The Rise of a Viral Hit: Tracking the Surge of Sam Tompkins' 'How to Save a Life'
By Elena Rostova
High-level industry players were paying close attention to Tompkins' surging view counts. Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber came across Tompkins' performances while scrolling social media and posted direct praise on his personal Instagram stories. Bieber went further than a passive repost: he reached out directly, hosted Tompkins on video calls, and publicly proclaimed the British singer possessed one of the best voices he had ever encountered.
This was not empty celebrity flattery. Bieber invited Tompkins to join him backstage and hang out during tour rehearsals, introducing the young busker to elite music industry executives. The exposure helped finalize an Island Records signing, giving Tompkins the backing of a historic label system while allowing him to maintain his self-produced, DIY acoustic aesthetic. That creative autonomy proved crucial when structuring his next steps.
Rather than letting him become trapped as a one-off social media novelty, the label capitalized on the momentum by dropping an official cover release alongside his original body of work. In March 2022, Tompkins unveiled the Who Do You Pray To EP. The project climbed to the number seven spot on the UK Official Albums Chart, confirming that his viral following was willing to invest real money and time into his original songwriting.
Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.
