TAN CHOON SAM
In recent years, YouTube has given exposure to many young talents, such as Justin Bieber and Colbie Callait. One of the more prodigious of the lot is Greyson Chance, 14.
As a result of his YouTube videos going viral, Greyson has not only met his idol Lady Gaga, he has also managed to score himself a solo album, and has even gone on promotional tours with Miranda Cosgrove and Cody Simpson.
Greyson Chance will be in Malaysia Nov 9.
While most of his peers are stuck in the routine of going to high school and doing “regular” teenage stuff, Greyson does performances for huge crowds and at exclusive venues that include the White House. He has also performed on TV shows like The Ellen Degeneres Show and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.
It all began when Greyson did a cover of Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi – on the piano – at his school last year. A video of his performance went on YouTube.
Meanwhile, his brother, Tanner, took a step further and wrote in to DeGeneres, asking her to watch the video.
Luckily for the Chance brothers, DeGeneres got hold of the letter, watched the clip and then featured it on her show. Greyson’s video quickly garnered a lot of attention – it now has over 44 million hit views – but best of all, the youngster became the first artiste signed under DeGeneres’ new record label, eleveneleven.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 29: Greyson Chance performs at the opening ceremony during Day One of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 29, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
In an exclusive phone interview with the singer from Las Vegas recently, R.AGE found out that Greyson, although only 14, is pretty mature.
“A lot of people expect me to write something ‘younger’, but I do write about love and heartbreak,” says Geryson of his music.
All that is quite apparent in his debut album, Hold On ‘Til The Night. Songs like Home Is In Your Eyes and Unfriend You show that despite being a young teenager, the themes of his songs are just as relatable to the younger as well as the older listeners.
Greyson Chance's Hold On 'Til The Night
Greyson draws inspiration for his music from artistes like Lady Gaga and Coldplay. He is also a huge fan of Taylor Swift.
“I’m a huge fan of Taylor Swift, I think she would be one of my dream collaborators,” gushes Greyson.
Greyson’s music is quite diverse. His songs range from powerful ballads like Waiting Outside The Lines, to more upbeat tracks like Little London Girl. The album takes the listener on a journey of teenage romance and heartbreak, with Greyson’s unique vocals keeping listeners hooked.
Ever since his fast rise to stardom, Greyson’s life has been nothing short of exciting. With a tough schedule of performances and promotional tours, he is constantly on the move. On top of that, he still has his studies to worry about (he is enrolled in an online school).
However, he does have a very supportive team, led by his parents. “My parents travel with me wherever I go, but I also have a team of managers,” Greyson shares.
Comparisons to Justin Bieber are also inevitable, as both of them are considered “YouTube sensations” and they are still in their teens. Greyson and Justin also had similar hairdos at some point!
Nevertheless, Greyson insists that their music is different. “I’m a huge fan of Justin’s music, but we sing two completely different styles of music so I just do my own thing,” Greyson notes.
The boy wonder is scheduled to do a set of performances in Malaysia this week, including a duet with Malaysia’s own YouTube sensation, Najwa Latif at the Anugerah Industri Muzik 2011 awards at Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil National Sports Complex on Saturday.
Newcomer singer-songwriter Najwa Latif, who has made her breakthrough with the online hit 'Cinta Muka Buku,' is set to make the news with a collaboration with US teenage star Greyson Chance at the AIM 2011 awards on Nov 12.
Greyson will also be performing at KL Live, Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur on Friday at 8pm. There will be an autograph session with him at Speedy Video in Ikano Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya, Selangor at noon on Saturday.
Fans in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, will also be able to catch a glimpse of Greyson on Nov 17 at the 1Borneo Hypermall, where he will perform a number of songs.
When asked what he was looking forward to the most, Greyson said, “I’m most excited to meet my fans in Malaysia and be able to spend some time with them. I’m also eager to experience the culture because I’m from the United States and I’m sure it’s very different.”
Greyson Chance’s Hold On ‘Til The Night is distributed by Universal Music Malaysia.
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