The 20-year-old New York native sombr is one of the biggest pop acts of 2025, for better or for worse. He's had a couple of TikTok hits, but he also goes viral often for his live performances, which he imbues with antics that seem tailor-made for internet clicks. Lots of people love it; some do not.
Last week the TikToker @meganator__ posted an eight-minute video detailing what she described as "one of the worst experiences of my life" at sombr's Oct. 13 show at the Anthem in Washington, D.C. The video warns viewers that "if you're not over the age of 16, you should not spend your money on a sombr concert." The TikToker said the crowd was "the closest I've ever been to a middle school dance since I was in middle school at a dance," slammed sombr's persistent use of "brainrot" internet lingo onstage, and criticized the gag he does at each show where he FaceTimes fans' "toxic exes" to confront them. (Those fans tend to be teenagers.) "I had to leave because it was the most egotistical performance I've ever seen in my life," the TikToker said.
On Sunday, sombr posted a TikTok of his own in response, saying this:
I thought I was chronically online, but it's just come to my attention that there's a TikTok drama going around because a 25-year-old attended my concert and was basically complaining that there were too many tweens there. I was making too many brainrot jokes and she just thought it was a cringe concert. And also she was body shaming me and it kind of started a massive body shaming hate train directed towards me on a lot of videos of me on the internet right now, which is I totally respect people having opinions, but I'm a 20-year-old artist, freshly 20, and if you're 25 years old and you're going to come to my concert and not expect people younger than you to be there when I, the artist, am five years younger than you, it's just a skill issue. I mean. Also, like the jokes thing, like you had to have known about my online presence before coming to my concert. I mean, anyone who knows me knows I've never uttered a serious word in my life. And also I make jokes for five minutes of the concert and the rest is music. Like, live a little, enjoy life. Every age, sex, sexuality, gender, race, everyone is welcome at my concert, and I mean everyone. You guys need to find problematic people to hate on because I am just existing. Also, I'm just going to give a quick tutorial. [touches a patch of fake grass] Also, I just remembered that I had a fever and bronchitis at the show she went to, but the show goes on. I will not cancel unless I'm on my deathbed.
See both videos below.
@meganator__ idk what i expected but it was certainly not that
♬ original sound - ????
