In 2002, a brand-new reality show hit FOX—"American Idol."
At that time, the reality TV craze was just beginning, sparked by the success of "Pop Idol" in the UK, which opened the entertainment industry's eyes to new possibilities. However, no one yet fully realized how this format would transform the entire industry. The rise of reality TV—allowing cameras to deeply penetrate everyday lives—fed the public's desire to spy on and gossip about the private lives of others. This trend only intensified, affecting not just public figures but everyday people too. In just two decades, the mantra of "entertainment to the death" reached new levels.
And at this moment, history was just beginning to unfold.
Last year, Kelly Clarkson, a small-town girl and bar waitress, won the first season of American Idol, dramatically changing her life overnight. Her victory made the "American Dream" feel more real than ever, and the country went wild. After Clarkson became the show's first-ever champion, her winning single immediately debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, showcasing the program's huge influence. Last month, she released her debut album, which also shot straight to the top of the Billboard 200, with her lead single breaking into the Hot 100's top ten.
People thought, if a small-town bar waitress could make it, why couldn't they?
This led to even greater excitement for "American Idol" Season 2, propelling the show to unprecedented heights and dominating the ratings with astonishing strength.
Now, Season 2 has concluded with Ruben Studdard as the winner—an unexpected result. The widely favored Clay Aiken finished in second place, marking the end of another season of this groundbreaking reality show.
Soon, following Kelly Clarkson's example, both Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken would release their debut singles.
The American Idol frenzy was sweeping across North America.
But just how crazy had things become?
Imagine the global excitement surrounding the World Cup, excluding North America. During the group stages, the whole world celebrates, and by the knockout stages, the anticipation only grows, peaking even after the final match. American Idol had reached that level of fervor.
The North American music market was entering a new era. Since the late '90s, the physical record industry had been in a slow decline. But American Idol injected new life into it, reviving the market in a way that could even compete with Hollywood's summer blockbusters.
In this heated atmosphere, on August 31st, a new player quietly entered the scene—and unexpectedly rose to prominence at the perfect moment.
Before the Cannes Film Festival, the song "Ho Hey" climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, right behind 50 Cent's massive hit "In Da Club."
This was an incredible feat, achieved with no major promotions or widespread distribution—just pure word of mouth, as if it were the 1960s when music's success relied on the strength of the songs themselves. The band's ascent was a throwback to a simpler time when the quality of music spoke for itself, and the power of money hadn't yet stolen all the attention.
After its release, the song slowly climbed the charts over 27 weeks, holding strong at No. 2—an astonishing accomplishment for an unknown indie band. This grassroot success mirrored American Idol's dream of ordinary people achieving extraordinary things.
The internet was buzzing.
Adding to the buzz, the lead singer of the band August 31st turned out to be none other than Anson Wood.
As an actor, Anson Wood was a household name—whether people liked him or not, his name was everywhere. But as a musician?
...What?!
When people connected the dots between Peter Parker and the lead singer of August 31st, they couldn't help but curse in disbelief.
The key was that Anson kept his identity a secret, relying solely on his music without any promotional support, once again aligning with the American Idol spirit. This made everything that was happening even more incredible and inspiring.
Amid the growing amazement, admiration for Anson continued to rise.
No one had seen this coming.
With excitement building, even industry professionals were eagerly waiting to see when "Ho Hey" would finally top the Billboard charts.
Everything seemed ready.
But it didn't happen.
Second place. Second place. Second place.
For three consecutive weeks, Ho Hey stayed at No. 2, unable to break through. 50 Cent's "In Da Club" was too strong, holding the top spot for two months, preventing August 31st from claiming No. 1.
Then, Billboard finally saw a shakeup.
"In Da Club" ended its reign at nine weeks, just short of double digits, and a new song took over the top spot.
So, was it "Ho Hey"?
No, the new No. 1 was Sean Paul's "Get Busy."
In the second week of May, the Billboard Hot 100 had a new champion.
At No. 1: "Get Busy"
At No. 2: "Ho Hey"
At No. 3: "In Da Club"
August 31st continued to hold at No. 2, despite finally beating 50 Cent. However, they still couldn't claim the top spot, losing out to Sean Paul, stuck at second place once again.
At this point, it was hard to say if this was a good thing or a bad thing.
In a way, it wasn't surprising. It confirmed some of the observations made by Miles:
Folk, rock, jazz, and bluegrass were all fading, while pop and rap were on the rise.
Or, put differently, club music was taking over, much like disco did in the '80s. Music that played in clubs, getting people to dance, always seemed to gain the most widespread support.
From disco to electronic to rock and now to pop and rap, the genres may change, but the clubs always dominate the market.
Both "In Da Club" and "Get Busy" may be different genres, but they share the same DNA—something "Ho Hey" couldn't compete with.
Imagine trying to dance to a cello in a nightclub.
Suddenly, the situation didn't seem all that surprising.
Honestly, what was more remarkable wasn't that "Ho Hey" failed to reach No. 1, but that it managed to hold second place for so long against "In Da Club" and "Get Busy." It had become a defining moment of the summer.
Now, everyone was wondering—
Just how long could "Ho Hey" keep its momentum and stay in the Billboard top ten or even top five?