The Justin Bieber fan didn’t know her photo of a security guard at a concert would be retweeted 60,000 times – she just thought he was attractive. So did everyone else.
Now that security guard, 18-year-old Boy Roeles from the Netherlands, is hitting the stage himself, ditching the security job to become a DJ.
Boy Roeles, on the job as security at a Justin Bieber concert. Image: Issa Van Der Heijden
Issa Van Der Heijden shared the picture of Mr Roeles to Twitter where it immediately gained traction, reposted by user, @stratfordneymar, which sparked all the attention.
Mr Roeles told Dscribe it didn’t take long for the post to go viral, as he found out about it when his girlfriend showed him the tweet.
“I couldn’t believe that I was the guy in the picture!” he said.
“Me and my colleagues were resting for the next day of work, then my girlfriend sends me a screenshot of the post that was retweeted 9000 times. We were all making jokes about it, but the next day it went to 60,000 (retweets). Then, my Instagram went from 1200 to 60,000,” he said.
The image has also amassed more than 230,000 ‘likes’ after it was reposted by Instagram page, Jaw, which has more than one million followers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BU-_iYPANRf/
Mr Roeles said the experience of having his image go viral on social media had changed his life.
“I actually see this like a dream… It’s funny, crazy and unexpected!” he said.
“Now I have the opportunity to do what I love, and that’s making music. So, you will hear from me soon … I am releasing a sick remix. My friends and family are so proud of me at the moment, so that’s awesome.”
While it was only Mr Roeles’ second time in front of a stage, he no longer works as a security guard, as people who want to take pictures with him pose a safety risk. He is now ready to put all his energy into a career as a DJ.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWAKql6g729/?taken-by=boyroeles&hl=en
“A producer is helping me right now. I have always recorded myself whistling and making sounds, but I didn’t know how to put it together. Now, he is helping me and we are making awesome songs! My dream is coming true, I’ve never had a change like this,” he said.
Despite the positivity, there has been some critical commentary. Twitter user, diego, posted: “Let’s not hype up another mediocre white boy so that he can gain sudden/temporary fame and start making money for no reason”.
Mr Roeles only sees the good in it all, thankful to all his followers, and for social media. He wants them to appreciate his music and all that he has to offer, not just think of him as “that good-looking guy”.
“The best part of social media is that I can connect with people around the world,” he said.
