More Than Just A Viral Sensation

Chaleeda wanted to showcase the slightly grown-up side of her

It is not difficult to garner views and gain a following these days. We see everyday people becoming overnight sensations because of their many talents, all thanks to the power of social media. Upload a silly video on YouTube and suddenly, it goes viral and a social media star is born. Pose like a model and upload the photo to Instagram, and just like that, a social media influencer is born.

 

Thai-British singer Chaleeda got discovered on YouTube when a video of her singing Justin Bieber’s Love Yourself gained 1.2 million views in just five days. Her video caught the attention of Malaysia’s Rocketfuel Entertainment representative which offered to sign the 16-year-old singer as the label’s first ever international artist. Chaleeda proves that she is more than just a viral sensation with the release of her first ever English single Mind Over Matter composed by award-winning Malaysian rapper-songwriter, SonaOne.

 

Chaleeda Gilbert had already been dabbling in the music industry since the tender age of 11 and was part of a famous all-girl tween pop group called Tweenie 90’s in Thailand. She was discovered at the age of nine at an audition held at a shopping mall in Phuket, where she sang an impressive rendition of Beyonce’s Listen in front of judges. “I was going to get KFC. When I saw the singing audition at the mall, I thought I should give it a go. So, I went home, changed my clothes and went for the audition,” says Chaleeda.

 

It was that audition that led to her move to Bangkok to pursue her singing career. As part of the girl group Tweenie 90’s, Chaleeda has performed on local television shows and even released a single entitled Witches. The group disbanded in 2015 and it was around that time that Chaleeda began posting videos of her singing covers of songs. “Singers like Drake, Rihanna, August Alsina and Melanie Martinez have a lot of influence on my career,” says Chaleeda.

Chaleeda all glammed up

Mind Over Matter

Prior to Mind Over Matter, Chaleeda had already released a single in Thai entitled Ready For Love with famous Thai rapper, actor and producer, Twopee. The video for the song gained over 1.5 million views in just a matter of days after its release on YouTube.

 

“It is more of an introductory for me as a newcomer and a solo artist. Furthermore, it also represented a coming-of-age process from my previous image which was very child-like, and in Mind Over Matter, I just wanted to showcase the slightly grown-up side of me. I believe that love knows no boundaries and while some may say that we are too young to fall in love, at the end of the day, it is all about what we know and feel, and what is best for our hearts and minds, hence the song title Mind Over Matter,” explains Chaleeda.

 

On top of that, Chaleeda is also very ecstatic over the fact that she is the first ever international artist signed under her current label. “In the past, I have tried many times to find a home-based record label that understands the type of music I want to explore and would like to showcase. This, however, did not come to fruition, so when Rocketfuel Entertainment approached me, it was like an opportunity of a lifetime that I just could not resist.”

 

The teen singer enjoyed her time in Kuala Lumpur when she was here for a showcase at a  popular local venue. In fact, Malaysia already feels like a second home to her. “I really hope that my fans, especially here in Malaysia, will love my new single as much as I do and that the whole world gets to hear it because this is my first ever English song and I cannot express how proud I am. If the music video hits over 10 million views, it would be a dream come true!” says Chaleeda.