YouTube celebrity and singer Summerella may seem like a fresh new face to many in the world of music, but she has undoubtedly been laying a footprint for some time now. The week of May 2, 2015, Summerella peaked at No. 24on the Billboard R&B Top 100 chart with her single 11 Something (eventually landing at No. 4) and has recently released her first album, First Day of Summer. With over 2.9 million Instagram followers and 700K YouTube subscribers, the Atlanta native boasts a millennial following on social media that rivals some of the most famous names in entertainment. Today, Summerella is more focused on her music than ever and has more knowledge and insight on using social media to grow personally and professionally.

A playful video on Vine started something bigger than Summerrella could have imagined. “I played a few notes on my keyboard and freestyled the lyrics then all of my supporters better known as my RellaGang begged me to make it a real song.” Although Summerella comes from a musical background and family, she never recorded a song in the studio. “My mom, now manager, Kymberley Boissiere made a call to my cousin who happens to be a music producer. He helped me pull everything together, and I’m still shocked that the first song I ever recorded in a studio, “11 Something,” landed on Billboard’s Top 100 and reached No. 4 on Apple iTunes charts.”
Amid the changing economics of the music industry Summerella has had to navigate interest from major record labels. “So many major labels contacted my team but we turned down all the offers,” says Summerellla. “I strongly believe artists should remain independent and keep as much of their power and control of their careers as possible. As a young woman, I now look at myself as a woman-owned business and entrepreneur within the industry I created my career in.”
Up until recently, an artist was in more of a vacuum when it came to independently marketing themselves, social media has turned that limitation on its head.




