Backstage

This article was written by Danielle

The saying goes: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. With over 50 fans posting videos of themselves singing along to singer/songwriter Priscilla Renea’s original tracks on Youtube, the newcomer already knows the feeling.

It all started in Vero Beach, Florida, where Renea would perform for more than 30,000 of her devoted followers — from the comfort of her bedroom. “I made a YouTube channel and I just started posting videos for the purpose of fun and to let people see that I could sing,” says the 20-year-old. “I didn’t really expect other people to see them, and I definitely didn’t expect this type of outcome.”

Youtube viewers weren’t the only ones watching. After performing on MTV’s “Say What? Karaoke” in 2007 — which boosted her Youtube hits to nearly 2 million and her MySpace plays to over half a million, according to Renea — she caught the attention of Power Entertainment and Capitol Records executives. In 2009, she signed a deal with the labels.

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