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Meeting Titus Low in person, the first thing you notice is how soft-spoken he is.
Not exactly what I expected based on his Instagram photos, the ones with him perched on the floor dressed in nothing but his Calvin Kleins, full sleeve tattoos, and a coy gaze. Or the OnlyFans version of Low strapped to a chair and moaning like there's no tomorrow.
He is sheepish when he lets on that he suffers from social anxiety, especially in big groups. But being online is different, as many can attest to.
"I feel that I'm more confident expressing myself online."
More daring, perhaps?
"More daring and there's like, no barrier, you know?"
Five-figure income
That intimacy of Low's unrestrained online persona is what he is cashing in on when it comes to the "thousands" of OnlyFans subscribers who keep his self-pleasuring videos on replay, as well as those on Instagram and Twitter (numbering in the hundreds of thousands, by the way) who follow for more softcore — but free — content.
(Of course we're not going to post his explicit content here; this is a family-friendly site.)
But what a lucrative business it is. Low wouldn't divulge the exact amount he earns from his OnlyFans channel except to claim that it's a "comfortable five-digit figure" per month.
Low's foray into OnlyFans has netted him a five-figure income monthly, or so he claims. Image credit: titusslow/Instagram
If that's true, then business must be booming.
So there's definitely demand, but why? What exactly do people see in Titus Low?
Perhaps it is the combination of his baby-face looks and bulky tattooed frame, like a boy next door who moonlights as muscle for the Yakuza. Or perhaps it is the rarity of seeing a Singaporean guy putting out explicit content so openly.
"I think it's because it's me. People subscribe to see me," Low muses, rather earnestly. He pictures himself as a mini celebrity who has built up a sizeable following on Instagram.
The way he sees it, his followers want to know more and see more (quite literally) of him.
He also models himself as a "fantasy boyfriend" of sorts for his followers. The kind who exists on your screen to fulfil certain needs or desires — until a real one comes along.
"I see it more as online eye candy. Something you wish to have but can't get at the moment."
Low estimates that 70 per cent of his followers are males while the remaining 30 per cent are females (it's hard to tell, since followers on OnlyFans are anonymous). And they take his role as a purveyor of fantasies pretty seriously.
Some of his fans will ask him to act out a script (for a fee, of course). Others will send him intimate wear and toys. Some, mostly guys, will request Low to collaborate with other performers and engage in all sorts of kinks on camera.
There's a drawback of marketing yourself as a fantasy boyfriend — your fans start to think that you belong to them.
"Some people will get jealous if I put someone in my video. Or if I post someone in my Instagram Stories, then they might ask, 'Eh, why you go out with other guys?'"
Low also receives requests to meet up, but that's where he draws the line — he's an OnlyFans performer, not an escort, he says.
Exploding onto social media and a brush with the law
Clearly, he is confident in what he has to offer. But this wasn't always so.
OnlyFans had been on his radar since 2020 but he hesitated for a whole year because he was afraid. Not because of the moral backlash that one might generally be wary of when producing explicit content, but because he was afraid no one would be interested in him and his crown jewels.
His worries were unfounded. His followers have lapped up his videos and photos, to the extent that one enterprising person even downloaded all his OnlyFans content and sold them in a bundle for S$200.
Some of his videos have ended up on Pornhub, which annoys Low to no end. Aside from having his content out there being consumed for free, he has also had to engage a takedown service provider.
Elsewhere, his explicit content — containing his face, body, and all his sexy bits — has been disseminated into the digital wilderness of Twitter, WhatsApp, Tumblr, and Telegram. This in particular has posed quite a headache for Low.
While Low's fame as an OnlyFans performer has exploded, one of the side effects — having his explicit content disseminated on social media — has caused him quite a bit of a headache. Image credit: titusslow/Instagram
Just one day before our interview, he was paid a visit by the police who were acting on a report that Low's photos and videos were circulating on WhatsApp.
You see, posting Low's OnlyFans videos and photos in all of their uncensored glory online or sharing them via a messaging app is very, very illegal under Singapore law. That alone can earn you a three-month jail term and a fine.
Filming and selling pornography are also illegal in Singapore, although it's quite unclear if this extends to an OnlyFans subscription.
The police confirmed with Mothership that "a report was lodged and a 21-year-old man is assisting with police investigations". They said that his mobile phone and tablet were seized for "forensics examination" as part of the investigations.
In their statement to us, the police also said:
"In Singapore, it is illegal under the Penal Code to transmit by electronic means any obscene materials, take part in or receive profits from any business where obscene materials are transmitted by electronic means, or advertise the sale of obscene materials. Members of the public may wish to lodge a police report if they are aware of persons engaging in such activities."
His brush with the law has left Low convinced that "a lot of people are trying to 'eye' me and take down my OnlyFans account".
Could this be retaliation by people who find his content morally offensive, I ask.
No, he says. This is the work of other OnlyFans performers who are "jealous about the fame" and "salty about how I rose".
A kink in an otherwise dream job
For Low, being an OnlyFans performer is fairly "chill and relaxing". The job seems to be a good fit for his daring personality. Plus, the pay is good (or at least better than what his peers are earning) and most of all, the adoration from his fans makes him feel good.
However, his brush with the law has uncovered a kink in what is otherwise a dream job for him. It seems like the 22-year-old jumped headfirst into his OnlyFans venture without fully considering the attendant legal implications, however murky.
"I don't know how to tackle that situation, [and I'm] not even sure if it's [legal] to do OnlyFans," he says softly.
Perhaps this revelation has provided him the impetus to move up the timeline for his future plans.
You see, continuing as an OnlyFans performer is not the only option for Low, who is already a mini-influencer in his own right, the type who can get sponsorship deals with gyms and aesthetic clinics.
"I see it more as a stepping stone to other ventures, other opportunities in future," he says of his current endeavours.
His endgame is to become a celebrity, perhaps even appearing on television one day. To that end, he is expanding his content offerings on social media to lifestyle vlogs and more — all in a bid to develop the Titus Low brand.
But in conservative Singapore, isn't he afraid that his days of cavorting on screen with sex toys and ropes will hinder mainstream acceptance of him as a celebrity? After all, established celebrities have been brought down by less.
"I mean it's chill...I mean it's all part of human nature, there's nothing shameful about it unless I do something bad."
There are two ways to view his answer, either a breath of fresh air cutting through the fog of moralistic standards or a heady dose of naive optimism, and honestly I'm not sure which it is. But one thing is for sure: We won't be seeing the last of Titus Low just yet.
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Top image credit: Instagram