“Snatch my wig” is one of many heavily repeated online phrases that may leave outsiders nonplussed. In brief, it came from the world of drag and initially meant to attack/offend someone (stealing a drag queen’s wig is not a good move), but has come to mean more generally a sense of shock (in a good way) or surprise.

Sam Smith’s latest partnership with YouTube, as part of the promotion for the ‘To Die For’ single, is hoping to literally snatch your wig. The theme for the video was inspired by a wig shop Smith spotted in Soho in London. And so, in partnership with YouTube, Smith has opened a pop-up wig shop (try saying that quickly) on Brewer Street in Soho called, naturally, To Die For. “I was driving through London last year and randomly happened upon a wig shop – the idea for the ‘To Die For’ video came to me then and there,” said Smith in a statement. “That it has now come to life like this is incredible.”

Smith set up an Instagram account (@ todiefor_) that started posting short video clips and photos teasing both the song/video and the pop-up shop.

It opened on 12th February and fans could go to the todiefor.uk site to sign up to attend the opening event. The closing night on 14th February also featured Smith doing a Q&A for fans.

Spotify has been bankrolling pop-up events, galleries and spaces for acts such as Billie Eilish and Arianna Grande and YouTube is clearly keen to do things with artists beyond the events and shows it hosts for them in its creator studios.

Pop-up shops used to mean little more than a glorified merchandise booth and it is great to see ideas like this that link to existing assets (i.e. Smith’s video) and that are also wonderfully over the top in their own right.