By now you've surely heard that "capybara" song that went viral all over TikTok (and particularly in the corner of TikTok affectionately called "CapybaraTok") earlier this year—you know, the one that goes "capybara, capybara, capybara, capybara" and is currently used as background music for pretty much every video of capybaras on social media. I was curious to learn more so I did a little digging. Turns out the song was created by 22-year-old Russian blogger Alexey Pluzhnikov, who lives in Moscow.
Russia Beyond explains that as of Spring 2023, over 500,000 TikToks have used the song, and it's been played over 2 million times on Spotify. They further explain the origins of the song:
"I remember well that it was almost six in the morning and I couldn't sleep," Alexey Pluzhnikov, the 22-year-old producer from Moscow, told Metro Moscow. "Not knowing what to do, I decided to sit down at the computer – and the idea of the track came instantly. On the game project in which I work, we just introduced a capybara character. I bought a suitable melody online from a beatmaker and the words were pure improvisation. In the end, it took only half an hour to record."
Alexey uploaded the track and forgot about it, but it suddenly went viral. Pluzhnikov didn't consider becoming a full-time musician before, but now he does. He says he already has a contract offer from a major label, undisclosed, and he is going to sign with them.
Enjoy the full 2-minute song here, which, in addition to the ad nauseum repitition of "capybara," features lyrics such as:
This animal is really cool
It's a capybara bro
This animal is really cool
It's a capybara bro
He runs so dumb
But he's really a capybara-boy
This animal is really cool
He's really a capybara-capybara-boy
And check out Alexey at the Moscow Zoo, signing autographs for fans and leading the crowd in a "Capybara" singalong. You can also follow him on his Instagram.
