Lil Nas X performed to an audience of millions across two days and four shows this weekend, playing in a setting that literally made him larger than life: the hit kids game Roblox. The shows gathered 33 million views in total across the performances, which started on Saturday afternoon and wrapped up with a surprise encore performance on Sunday, Roblox told The Verge. The identical shows starred a motion-captured incarnation of Lil Nas X, styled to fit in with a world that shifted to match each of the four songs he performed.
It’s a huge number for Roblox, and it puts the game’s ability to hold a concert up there with Fortnite. In April, Fortnite hosted a similarly impressive performance from Travis Scott that drew 45.8 million viewers across five shows. Scott’s show had 27.7 million unique attendees; Roblox didn’t announce a unique viewership figure.
There’s more to come from Roblox. The company sees virtual concerts as a new way to give its players a chance to hang out and for the game to stay relevant as those predominantly young players get older. Lil Nas X is a big artist to kick things off, but his success suggests Roblox was right to think it can become a new space for music.
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