Goliath" sets up the classic story of David and Goliath as an analogy for MattyB and other young artists' challenges in the modern digital music industry. The comparison makes sense: MattyB (real name: Matthew Morris) has cultivated his audience using G-rated versions of rap and pop songs geared towards younger audiences, and is now trying to break through on a mainstream level.
"YouTube has given me a chance to share my life and music with others around the world while still being able to go to school with my friends, do things like play travel baseball and ride skateboards and do what I love in music without giving up being a normal little boy," MattyB tells Billboard.
MattyB also connects with audiences through a new reality show, MattyB's World, that he's launched on his second channel (a strategy commonly employed by YouTubers), MattyBVlogs.
"Companies spend millions of dollars on artist image and branding, and [they] sometimes end up getting it wrong because they miss the chance to connect to the everyday demographic that just wants to relate as an equal," said Blake Morris, MattyB's father and manager, about the MattyB's World show. "YouTube gives us access to the real fans that make it happen that will stick with him forever."
In the past month, MattyB crossed 1 billion channel views on YouTube, as well as wrapped up his Summer Live 2014 tour with scheduled dates on both coasts.