Post by mapender on Nov 18, 2011 20:49:43 GMT -5
Short, but good little article/Interview with the Malaysian press.
www.nst.com.my/life-times/live/showbiz-move-over-bieber-here-s-the-real-deal-1.7807
SHOWBIZ: Move over, Bieber! Here’s the real deal
Greyson Chance tells Hizreen Kamal being an international artiste at age 14 hasn’t changed him one bit
Cute as a button and sporting a side-swiped hairdo similar to that of a younger Justin Bieber, American YouTube sensation Greyson Chance sits in one corner of the hotel executive room, surrounded by the Press.
The 14-year-old singer-songwriter-pianist, who was in Kuala Lumpur recently to promote his album (he also performed at the recent Anugerah Industri Muzik), was warm and polite. Members of the media were instantly drawn to him.
He has been labelled as the next big thing after Bieber. With the album, Hold On ´Til The Night, and two popular singles — Waiting Outside The Lines and Unfriend You, a top 20 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and three tours under his belt, Chance seems to be tackling fame quite well.
“My family is very supportive. When I come home, they still look at me as Greyson. I’ve definitely changed because I am growing up, but there is no huge personality change. My mother will never let all the glamour and popularity get to my head. Trust me, if that happens, she will send me straight back home to Oklahoma,” he said.
The young artiste maintained he keeps his feet firmly on the ground. He finds that one of the challenges of being an artiste is the travelling. “Sometimes it gets hard when you are travelling as much as I do. I am always on the plane, and that’s probably the hardest thing that I have to cope with. I think it also gets a little lonely to be on the road. I don’t get to spend time with my friends as much as I’d like to, but for the most part, I don’t really focus on the negative, I focus on the positive.”
Chance, who has two siblings, is accompanied by a parent everywhere. A die-hard fan of the social media, he keeps in touch with his friends and family via twitter, texting and email.
While other kids his age hang out with friends at the malls, Chance’s days are filled with studio work or writing new songs. Not that he is complaining. Music has always been his first love. Becoming a singer and songwriter was the path he chose. He does not feel that he is missing out on anything.
“People keep asking me how I am coping as an artiste at this age, but really, I am enjoying it so much. I’ve always wanted to do this. I write a lot of my music... I actually wrote more than half of the songs in my debut album.
“I’ve worked with so many amazing songwriters and producers and I'm starting to pick up on the production side a little bit more. Maybe I can be the next Bruno Mars. I just want to keep on writing until I’m in the grave.”
He is home-schooled and finds it no different from his other friends who attend regular school.
“I have a private tutor and I do online school. Every day, I do a little bit more and I make sure I finish my semester and complete my classes. Even the examinations are done online,” he said.
“My favourite subject is Mathematics... I can’t say the same for Science.” He does not find any difficulty juggling singing and studies.
People tend to compare him to Bieber but Chance feels both of them put out completely different music.
“Justin is a very good friend of mine. I love his work and his voice is fantastic. But, really, you can’t compare us.”
With his music influences ranging from the Beatles, Coldplay and John Lennon to Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Kanye West,
Adele, Taylor Swift, Eminem and Cyndi Lauper, he is a little tight-lipped about future projects. “I have a lot of surprises coming after Christmas, which include new music and probably a new tour. We'll see.”
He is definitely looking at doing more collaboration work with other popular singers. “A duet with Gaga would be fantastic.”
Chance hit instant fame when TV talkshow host Ellen DeGeneres caught the video of his piano cover of Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi on YouTube in April last year. The video went viral (with over 44 million views and counting) and became the No. 3 most-watched video on the social network site last year.
Chance is the first artiste signed to Degeneres’ music label eleveneleven and has performed several times on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
“Ellen is one of my best friends. She discovered me. She’s an inspiring and amazing woman, kind-hearted, and has been a guardian through my whole process,” he said.
He recently started learning to play the drums and bass. Besides music, Chance is also dabbling in acting. He guest-starred in an American series, Raising Hope, and said he enjoyed acting very much. “I’d like to act as it's an avenue for me to express myself. There will definitely be more TV appearances in the future,” he said.
For those who want to become like him, Chance has this to say: “Keep on going and always keep your head up.
Love yourself more than others. There are so many kids out there who don’t have self-esteem. I am very lucky. I take the hate as a comical thing... it doesn’t affect me because at least I know they did watch my video.
“What is very wrong about the music today is that it is not about the art anymore. If they want to be an artiste, they need to keep their love of the art and not on the commercial aspect of it.”
-Take a Chance
Chance describes himself as brave, clumsy and fun. Here are five things fans don’t know about him.
1. He loves photography.
2. He is scared of heights.
3. He’s huge Harry Potter fan.
4. He cannot start the day without a cup of coffee.
5. He is a huge fan of cold weather, as you may be able to tell from his pale skin.
www.nst.com.my/life-times/live/showbiz-move-over-bieber-here-s-the-real-deal-1.7807
SHOWBIZ: Move over, Bieber! Here’s the real deal
Greyson Chance tells Hizreen Kamal being an international artiste at age 14 hasn’t changed him one bit
Cute as a button and sporting a side-swiped hairdo similar to that of a younger Justin Bieber, American YouTube sensation Greyson Chance sits in one corner of the hotel executive room, surrounded by the Press.
The 14-year-old singer-songwriter-pianist, who was in Kuala Lumpur recently to promote his album (he also performed at the recent Anugerah Industri Muzik), was warm and polite. Members of the media were instantly drawn to him.
He has been labelled as the next big thing after Bieber. With the album, Hold On ´Til The Night, and two popular singles — Waiting Outside The Lines and Unfriend You, a top 20 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and three tours under his belt, Chance seems to be tackling fame quite well.
“My family is very supportive. When I come home, they still look at me as Greyson. I’ve definitely changed because I am growing up, but there is no huge personality change. My mother will never let all the glamour and popularity get to my head. Trust me, if that happens, she will send me straight back home to Oklahoma,” he said.
The young artiste maintained he keeps his feet firmly on the ground. He finds that one of the challenges of being an artiste is the travelling. “Sometimes it gets hard when you are travelling as much as I do. I am always on the plane, and that’s probably the hardest thing that I have to cope with. I think it also gets a little lonely to be on the road. I don’t get to spend time with my friends as much as I’d like to, but for the most part, I don’t really focus on the negative, I focus on the positive.”
Chance, who has two siblings, is accompanied by a parent everywhere. A die-hard fan of the social media, he keeps in touch with his friends and family via twitter, texting and email.
While other kids his age hang out with friends at the malls, Chance’s days are filled with studio work or writing new songs. Not that he is complaining. Music has always been his first love. Becoming a singer and songwriter was the path he chose. He does not feel that he is missing out on anything.
“People keep asking me how I am coping as an artiste at this age, but really, I am enjoying it so much. I’ve always wanted to do this. I write a lot of my music... I actually wrote more than half of the songs in my debut album.
“I’ve worked with so many amazing songwriters and producers and I'm starting to pick up on the production side a little bit more. Maybe I can be the next Bruno Mars. I just want to keep on writing until I’m in the grave.”
He is home-schooled and finds it no different from his other friends who attend regular school.
“I have a private tutor and I do online school. Every day, I do a little bit more and I make sure I finish my semester and complete my classes. Even the examinations are done online,” he said.
“My favourite subject is Mathematics... I can’t say the same for Science.” He does not find any difficulty juggling singing and studies.
People tend to compare him to Bieber but Chance feels both of them put out completely different music.
“Justin is a very good friend of mine. I love his work and his voice is fantastic. But, really, you can’t compare us.”
With his music influences ranging from the Beatles, Coldplay and John Lennon to Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Kanye West,
Adele, Taylor Swift, Eminem and Cyndi Lauper, he is a little tight-lipped about future projects. “I have a lot of surprises coming after Christmas, which include new music and probably a new tour. We'll see.”
He is definitely looking at doing more collaboration work with other popular singers. “A duet with Gaga would be fantastic.”
Chance hit instant fame when TV talkshow host Ellen DeGeneres caught the video of his piano cover of Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi on YouTube in April last year. The video went viral (with over 44 million views and counting) and became the No. 3 most-watched video on the social network site last year.
Chance is the first artiste signed to Degeneres’ music label eleveneleven and has performed several times on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
“Ellen is one of my best friends. She discovered me. She’s an inspiring and amazing woman, kind-hearted, and has been a guardian through my whole process,” he said.
He recently started learning to play the drums and bass. Besides music, Chance is also dabbling in acting. He guest-starred in an American series, Raising Hope, and said he enjoyed acting very much. “I’d like to act as it's an avenue for me to express myself. There will definitely be more TV appearances in the future,” he said.
For those who want to become like him, Chance has this to say: “Keep on going and always keep your head up.
Love yourself more than others. There are so many kids out there who don’t have self-esteem. I am very lucky. I take the hate as a comical thing... it doesn’t affect me because at least I know they did watch my video.
“What is very wrong about the music today is that it is not about the art anymore. If they want to be an artiste, they need to keep their love of the art and not on the commercial aspect of it.”
-Take a Chance
Chance describes himself as brave, clumsy and fun. Here are five things fans don’t know about him.
1. He loves photography.
2. He is scared of heights.
3. He’s huge Harry Potter fan.
4. He cannot start the day without a cup of coffee.
5. He is a huge fan of cold weather, as you may be able to tell from his pale skin.