Mikey Angelo sits at the intersection of social media stardom and musical artistry, representing a new generation of creators reshaping entertainment that got their spotlight at VidCon 2025 this past weekend, with Mikey himself participating in two music creator-dedicated panels. 

With 4 million followers on TikTok and nearly 2.5 million YouTube subscribers, Mikey—known to fans as “Mr. Grande”—has transformed from a small-town youth with limited exposure to the outside world into one of the platform’s most recognizable voices.

“The end goal for me was always to be a songwriter and an artist, and content creation was my way of getting my foot in the door before that became such a valid way to do that,” Mikey explains. “I feel like I’m changing as an artist. I started off doing musical comedy skits for fun, but the more I’ve done it, the more I’ve sharpened the skill and realized there’s a future in being a legitimate artist as opposed to a content creator.”

Mikey’s journey began in 2015, when he launched his YouTube channel; however, his fascination with digital media started much earlier. “I got my first video camera when I was 12 years old, and I started my own YouTube channel. Each video would get like 10 to 15 views, but I was so excited about those,” he recalls with nostalgia. “I remember when I hit like a hundred subscribers, I was throwing a party and I was so excited.”

The moniker “Mr. Grande” reveals more than just a catchy name—it originated from his early content strategy, which focused exclusively on pop superstar Ariana Grande. “When I first started making videos, my channel was solely based on Ariana Grande content, because I’m obsessed with her. She’s my pop star,” Mikey explains. This choice coincided with a pivotal time in his personal life, before he had come out of the closet.

“Mr. Grande was like this persona where I could still fangirl about Ariana Grande, but be like, ‘Oh yeah, I think she’s so pretty.’ But really, I was just fangirling over her. I loved her. She was that girl,” he shares. This approach proved strategically sound, enabling him to tap into an existing fan base rather than building one from scratch. “Her fans were already there, and they were devouring any Ariana Grande content that was put on the Internet. I didn’t have to build from the ground up.”

When it comes to the mindset that propelled him from amateur creator to established personality, Mikey reveals the intense dedication behind his seemingly effortless content. “I always tell people the number one reason for my success is my desire. I wanted it so bad,” he emphasizes. “I was willing to put in more work than most people would be willing to put in. Like really perfecting every single line, going in and rewriting a rap like 10-20 times for days at a time.”

This relentless pursuit of perfection extended beyond just the content itself to a deep understanding of digital culture. “Constantly being a part of the conversation of what’s happening and what people are talking about was a huge part for me.” Eventually, after years of dedication, this persistent work ethic led to him leaving his hometown for Los Angeles to pursue content creation full-time—”the best decision of my life,” according to Mikey.

Coping with Creator Burnout

Even for rising creators like Mikey, maintaining inspiration and fighting burnout remains a constant challenge. His solution is both simple and practical—he keeps an album on his phone filled with screenshots of his most meaningful fan comments.

“I have an album on my camera roll that’s comments from fans that I appreciate; nice comments that I’ll screenshot and just put in this album,” Mikey explains. “Whenever I’m feeling burnt out or uninspired, I’ll just go through this album and I’ll just read these nice words that connect with me so hard.”

This practice not only reignites his creativity but also reminds him of the impact his work has on others. “I feel reinspired just by seeing what my videos can do for people and how they can bring people joy and make people smile.”

Embracing the Face of Gen Z

When it comes to being labeled “the face of Gen Z” on TikTok, Mikey embraces the title—at least for now.

“I’m embracing it now, while Gen Z is still hanging on to their coolness,” he jokes. “In a couple years, I might shy away from that title once it becomes—once Gen Alpha fully takes over. And it is happening as we speak. But no, I still embrace it as of right now. I think it’s fun. I’m proud to be Gen Z.”

This self-awareness about generational shifts and internet culture remains central to Mikey’s appeal. His content resonates because it captures the zeitgeist while remaining accessible to a broad audience.

The Music-Creator Connection

Mikey’s participation in VidCon 2025 in Anaheim reflects his dual identity as both a content creator and a musician. His appearance on the “Soundcheck: The Future of Music Creation” panel examines the increasingly connected relationship between social media content and the music industry.

“The panel is talking all about how the music industry was so drastically changed by mainly TikTok, but by content creation in general,” Mikey explains. “It’s just so crazy how intertwined content creation has become with the music industry. You’re seeing more and more influencers go mainstream and have songs that blow up because of TikTok.”

When asked for advice on breaking into music, Mikey emphasizes the unpredictability of viral success. “It’s never the one that you’re like, ‘Oh, this one is gonna do numbers on TikTok. This one is gonna blow up.’ In my experience, it’s always the one that you’re like, ‘I mean, I guess I’ll put this out.'”

His recommendation? “Don’t overthink your work. Just create and love what you create and put it out and hope for the best.”

Beyond his musical contributions, Mikey also took part in the “Crown the Creators: Blind Karaoke” challenge at VidCon 2025, an event inspired by a popular TikTok trend.

“Blind karaoke stems from the trend on TikTok where people can’t look at the words behind them, but they have to sing whatever song plays,” Mikey explains. “I feel like it’s a perfect segment for me to be a part of because I play this with my friends at home. What makes the challenge so fun and funny is when people think the song is something else and they just start singing something completely different.”

For Mikey, events like VidCon serve as a crucial reminder of the real people behind the view counts and comment sections. “To be able to see [fans] in person is huge for me,” he says. “Talking about feeling burnt out or uninspired—this is the biggest inspiring event to go to. It’s all about the fans. It’s all about the kids and connecting with them and seeing their excitement and their joy for these creators in person is just so special.”

He believes the relevance of events like VidCon reflects a more profound human need for connection that persists despite increasingly digital lives. “The world is only getting more and more digital, so for VidCon to be around still is so huge and special.”

Stepping Outside the Comfort Zone

After years of creating content primarily solo, Mikey is pushing himself to embrace collaboration and new formats. He recently began taking improv classes to expand his comedic abilities.

“It is the scariest, most embarrassing thing you could put yourself through,” he admits. “But it feels so good. I never thought it would feel so good to embarrass yourself, basically in front of people. I’m having so much fun doing it.”

This exploration of improv is part of his preparation for a new venture: his first-ever live show. Drawing inspiration from performers like Bo Burnham, Mikey envisions a one-man musical comedy performance.

“My very first live show has been in the works for a while now. It’s going to be like a one-man show. I love those musical comedies, live stage, one-man shows,” he explains. “I have this vision of putting one [together] and getting to connect with my audience in real life as opposed to like through my phone.”

“I think improv will definitely help me be comfortable on stage and be comfortable improving when things don’t go right in a show,” he adds. While the show is still in planning stages with no official date set, Mikey is excited about this next step in his career.

As Mikey continues to develop as both a creator and artist, he’s proud of pushing himself beyond the comfortable isolation that characterized his early career. “I am like a hermit when it comes to my content creation. I don’t do a lot of collabs because it’s just a scary thought to me. I like to stay in my own little bubble and make my videos in my bedroom.”

This year marks a shift in that approach. “I started putting myself out there more and talking to other people, reaching out for collabs, and I think that’s a big change in me that a lot of people haven’t seen.”

With plans for his live show underway, new musical projects on the horizon, and a presence across digital platforms, Mikey’s journey from YouTube fan to multi-faceted creator is one where passion, persistence, and genuine expression meet to transform a childhood dream into a thriving career.

“It worked out,” he reflects with characteristic understatement. “Thankfully.”