Priscilla Renea Talks Paparazzi, YouTube Fame

By Adam Horne Posted Dec 1st 2009 05:15PM

Priscilla Renea may be new on the scene, but she's already gotten her first glimpse of celebrity life.

"I was going to this Jermaine Dupri thing in Los Angeles," the 21-year-old singer told us during a recent visit to our New York office. "We pulled up on the red carpet and I was like, 'No, please.' I didn't want to attract attention, and all the paparazzi started running and they were like 'Who are you?!'" Aware that they were hoping to snap A-listers, Renea was reluctant to get in front of the cameras. "Finally I was like, 'You know what, screw it.' So I got out and you heard the crowd go, 'Aww.'"

She may be a relative unknown to the swarms of paparazzi now, but after her impromptu performance for our staff, we're convinced that won't be for very long. The talented young singer-songwriter has been cutting her teeth on YouTube for years, uploading videos and establishing a relationship with fans. "When I started on Youtube I was just doing it for fun," she told us. "Ultimately I did have a goal, like yes, I wanted people to see these videos and hopefully something would come out of it but I never thought it would actually happen."

To her surprise, Renea caught the attention of major labels who started courting her for a record deal. Despite her initial YouTube success, she is proud to be more than just a webcam sensation. "When I came to the label with my songs they didn't even know that I had YouTube. It's my songwriting that got my love going in the industry, and YouTube was just a bonus." Her immense talent is evidenced by the whimsical, musical theater-inspired songs on her upcoming full-length debut, 'Jukebox.' The album's lead single, 'Dollhouse,' has earned Renea comparisons to artists ranging from Katy Perry to Miley Cyrus. "The song is very much a four-on-the-floor dance pop beat. I'm fortunate that I can play guitar 'cause I can't dance."

As for her YouTube roots--if anything, her experience has given her a thick skin that would come in handy to any aspiring young artist. Particularly the occasional negative comments that come with nearly all internet content. "They make you laugh, like 'You know what, that was a really good one.' I kind of just take it with a grain of salt. At least you watched my video and you're commenting, so I don't care."