Kim Dracula

Biography

Samuel Wellings, known professionally as Kim Dracula, is an Australian singer, songwriter, musician, and rapper from Hobart, Tasmania, whose songs have achieved popularity on TikTok. They are known both for original work and for metal covers of songs not typically associated with the genre. They became popular on YouTube for their authorial song "Make Me Famous×Make Me Famous19 May 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track1Make Me Famous2:55" from their album A Gradual Decline In Morale×A Gradual Decline in Morale14 July 2023 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 20 tracks1A Gradual Decline in Morale2:032My Confession3:003The Pledge:0:144Luck Is a Fine Thing (Give It a Chance)3:255Drown2:466Superhero2:437Are You?3:048Land of the Sun3:539The Turn:0:2110Divine Retribution2:2011Undercover2:1712Industry Secrets2:5213Rosé4:3514Seventy Thorns2:5915The Prestige:0:2416Reunion and Reintegration2:5217Kitty Kitty2:3218Make Me Famous3:0319Iris2:4620The End, for Now0:27. Dracula was previously the drummer of multiple bands (including The Dead Maggies, a Tasmanian folk-punk group). They were also the vocalist of Australian heavy metal band Jesterpose, which formed in 2017 and released the EP COVID-19 in 2020.
Kim Dracula's name is a reference to the Deftones song "Kimdracula" from their album Saturday Night Wrist.

Musical career

In November 2020, Kim Dracula released on TikTok a metal cover of "Paparazzi×Paparazzi11 December 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Paparazzi3:12" by Lady Gaga. The song was subsequently released to Spotify on 11 December 2020. Their "Paparazzi" cover acquired viral popularity within months, with six million views on YouTube, thirteen million plays on Spotify, and use in over 60,000 TikTok clips before the end of the year. The runaway success of the song propelled Kim Dracula to fourth-most followed Australian TikTok music artist of 2020, trailing Sia, Iggy Azalea, and Mia Rodriguez.
In January 2021, "Paparazzi" entered Spotify's Global Viral 50 chart, where it reached as high as number 4 on 13 January. The same month, Kim Dracula opened at number 47 on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart, fueled mostly by the success of "Paparazzi" which entered the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart at number 31.
By April 2021, Kim Dracula's "Paparazzi" cover had 13.4 million views on TikTok, 33 million views on YouTube, and 55 million listens on Spotify, while Kim Dracula had ascended to becoming the second most followed Australian TikTok personality, with only Sia having more followers. Kim Dracula's 2022 singles "Make Me Famous×Make Me Famous19 May 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track1Make Me Famous2:55" and "Drown×Drown18 November 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Drown2:46" were reviewed favorably by Rock Sound magazine, the latter track being described as "a barrage of sounds and styles...as weird as it is wonderful."
On 14 July 2023, Kim Dracula released their debut album A Gradual Decline in Morale×A Gradual Decline in Morale14 July 2023 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 20 tracks1A Gradual Decline in Morale2:032My Confession3:003The Pledge:0:144Luck Is a Fine Thing (Give It a Chance)3:255Drown2:466Superhero2:437Are You?3:048Land of the Sun3:539The Turn:0:2110Divine Retribution2:2011Undercover2:1712Industry Secrets2:5213Rosé4:3514Seventy Thorns2:5915The Prestige:0:2416Reunion and Reintegration2:5217Kitty Kitty2:3218Make Me Famous3:0319Iris2:4620The End, for Now0:27, which contains 20 tracks, including four previously released singles.
Kim Dracula plays the role of Luther on the 2024 concept album by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis, Warriors.

Personal life

Kim Dracula uses they/them pronouns. In a 2023 interview, Kim Dracula revealed that they have obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).

Headlining

America's Gradual Decline In Morale Tour (2024)
Europe + The UK Tour (2025)
Horror Down Under Tour (2025)

Co-headlining

US Tour Spring 2025 (with Hanabie.) (2025)

Opening act

Life is But A Dream... North American Tour Pt. 1 and 2 (for Avenged Sevenfold) (2023)
The Godmode Tour Pt.1 and 2 (for In This Moment) (2024)
Hell Of A Summer Tour (for Ice Nine Kills and Dayseeker) (2025)