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Peter Collins didn't set out to be a viral artist he set out to not do music. His family pushed the immigrant plan B of doctor or engineer, and he actually started college for industrial engineering before something pulled him back to the thing he says he "can't not do."

In this episode, Peter takes us through the full arc: a musical childhood in Newark, classical vocal training, posting beats and covers with zero master plan, and the moment things took off on Vine. He's candid about the perfectionism that drives his craft — 500 to 1,000 takes per song — and the lesson that even a perfectionist can't predict what listeners will connect with. He closes with the one piece of advice for any artist afraid to release their first song: post it.

In this episode:

• Growing up in a musical family and being "discovered" by his dad
• Why making music feels less like a choice and more like a sixth sense
• The immigrant "plan B" and the pull away from engineering
• Finding an audience on Vine, YouTube, and beyond — with no strategy
• Newark roots and the arts-school path
• The moment he decided to pursue music full time
• How a Kehlani repost changed things
• Why his most-labored takes flopped and a "flawed" one went viral
• His advice for artists releasing their first song

Connect with Peter Collins: @petercollinsmusic

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