With over three million subscribers and 600 million views on her YouTube channel, a film coming out with Relativity and upcoming appearances all over the nation at star-studded events, Megan Nicole from the Lone Star State is unstoppable. From strumming on pawn shop guitars to the L.A. stage, she’s 21 years old and already paving her own way in the world. Her upcoming film, Summer Forever, will encompass her love of both music and film, and her album, Escape, is already available for purchase on iTunes.
Despite her successes, her beginnings are humble: born in a suburb of Texas, she grew up listening to Stevie Wonder and Queen with her dad in the car. “I remember telling my parents, this is what I want to do,” she said, after her dad picked up her first guitar at a pawn shop. Before that, she shaped her interest in singing with a karaoke machine she got in fourth grade. When she started strumming on the guitar at 15, she knew it was meant to be. And her parents? They were supportive, but ready to make her work. “I played at open mic nights, restaurants, malls… and after a while, my dad encouraged me to post my first YouTube video.” They wanted to make sure she stuck with it. Needless to say, she has.
The game changer was her viral cover of “Love the Way You Lie” that made her channel jump up to 100,000 subscribers. “100,000 people wanted to see new content from me!” she said. Realizing the interest, she started recording videos more regularly. “After school,” she continued, “I would, even before homework, record videos.” Clearly, putting off that algebra homework for some guitar time paid off.
That 100,000 seems minuscule compared to Nicole’s current three million subscribers, and this has culminated in her album, Escape. “Each of those five songs show a different side of me. I think it was a good introduction to who I am as an artist.” An introduction it is: her music is one part Taylor Swift, another part Colbie Caillat, unmistakably catchy and 100 percent herself. “You know honestly, at the end of the day, the biggest thing you can do is stay true to yourself. I think that’s what keeps longevity in careers,” she said about her growing success.
Clearly, she isn’t stopping: Summer Forever comes out this August, and it features a unique, yet relatable story: three friends savoring the last weekend before they all leave for college. The song around which the film is based was written in December. “I just wanted a feel good song. I wanted to feel the warm weather again,” Nicole said. The movie will encompass not only warm weather and every student’s first love—summer—but encourage viewers to enjoy the moment.
Which is exactly what Megan Nicole is doing.
“I can’t wait for people to see Summer Forever! I hope they love it and enjoy the songs featured in the movie. They won’t be able to get the songs out of their head.” she said.
If they’re anything like the songs from Escape, you won’t. And that’s perfectly okay.
Purchase her album on iTunes
Subscribe to her YouTube channel
Tweet at her on Twitter! Who knows, she might tweet back.
