A few weeks ago, my high school buddy unexpectedly reached out to me on iMessage with a curious question: “Are you familiar with Glorb?” This friend would be the first to admit he’s not as chronically online as I am. So, when I asked him to enlighten me about Glorb, I didn’t expect to hear about an anonymous YouTube rap artist who uses AI voice sampling to create NSFW raps with the voices of SpongeBob characters. But knowing our mutual love for SpongeBob, I understood why he thought of me after falling down the Glorb rabbit hole on TikTok.
My friend isn’t the only one who’s taken the Glorb pill. In less than a year, Glorb has amassed a catalog of over 20 songs and garnered over 75 million views on YouTube alone. Glorb’s success offers a glimpse into the future—a world where the intrigue of anonymity and AI-driven storytelling, combined with the speed of modern production tools, can catapult projects to massive audiences in a matter of months.
Glorb started with a diss track by Mr. Krabs and Plankton, or as they’re known in Glorb’s universe, Mr. Swags and Dankton. This debut track, released in the early days of AI voice sampling in 2023, transformed the familiar business rivalry from the Nickelodeon show into a gang war for control of Bikini Bottom’s streets, all delivered through rap verses.
What’s remarkable about Glorb is not just the release of songs but the way each one raises the stakes of the diss war, deepens the lore of the world these characters inhabit, and improves the music and production quality. The early Glorb tracks featured simple beats and AI-generated psychedelic visualizers with trippy colors and distorted SpongeBob characters. The most recent videos, however, boast fully produced 3D visualizers that vividly depict the unfolding story, paired with beats worthy of top 40 rap songs and top-notch vocal production. I’m not exaggerating when I say that Glorb’s The Bottom 2 could stand alongside tracks from Metro Boomin’s latest compilation album.
Glorb excels at the classic “if this is true, what else is true” method of world-building. Starting with the absurd premise of a rap feud in a children’s TV show world, each new song explores what else must be true in this universe, adding increasingly absurd details and moments to the evolving story, along with ever-harder bars. Technology enables Glorb to maintain this pace, quality, and intrigue. Releasing 20 high-quality songs in under twelve months is no small feat, especially when paired with top-tier 3D video. This prolific output wouldn’t be possible without today’s advanced audio and video production tools, and Glorb’s rapid release schedule is crucial for keeping attention and momentum. The AI-assisted voice masking not only allows Glorb to parody an established world but also adds a layer of anonymity that enhances the project’s mystique. Much of the discussion around Glorb centers as much on speculating about their identity as it does on engaging with the music itself.
Glorb is a creative marvel that only the internet of 2024 could produce—absurd, high-quality, and expansive. Millions are engrossed, wondering not just whether Dankton or Mr. Swags and the Krusty Krab Krew will rule Bikini Bottom, but also who the mastermind behind this rapidly evolving and intricate world is. Glorb’s ability to not only write compelling songs but also craft deep, intriguing lore sparks conversations that expand their audience—just like the text I received from my high school buddy. For those looking to understand how independent artists can quickly gain distribution and spark conversations using modern tools, Glorb offers a masterclass.
