Nowadays, people are always trying to find ways to become famous. If you scroll through YouTube you will find millions of videos of people who have recorded covers of popular songs, in part because they hope to get noticed and in part because they want to express themselves. The surprising thing is that some of these hopeful musicians have actually received record deals and created albums.
One group many of you may know is Karmin. They actually made their start on YouTube. Their channel consisted of covers of many songs ranging from Adele’s “Someone Like You” to Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now” in which the lead singer flawlessly raps the iconic Busta Rhymes verse. L.A. Reid, famous music producer and original host of The X-Factor US, was actually the one who offered them their record deal. They now have two full albums released as well as two independently produced cover albums from before they got big.
Another interesting story is YouTube sensation Troye Sivan. He has over two million subscribers and actually doesn’t put that much music on his channel. His channel is mainly a video blog but he has put videos up of covers as well as original songs. One of his original songs is actually written for “The Fault in Our Stars.” The song was not for the movie but was written as Troye’s homage to John Green’s book. Recently Troye announced that he will be releasing an album titled T.R.X.Y.E in August. He recorded over 40 songs all over the world from Australia, his home country, to the Capitol Records building in L.A. I assume this wasn’t possible without the two million people that watch his videos every week. It really amazes me how YouTube has become a new form of entertainment that people can actually use to get famous.
Ally Rhodes is more of a small-time example of this YouTube stardom. She has 67K subscribers and mainly performs covers. One of her specialties is changing songs into amazing acoustic guitar covers. One of my favorite covers of hers is her cover of “Drunk in Love” by Beyoncé. She creates a very relaxing acoustic vibe to the song and every song she covers. She is immensely talented and has independently put out multiple albums. She is also a Colorado local, so you might see her around or performing nearby. Of course she is not as popular as Karmin or even Troye Sivan but I would highly recommend listening to some of her music.
This week’s Spotify playlist is a collection of music by Karmin, Troye Sivan, and the wonderful Ally Rhodes. You be the judge of whether this music is record deal worthy!!
