Shaan says Gen Z only know him from the viral cussing meme, not as a singer: ‘It became my identity’

Shaan opened up about the viral meme that he claims has become his ‘identity’ in a interview, saying that's how his children's friends recognise him also.

Remember how Shaan went from a singer to a viral sensation during the Covid-19 pandemic because he called out trolls who was cussing in the comment section of his Instagram Live? In an interview with Mashable India, the singer spoke about how the moment that turned into a famous meme only made him famous with Gen Z. (Also Read: Shaan drops bombshell about how singing reality shows are shot, says performances are re-recorded in studio later)

Shaan talks about how the viral meme changed his life during the pandemic.

Shaan reacts to viral meme, it’s impact on his life

Shaan was asked about the meme in which he’s cussing, and he replied, “I was reading the comments, and I did not have my spectacles on. I did not know that people cuss others in the comments. When I was reading them out, one of them said, ‘abey ey l***a’. Someone screen-recorded me reading it, and it became a meme.”

The meme became so popular, Shaan rues that Gen Z knows him from the meme rather than as a singer, saying, “That meme has now become my identity. Gen Z and young millennials don’t know me as someone who sings; they only know me from the cuss word. Even my children’s friends are surprised when they see me and say, oh hey, he’s your dad? When they tell him, yeah, he’s singer Shaan. They say no and show them the meme.”

The viral meme in question

During the pandemic, like most celebrities, Shaan did an Instagram Live to connect with his fans. When trolls started cussing at him and others in the comments section, he got frustrated and said, “Ye l****a bolna band karo yaar, kya hai ye? Tameez se baat karenge, gali vali mat do. (Why are you using cuss words? Let’s talk with some decency without cussing.) That shows your true colours.”

He also added, when someone rudely asked him who he was, “Ask your parents who I am, ask your teachers about me. I might have sung less, might be less popular, but I don’t need to tell you who I am.” The moment went viral, particularly his usage of the cuss words, and it turned into a meme.