[2] They[3] are known both for original work and for metal covers of songs not typically associated with the genre. They became popular on YouTube for their authorial song "Make Me Famous" from their album A Gradual Decline In Morale. Dracula was previously the drummer of multiple bands (including The Dead Maggies, a Tasmanian folk-punk group).[4] They were also the vocalist of Australian heavy metal band Jesterpose, which formed in 2017 and released the EP COVID-19 in 2020.[5]

Kim Dracula's name is a reference to the Deftones song "Kimdracula" from their album Saturday Night Wrist.

Musical career

In November 2020, Kim Dracula released on TikTok a metal cover of "Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga.[6] The song was subsequently released to Spotify on 11 December 2020.[7] Their "Paparazzi" cover acquired viral popularity within months, with six million views on YouTube,[8] thirteen million plays on Spotify,[9] and use in over 60,000 TikTok clips[10] before the end of the year. The runaway success of the song propelled Kim Dracula to fourth-most followed Australian TikTok music artist of 2020, trailing Sia, Iggy Azalea, and Mia Rodriguez.[11][12]

In January 2021, "Paparazzi" entered Spotify's Global Viral 50 chart, where it reached as high as number 4 on 13 January.[6][7] The same month, Kim Dracula opened at number 47 on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart, fueled mostly by the success of "Paparazzi" which entered the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart at number 31.[10]

By April 2021, Kim Dracula's "Paparazzi" cover had 13.4 million views on TikTok, 33 million views on YouTube, and 55 million listens on Spotify, while Kim Dracula had ascended to becoming the second most followed Australian TikTok personality, with only Sia having more followers.[5] Kim Dracula's 2022 singles "Make Me Famous" and "Drown" were reviewed favorably by Rock Sound magazine, the latter track being described as "a barrage of sounds and styles...as weird as it is wonderful."[13]

On 14 July 2023, Kim Dracula released their debut album A Gradual Decline in Morale, which contains 20 tracks, including four previously released singles.

Kim Dracula plays the role of Luther on the 2024 concept album by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis, Warriors. [14]

Personal life

Kim Dracula uses they/them pronouns. In a 2023 interview, Kim Dracula revealed that they have obsessive-compulsive disorder.[15]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details

Title	Album details
A Gradual Decline in Morale	Released: July 14, 2023 Label: Order of the Snake Format: CD, digital download, streaming

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles, with year released and album name shown

Title	Year	Peak chart positions		Album
		NZ Hot [16]	US [10]
"Killdozer"	2020	—	—	Non-album singles
"1-800-CLOSE-UR-EYES"		—	—
"Say Please!"		—	—
"Paparazzi" (Lady Gaga cover)		19	—[A]
"Make Me Famous"	2022	—	—	A Gradual Decline In Morale
"Drown"		—	—
"Seventy Thorns" (featuring Jonathan Davis)	2023	—	—
"Hysterics"	2023	—	—	Non-album singles
"Death Before Designer" (featuring SosMula)		—	—
"Land of the Sun"	2023	—	—	A Gradual Decline In Morale

As featured artist

Title	Year	Album
"The Bard's Last Note" (Ricky Desktop featuring Kim Dracula)	2020	Non-album single
"Vinny Rotten" (SosMula featuring Kim Dracula)	2021	13 Songs 2 Die 2
"Червь / Worm" (IC3PEAK featuring Kim Dracula)	2022	Non-album single
"Artificial Anatomy" (Left to Suffer featuring Kim Dracula)	2023	Feral
"W H A T (We're Hungry And Thirsty)" (Tech N9ne featuring HU$H, Kim Dracula)	2023	W H A T (We're Hungry And Thirsty)
"Lubricant Like Kerosene" (SeeYouSpaceCowboy... featuring Kim Dracula)	2024	Coup De Grâce

Notes

1. "Paparazzi" did not enter the Billboard 100 but did peak at number 47 on the Emerging Artists Chart and at number 31 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart.[10]

References

1. Eliezer, Christie (6 January 2021). "The A-Z of music in 2021: How the industry will bounce back from a disastrous year". Beat Magazine. Furst Media. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
2. "The Top 100 TikTok Creators, Trends And Videos In 2020". B&T Magazine. The Misfits Media Company Pty Limited. 3 December 2020. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
3. "Kim Dracula releases "Make Me Famous"". FrontView Magazine. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022. Kim Dracula (pronouns: they/them)
4. Innes, Matt (6 February 2019). "The Dead Maggies Bring Colonial Punk To National Folk Festival". scenestr.com.au. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
5. Dale, Jessica (26 April 2021). "Meet The Upcoming Aussie Who Is One Of The Most Followed Artists On TikTok". The Music. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
6. "Une reprise qui a surpris et séduit". 20 minutes (in French). 13 January 2021. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
7. Wihangga, Felisitas Dhwani (20 January 2021). "Lirik Lagu Paparazzi dari Kim Dracula yang Trending di Spotify". Kompas (in Indonesian). Jakarta. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
8. Kluziewicz, Maksymilian (14 January 2021). "TikTok - stary hit Lady Gagi rządzi w apce! Kto śpiewa metalową wersję Paparazzi?". Radio Eska (in Polish). Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
9. Thomas, Jen (9 February 2021). "10 musical TikTok artists you should be following right now". Louder Sound. Future plc. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
10. Zellner, Xander (5 January 2021). "CJ Hits No. 1 on Emerging Artists Chart as 'Whoopty' Reaches the Hot 100's Top 40". Billboard. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
11. "The Biggest Aussie Music Acts On TikTok This Year Revealed". The Music. Street Press Australia. 2 December 2020. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
12. Eliezer, Christie (3 December 2020). "How the TikTok universe created its own Australian stars in 2020". The Music Network. Take 2 Media. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
13. Rogers, Jack (23 November 2022). "Kim Dracula Releases Chaotic New Track 'Drown'". Rock Sound. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
14. "Pre-Order Warriors, The New Concept Album From Lin-Manuel Miranda And Eisa Davis, Based on the Paramount Pictures film The Warriors and the book "The Warriors" by Sol Yurick". Warriors. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
15. Madden, Emma (12 July 2023). "KIM DRACULA: Unmaking A Murderer".
16. Peaks on the NZ Hot Singles Chart:
    • For "Paparazzi": "NZ Hot Singles Chart for the chart dated 10 January 2021". Recorded Music NZ. 10 January 2021. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2022.