Photo Credit: Lior Poly
Perseverance is the fine line that separates a winner from a loser.
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While the loser never believed they could succeed because of the obstacles, the winner never gave up on their dreams, even in the face of adversity. Lior Poly’s story is a perfect example here. He overcame a tough childhood, poverty, and a failed career to revive his buried passion for pop music and achieve success. The 25-year-old artist is best known for his hit single “The Rebel in Me,” which took the internet by storm in 2020 during the pandemic when millions turned to social media for entertainment while staying indoors.
Lior discovered his passion for music when he was 9. He loved listening to Whitney Houston, Madonna, and Michael Jackson. However, poverty forced him to drop the idea of pursuing a career in music because he realized that he could never afford to go to music school. It all started when Lior was 4. His father passed away, leaving nothing for the family to survive on. As a child, Lior suffered low self-esteem. He was bullied and faced discrimination for his Afghan roots. It got worse when his mother remarried a Canadian entrepreneur who mistreated Lior. At 16, he was left to survive on his own as his stepfather refused to pay for his education and food. Lior worked in restaurants to support his education.
At 18, Lior became a model when he got an offer and thought it would be a life-changing opportunity. Sadly, his modeling career hardly covered his expenses, and that’s when he decided to revive his lost passion for music. Social media became a friend and guide to Lior, where he leveraged YouTube tutorials to learn to play guitar and compose music. At 21, Lior started writing songs, and at 22, he launched his YouTube channel with his stage name, Lior Poly.
His first 50 music videos were complete flops on the channel, but that did not deter Lior from persisting. He kept on learning and working hard to polish his craft with every failure. Lior believes that his initial 50 flops were the best lessons in his life, and he is grateful for that. His 51st release, “The Rebel in Me,” became a major success, earning over 2 million views in less than 2 months. It is an energetic pop number that resonated with the youth of the present age, awakening the dormant rebel in them that is tired of all the nonsense forced on them by society. The song became a viral trend that blew up online. It was recreated by thousands of influencers and even became a popular caller tune and party number.
The success of “The Rebel in Me” was replicated in Lior’s next release, “69 Letters,” which dropped in August 2021. The song ranked 24th in the Billboard charts and 15th on the iTunes charts. “69 Letters” is an electrifying pop track that reflects the emotions of a jilted lover who refuses to let go of his love. The pain in the lyrics and the energetic music earned an explosive response from music enthusiasts around the world, marking Lior’s entry into the pop music industry.
Lior is currently working on an upcoming release, a collaboration with popular DJ Reez. It is likely to be a cross-genre track that combines the magic of Lior’s pop and Reez’s rock. Lior is optimistic about this project and hopes the new song will reignite the lost passion in his fans, inspiring them to chase their dreams.
