bbno$ is back with two new singles that double down on his signature mix of independence, unpredictability, and fun. He opens up about staying fully DIY, collaborating with unexpected voices like VTuber Ironmouse, and making music that doesn’t follow rules, just good instincts.

Stream: “1-800” – bbno$ ft. ironmouse

There’s a certain kind of artist who thrives on chaos–not in the messy sense, but in the joyful, why-not kind of way. That’s bbno$.

The Canadian singer and rapper, born Alexander Gumuchian but now better known as his stage name bbno$, has built a career on unpredictable choices, anime references, and music that doesn’t ask to be taken seriously but still hits like it should be.

His new singles “Mary Poppins” and “1-800” feel classically in his lane: high-energy, addictingly catchy, and just left-of-center enough to feel fresh. “1-800,” his brand new single out this week featuring VTuber Ironmouse, brings a particular excitement to his discography. In his words, “There’s something with “1-800” that feels like a perfect song.”

What’s interesting about bbno$ is how much intention lives underneath the play. He’s still fully independent, focuses intently on his marketing, and maps out cosplay drops to match his releases. He joined our call from the back of an Uber, casually nursing a neck injury from a video shoot. “I just jumped in from filming a music video, and I blew my neck. I have a bulged disk – so I just popped two Tylenols, and I’m in an Uber now on my way to another session.”

There’s a clear universe that his music lives in, with each new single building and adding to the bbno ecosystem. It’s a bit DIY, over-caffeinated, and always in motion–but it works because it’s never trying too hard. Whether it’s a song that makes you double-step, a lyrical punchline that lands just right, or a fan connecting with his full embrace of cosplay, he isn’t chasing some big emotional payoff, he’s chasing the moments.

Recently, the singer has been centering activism in his work in a new way.

When a collaborator on the “Mary Poppins” music video made racist comments, bbno$ redirected all proceeds from the song’s music video to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. It wasn’t for headlines. It was the least he could do, he said.

From music to activism there’s a clear through-line of authenticity and not questioning what feels the best in his music. When asked about the direction of his music in the future he clearly expressed this – “Where am I taking myself next?” he laughed. “The chiropractor.”

And honestly? That tracks.

We caught up with bbno$ to learn about his new single “1-800,” his take on being a “viral pioneer,” and his connection to fans through cosplay. Read the full article below.

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:: stream/purchase 1-800 here ::

:: connect with bbno$ here ::

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A CONVERSATION WITH BBNO$

Atwood Magazine: Congratulations on the release of your new singles, “Mary Poppins” and “1-800.” What makes you excited about these releases?

bbno$: I’m really excited for them, especially “1-800.” I think it’s one of the stronger songs that I’ve made in a while. It includes Ironmouse, one of the most popular VTubers in the Twitch space. She’s super gung-ho about it. There’s something with “1-800” that feels like a perfect song.

I have a real strong, good, feeling about, “1-800” specifically, because I just have tons and tons of things lined up. I’ve got a bunch of cosplays and a bunch of marketing decisions already coordinated for it. I honestly care more about the marketing behind the music – and what story I could tell. The sociological effect of people accepting my music and taking it for what it is, it’s very interesting to me. I really like these two songs and they’re definitely bangers. I’ve played them live already and they bring super, super good energy.

What was your songwriting process on “1-800”?

bbno$: Lyrically – it’s just entertainment. I’m not trying to go for a moving, touching song that really gets people in their feelings. But I am trying to make workout music, music for when you go for a walk – if you want something a couple beats per minute faster – something that makes you double step because you’re jumping a bit through the beat. It’s that type of music.

As far as writing music, I really like making moments in songs that feel fresh and organic the whole way through. I think that’s very important ethos of my business is having an organic feel. It’s still incredibly DIY – to the point where I even pulled my neck at a music video shoot. It’s nonstop, it’;s a revolving ball – a wheel that just keeps on spinning and spinning and spinning.

How would you say your new music fits into your journey as an artist - and where you are taking yourself as a musician?

bbno$: I just do whatever I wanna do. I’ve played independently my whole musical career, and the reason is because I don’t really let anyone tell me what to do. I will take suggestions, but at the end of the day, I make it happen. I firmly believe that the only thing that I have left to do on this planet is spread love and positivity and try to make people as happy as I possibly can.

And I just do me. But as far as where I’m gonna take my career, I don’t even know. Every day’s a different day, right? Realistically where I’m going to take myself next is to the chiropractor.

You’ve brought lot of cosplay into your music – can you talk about what inspired this, and how it has landed at shows?

bbno$: Yeah. I mean, to be honest, I’m pretty new to it still, but I’ve always been a fan of anime and I’ve always been a fan of video gaming. I started with one cosplay this year and was like – whoa, that was really fun.

I just came up with another cosplay idea two days ago – I’m going to cosplay Sabrina Carpenter when her new album drops – because why the hell not? There’s no reason not to do it, it’s just having fun. It ties back to my whole ethos of just having as much fun as possible. Somebody in Lithuania came up to me and was like, “dude – thanks for making cosplay cool.” I was like, “I’m not making cosplay cool – cosplay has always been cool.” It’s been eye opening because I’ve garnered so many fans.

I want to switch gears a bit and talk about how you’ve brought activism into your music. Your recent single “Mary Poppins” donates all video proceeds to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. What inspired this decision?

bbno$: I mean, look, it’s, it’s a bunch of children that are in an incredibly unfortunate situation. Whenever I do a charity stream or I do a cosplay, there’s a charity aspect and I donate a bunch of money. I have the Amusing Festival in Vancouver where I raise a bunch of money for the local east side, which is impacted heavily by the opioid crisis.

With this music video specifically, Asmondgold, one of the main characters that I shot this music video with about a year and a half ago, had come out with some extreme politically right-wing comments. I didn’t know as much that he was going down this route of being a general racist – not the best person in the world, to say the least. He said something about Palestinians that I completely disagreed with–so since I took my stance publicly this was the least I could do.

I’m just doing my part to try to spread as much love and positivity as I possibly can. It’s a dying world right now. We’re struggling. I was going to go to Armenia to shoot a music video with my director and then with all the recent accounts of war in the Middle East we’ve had to step back. It’s been breaking my dad’s heart – I’m Armenian so my dad has a lot of ties back to the Middle East. It’s tough to see for sure.

I know that Rolling Stone called you a “viral pioneer” – how do you define that term and roll with that label?

bbno$: I mean, truthfully, I’m an untraditional artist. I’m independent. I spend my own money. I spend my money in ways that no record label probably would. I really have been trying to focus on just making the moment. And it’s interesting because that’s all people really care about–how can they buy into the nature of the song or how can they buy into the narrative that you are portraying.

I remember I went up to Alaska to do a show. We rented a helicopter. We rented a limo, and we stayed up all night shooting our music video. Those are moments that I will remember for the rest of my life. I’m also making art and making content and making it seem like my life is super cool and interesting for my viewers, my fans, to really buy into that I’m having a really good time. Why wouldn’t I want to keep one upping myself, you know?

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