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- calendar_today November 14, 2026
Bob Moses' 'Inner Light' Surges in Popularity After GTA VI Trailer
Vancouver-based electronic music duo Bob Moses has experienced a surge in popularity following the inclusion of their track "Inner Light" in the extended trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI). Formed by Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance in 2012, the Grammy-nominated pair collaborated with British musician Elderbrook on the track, which was originally released in 2021.
Viral Success Driven by Video Game Exposure
Since the trailer's release in late August, "Inner Light" has seen its streams increase by more than 50 million, with Spotify reporting a 500 per cent jump in stream numbers and playlist adds soaring over 3,000 per cent daily. The song's feature during the trailer’s climax, underscoring an emotional speech about living in one’s "glory days," led social media users to widely share and clip the moment, propelling the track to viral status.
Musicians Find New Audiences Through Gaming
The unexpected success comes amid growing pressure in the music industry for viral relevance. Vallance noted the unpredictability of viral hits in a landscape shaped by platforms like TikTok and social media, saying, "You can't engineer this in a lab. Someone somewhere liked a song that we wrote one day and put it in the trailer, and then that connected with millions of people."
The licensing opportunity itself resulted in only a modest fee for Bob Moses, but Howie emphasized the broader value: "The opportunity is definitely in the potential for the reach, not in the paycheque."
Industry Insights: The Value of Music Placement in Games
Toronto music supervisor Heather Gardner, president of the Guild of Music Supervisors Canada, explained that while licensing payments may not be substantial, the exposure gained from games like GTA is invaluable in the saturated musical landscape. "It's such a cultural icon. No one can pay their bills in exposure, but a sync, beyond the payment, is absolutely that."
Music and Culture in the GTA Franchise
Music has always been integral to the Grand Theft Auto franchise, with fictional radio stations in the games introducing players to a diverse selection of genres. For GTA VI, the musical experience expands with a score by Justice and an album of original songs featuring SZA, Tame Impala, and Keith Richards, set for release alongside the game. A GTA-themed concert in Miami will follow, featuring Travis Scott and Cardi B.
Vallance, a longtime series fan, shared that the soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City introduced him to synth-pop and bands such as A Flock of Seagulls. He described it as a "huge honour" for Bob Moses' own music to become part of the franchise's lasting legacy.
The Broader Impact of GTA VI's Cultural Reach
Market research firm Newszoo estimates that GTA VI could bring in $3.25 billion to $5.2 billion in first-week sales. Howie reflected on the game's power as a cultural unifier in an increasingly fragmented media landscape, saying GTA is "one of the very few things that a lot of people still come around to; that's a unifying thing on a scale that doesn't really exist in today's age."
Source: cbc.ca.
