Ailee
“Isn’t she that one girl from YouTube? The one that does those song covers.”
Seeing popular YouTubers on television can be a shocking experience for a lot of people. Whether it’s a positive or negative shock, one can’t deny the feeling of seeing something that doesn’t usually belong. YouTube has its own niche audience, and not everyone who watches YouTube watches television. The same can be said vice versa. YouTube and the real world entertainment industry are undeniably two separate entities.
That being said, most YouTubers tend to stay on YouTube and not many advance to platforms like television and radio. Just like how it’s difficult to find prominent Asian American actors in Hollywood, Asian Americans YouTubers are even less likely to advance into the entertainment industry outside of YouTube.
Such is not the case for YouTuber and Korean American singer Amy Lee, who now goes by the stage name “Ailee”. Almost like a Justin Bieber story, she is one of the few Asian American YouTubers to make it big. Lee found immense success outside of YouTube, but also primarily outside of the music scene within the United States. Originally from New Jersey, Lee left behind her old life for South Korea in pursuit of a career in her motherland’s music industry.
Before her advancement into South Korea, Lee personally held two YouTube accounts. Lee’s second channel came into creation after her decision to use YouTube as a professional space to share her work. The first, “mzamyx3,” has over 6,800 subscribers and the second one, “aileemusic” has over 68,000 subscribers. In total, the two channels have accumulated over 75,000 subscribers and over 6.4 million video views. Both her channels are stagnant currently as her music career occupies most of her time.
The most viewed video on both of her channels combined is her cover of “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus with over 1.4 million views, showcasing her talents as a powerhouse vocal and as a potential YouTube Asian American success story.
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEDZ0tuzygk)
On her first channel, Lee’s most viewed video is her cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” at over 599,000 views. The cover was made before Lee went to South Korea and before she became a trainee in preparation for her career.
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W710y7jMIw)
Initially uploaded in 2007, Lee performed the same song in front of a live audience five years later in South Korea after her official debut as a soloist.
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBCnbz3X5QY)
The above video is the 10th most viewed video on YouTube under the “Ailee” tag. Although I’m not a trained vocal specialist, I think both versions are spectacular, and it’s amazing to see an Asian American with such a big voice take an entire country by storm.
The Ailee video with the most views on YouTube is Lee’s music video for the title track of her first mini-album (Invitation), “I Will Show You.” The song propelled her growth to stardom, leading her to receive multiple awards for singing and for her songs and albums in addition to the momentum she gained from her debut track, “Heaven.”
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCEcWcIww5k)
One could argue that Lee’s success is debatable, since she made it big in her motherland, not in the land of her nationality, but I disagree. Lee’s status as an Asian American, particularly Korean American, is well-known in South Korea, as well as emphasized when she is asked to speak in English for different television or radio programs. Asian American fans of Korean music within the continental United States are aware of Lee’s progress in South Korea and many agree that she would find success in the U.S. The music industry is global, and although Lee is in South Korea, she still is a representation of Asian Americans in the media.
More can be found out about Lee and her activities on her official page on her label's website, YMC Entertainment.