CURTIS WATERS

After a 15-second clip of his song blew up overnight, Curtis Waters went from working at a smoothie shop to being profiled by Rolling Stone, becoming a case study for the transformative power and groundbreaking reach of TikTok. Then, he defied all expectations and rejected multi-million dollar deals from well-established music labels, choosing to remain independent in the corporate world of music and betting on himself in the process. In the two years since his viral success, Curtis Waters—born Abhinav Bastakoti—has continued on the trajectory of his original hit, “Stunnin’,” releasing a debut album at the age of 20 and collaborating with names like Brevin Kim, Kim Petras, and TiaCorine.