Sayonara Boy Is Taking Over US — From Viral TikToks to Billboards in Hollywood
Written by Nia Bowers
Sayonara Boy — the Russian rapper also known as Eldzhey (Russian: Элджей) — is making a bold entrance into the American cultural space. This week, massive billboards promoting his upcoming album COMPLEX of Wholeness (Russian: COMPLEX полноценности) popped up in two landmark U.S. locations: Hollywood and Coachella Valley.
At the same time, a TikTok trend called “I’m not Russian, but…” has gone viral, featuring thousands of U.S. users singing along — often word-for-word — to “Rozovoe Vino”, the track that introduced Sayonara Boy to global listeners several years ago.
What started as a digital trend has now crossed over into real-world visibility. Russian fans and media outlets were quick to point out how the billboard campaign and TikTok wave are blending into a rare and powerful moment of cultural crossover.
“I’m not Russian, but I know this song by heart,” say fans from New York, Los Angeles, and Texas.
“Who’s Sayonara Boy, and why does this go so hard?” reads a popular Reddit thread.
Sources confirmed that the billboards are part of the official rollout for COMPLEX of Wholeness, an album Sayonara Boy has been crafting over the past few years — shaped by creative isolation, emotional evolution, and a desire to break free from mainstream expectations.
The new album will be released on July 9, the artist’s birthday, and will be available across all major streaming platforms.
