Back in the day, the average YouTube video was short and hilarious. Then it became informative, covering everything from mobile pokies reviewed to game walkthroughs (cut in 10-minute pieces), DIY hacks, life tips, and lots of music. Actually, YouTube was always perfect for sharing music videos, and today, it has also become the perfect medium for emerging artists to show their worth to the world. And to show that it can indeed be a medium through which new artists can be discovered, here are a few artists who went from YouTube to world fame (we won’t mention JB on our list, promise).
Dua Lipa (that’s her real name) started her musical career in 2009, at the age of 14, when she began covering songs of other artists on YouTube. Her efforts were appreciated by not only the public but the record industry, too - in 2015, she signed with Warner and started working on her debut album. The trust of the label was not misplaced: the singles released by Dua Lipa during the coming years were successful, she began touring, she released a self-titled studio album in 2017 and was nominated for the BRIT Awards in five categories, including the Album of the Year, in 2018.
Another YouTube sensation, Tori Kelly also started posting covers on YouTube when she was 14, in 2006. Two years later, she auditioned for American Idol but was eliminated from the show - she returned to posting videos online but this time, it was her own music. She released her first EP in 2012, after which she was discovered by manager Scooter Braun (known for representing a series of popular artists ranging from Psy to Martin Garrix). Braun introduced her to Capitol Records, with whom she signed in the same year. She released her second EP in 2013, followed by an album two years later, making it to the Billboard Hot 100 with it.
Alessia Caracciolo, aka Alessia Cara, is a Canadian former YouTube sensation, current singer, and songwriter. She started playing the guitar at the age of 10 and started her own YouTube channel filled with (you guessed it) covers at the age of 13, in 2009. After a few years, she signed a record deal with EP Entertainment (there’s no word on how much her YouTube career helped her become famous) and released her debut single, “Here”, that reached number 19 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Today, she has a studio album under her belt, several awards (including a Best New Artist at the 2018 Grammys), and nominations, and her song “How Far I’ll Go” was featured in the Disney animated feature “Moana”.