Viral singer-songwriter Francis Karel has released his striking new single “Like All My Friends”. Listen to it now below.
“Over the past few years, I’ve prioritized so many things above a romantic relationship… school, my career, moving to a new country,” says Karel. “Whenever my friends have asked if I have anything going on in my love life, I’ve always just had a mentality of ‘maybe someday,’ but I think this song represents me being surrounded by so many people I care about who are in love, and wondering what that feels like for the first time.”
Growing up in Jakarta, Indonesia, Karel was a student of pop radio hits, leading him to pen his first song at the young age of 12. When he decided to pursue his dream of becoming an artist, he took a leap of faith and left everything he knew in Jakarta behind with nothing but his suitcase and a one-way ticket to Los Angeles.
What started as a mission to bring joy to people in the most unexpected place ended up being the catalyst for Karel’s breakthrough moment. During COVID, the unassuming singer/songwriter began sharing countless Omegle reaction videos in which he reduces unsuspecting strangers to instant tears with his mesmerizing voice and soulful guitar. Recorded alone at home, Karel’s jaw-dropping, impromptu performances have taken the internet by storm, earning him more than 2.3 million followers on TikTok, 159k YouTube subscribers, and high-profile Instagram fans like Meghan Trainor, Zedd, Tori Kelly, and Bebe Rexha.