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By now, you must have heard murmurings of a certain ‘IShowSpeed’ coming to Singapore. Regardless of whether you’re familiar with his content, make no mistake – this is a big deal.
Known for his loud personality and over-the-top reactions, the 19-year-old American streamer is objectively one of the most popular online figures currently – boasting 31 million subscribers on YouTube and 343,000 followers on Twitch.
And these numbers translate to real life.
IShowSpeed or Speed, as he’s more commonly called, is currently touring Southeast Asia. This tour has seen throngs of fans following his every move and, in some instances, causing chaos due to their sheer size.
So far, Speed has visited Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia. Although this has yet to be confirmed, it is widely believed that Singapore will be Speed’s next stop – just in time for the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
Given the huge hype surrounding his impending arrival, here’s the lowdown on IShowSpeed.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Speed’s real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr. He started his YouTube channel in 2016 and uploaded gameplay videos of NBA2K and Fortnite. In an interview with British lifestyle magazine Dazed, Speed revealed that his moniker came from a childhood nickname.
“They used to call me Speedy because I was fast,” he said.
Like many small channels, Speed had very few viewers in his early days. However, clips of his outbursts and dramatic behaviour during his gaming livestreams started making their way to TikTok in early 2021 and his popularity grew.
According to fans, his content was “entertaining and funny”.
By June 2021, he had amassed 1 million subscribers on his YouTube page.
Over the years, Speed has been the subject of many viral incidents – unwittingly or otherwise.
On Jul 4, 2022, Speed almost set his house on fire after he ignited a Pikachu firework in his room, underestimating its strength. Intense sparks shot out from multiple areas of the Pikachu figure, causing it to spin and fly.
Another viral incident saw Speed accidentally flashing his viewers while playing the horror game Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach. Reacting to a jumpscare, Speed leapt up from his chair and began thrusting the air with his hips. This action led to him accidentally exposing himself to the 25,000 viewers watching his livestream.
Anyone who has watched Speed’s videos would know that he brings up Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo constantly. So what sparked this love for CR7?
In 2022, Speed pivoted to football content after falling in love with the sport. He had watched his first-ever football game – the UCL 2022 championship match between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
It is believed that as he learnt about the sport, he began to learn more about Ronaldo’s achievements and became a fan. During a livestream, a fan once asked who his favourite football player was, to which he replied: “Cristo Ronaldo, sewey (a mispronunciation of Ronaldo’s iconic ‘Siuuu’ chant).
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he flew to Qatar to support Portugal and Ronaldo.
In an interview with former Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand, Speed spoke about his admiration for Ronaldo: “When you look at him, you get the sense of presence, like the way he takes his freekick, the stance. I kinda fell in love at first sight.”
After many failed attempts to meet Ronaldo, including one where he flew to Old Trafford – only to find out that Ronaldo was not playing that match, Speed finally got to meet his idol in June 2023.
The fated meeting happened in Lisbon during the Portugal-Bosnia and Herzegovina match for the UEFA Euro qualifiers. Speed managed to hug Ronaldo and get a picture with him.
His post of the encounter has since been viewed over 140 million times on social media platform X and received over 1.8 million likes.
A lot. So far, Speed’s tour has seen him getting his pants caught on fire and driving a tuk tuk into a temple wall in Thailand, getting knocked down by Manny Pacquiao in a sparring match in the Philippines and getting overcharged for renting a hoverboard in Vietnam.
However, his experience in Malaysia has shaped up to be the stuff of legends. While trying durian at the Jalan Alor food market, he appeared to choke on its seed and briefly had to get help. Later that day, he visited comedian Uncle Roger’s fried rice restaurant in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.
He caused such a large crowd to turn up that the restaurant had to temporarily close its shutters. It was reported that an escalator even broke down as a result of his visit to the popular shopping mall.
“In terms of craziness, out of the whole tour, this might be number one,” said Speed in a livestream.
No one knows for sure. There’s currently a Telegram group, with over 9,000 members, anticipating his arrival here. Within the chat group, there is a list of unofficial rules for fans who want to follow Speed in Singapore:
1. No pushing or blocking Speed’s way
2. No throwing things at Speed and touching him.
3. No hitting/blocking his travel vehicle.
4. No calling names, including derogatory terms, to Speed.
5. Listen to him at all times.
6. Treat Speed and his content team with respect.
Speed himself has said that he will come to Singapore and is aware of the group’s existence.
“Singapore, when I come…y’all better be good, man.”
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