The song ‘Sigma Boy’, recorded by Russian schoolgirls, has reached Billboard’s top ten after going viral on social media
Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation has accused the viral pop song ‘Sigma Boy’ of being part of an “information war” aimed at promoting a positive image of Russia among young people.
Sigma Boy, performed by 11-year-old Betsy (Svetlana Chertishcheva) and 12-year-old Maria Yankovskaya, has gained attention on TikTok and other platforms since its release in October 2024. The track has reached the top ten on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, peaking at seventh place, and has accumulated millions of views.
Ukraine’s disinformation watchdog, which operates under the National Security and Defense Council, has claimed that Moscow could have manipulated the song’s popularity, drawing comparisons to alleged Kremlin interference in the 2016 US elections. The agency has argued that Sigma Boy “erodes critical perceptions of Russian content” and helps normalize the nation’s cultural influence abroad.
“The success of ‘Sigma Boy’ on social media creates a positive image of Russia among young people. This is not a new tactic – in the 2000s, this role was played by the bands ‘Tatu’ and ‘Glukoza’, who used music to create an attractive image of Russia,” the center claimed.
Previously, German Volt Party MEP Nela Rill had also proposed banning the tune in the European Union. Rill has described Sigma Boy as a “viral Russian trope” that promotes patriarchal and pro-Russian views.
The song’s creators have vehemently denied any political intent. Composer Mikhail Chertishchev, who co-wrote Sigma Boy, has stated that the track is simply a “light story” about the relationship between boys and girls.
Speaking to RBK, he stressed that there is no hidden message in the song and that “we didn’t put any political subtexts or even patriarchal or matriarchal meanings into the text.”
The song contains lyrics centered around the ‘Sigma male’ persona, a term from internet culture used to describe a self-sufficient, independent man. In the chorus, the girls sing
“Sigma, sigma boy, sigma boy, sigma boy Every girl wants to dance with you Sigma, sigma boy, sigma boy, sigma boy I’m so special, it will take you a year to win me.”
The song’s online reception has been mixed. Many social media users have mocked the accusations, arguing that a children’s pop song is unlikely to be a Kremlin psy-op.
“The West cannot calm down in its rejection of all things Russian. Now European politicians are afraid of Russian children,” the head of the Russian State Duma’s International Affairs Committee, Leonid Slutsky, has said.
Others have also pointed out that the backlash against the song has only fueled its popularity, with one user commenting: “Banning a Billboard hit just makes it more appealing. This is Streisand effect 101.”
