A street sweeper in Mexico City has become a viral sensation thanks to his song “Sueña lindo, corazón” (“Sweet dreams, sweetheart”) rapidly gaining popularity on social media and streaming platforms.

Macario Martínez, who works eight-hour shifts for the city’s sanitation department, has long dreamed of a career in music. That dream is now closer to reality after a TikTok video he posted — featuring him in his work uniform and his song playing in the background — went viral.

His simple musical style, authenticity and heartfelt lyrics in “Sueña lindo, corazón” lament the pain and confusion of a breakup — have resonated with online viewers. The lyrics can be interpreted as a message to a sweetheart, or a wish for his own troubled heart.

According to newspaper reports, the video racked up nearly 7 million views within two days of its release in late January and now, less than 10 days later, is up to more than 14 million.

The surge extended to Spotify, where the song was added to more than 37,000 playlists in just eight days. He now boasts over 302,000 monthly listeners and has been featured on the cover of Spotify México’s Pop Folk playlist.

Though his fame is recent, Martínez has been releasing singles with themes of love, dreams and friends since 2019. 

He has an indie-folk sound characterized by nostalgic and introspective lyrics — sometimes called the dream folk genre — and last April, he released a seven-song album, “Lagunas Brillantes de la Memoria” (“Bright Lagoons of Memory”).

Late last week, he posted a TikTok video thanking people “for all the support and displays of affection,” adding with a smiley face, “I’m trying to read everything.” It won’t be easy: That video alone received more than 8,000 comments, and others have received thousands.

Moreover, many TikTok users are incorporating the song into their own video posts, some of which are going viral themselves.

Seeing Martínez sweeping the street in his videos brings to mind a famous scene in the 1982 film “El Barrendero” (“The Sweeper”), in which the beloved Mexican comedic actor Cantinflas sings and dances on the job.

With one of his videos, Martínez posted the phrase: “Life demands a lot, and I am just a street sweeper who wants you to listen to his music.” 

That’s exactly what has happened over the past two weeks — a testament to how a star can emerge from unexpected places these days.

With reports from Infobae, Animal Politico and Récord