Shirley who?
Key in ‘Kuch na kaho’ (1942: A Love Story) and chances of the version delivered by Sanam and Shirley Setia will appear on top. Search for Arijit Singh’s Sanam re on YouTube and Shirley’s version will be in the top five. The same goes for covers of Tu zaroori (Zid) and Tum hi ho (Aashiqui 2).
Daman-born Shirley Setia has spent most of her life in New Zealand but in the last few months the 22-year-old has become a YouTube sensation to watch out for.
She was one of the big names to feature at this year’s YouTube FanFest held in Mumbai in March. “I think for any YouTuber, performing and being at YouTube FanFest is extremely important. Meeting my fans, aka #TeamShirley, and performing on a stage that I’ve looked up to for so long amid some of the most inspirational creators, is truly a great feeling,” Shirley told t2 over email.
Speaking of #TeamShirley, she would like to visit her fans in Calcutta. “Since I’m an Indo-Kiwi girl, I grew up listening to Bollywood and Western music. I love how sweet Bengali sounds. Even though I don’t understand the language, it’s extremely melodious which is also the kind of music that I really like. I know there’s a lot of #TeamShirley in Bengal, so I’d absolutely love to come visit someday.”
Shirley on social media
YouTube: 215,211 subscribers
Twitter: 27.9K followers
Facebook: 954,396 like her page
Instagram: 99.6K followers
First YouTube video
This was sometime back and it was a far cry from the millions of hits she gets now. “It was simply raw vocals without music and a picture of myself as the video. I used to always wonder if I’d ever even make it to a 100 subscribers.” Her YT channel now has 215,211 subscribers!
Cover Gal
Not just Hindi songs, she does trending English numbers as well. Check out Taylor Swift’s Love Story or David Guetta and Sia’s Titanium. “I usually ask my fans what they’d like to hear from me, and then I choose from the requests depending on whether I like the song and can connect with it somehow. I believe in simplicity, and I feel that’s what really helps me make the songs my own,” the 22-year-old said.
What about life beyond covers? “Ah, I haven’t chosen playback singing yet. But maybe playback singing can choose me? I’d love to lend my voice to the big screen sometime if I get an opportunity to.”
Global citizen
Though she shuttles between Auckland and Mumbai, Shirley collaborates with artistes from across the world. “I think it doesn’t really matter where you are when you’re collaborating with musicians or other creators. While I was in Auckland, I collaborated with creators from the United States, Canada and India, from the comfort of my little room at home (which happens to be where I record my vocals too). As long as you’re passionate about your work, I feel that no matter what the hurdles are, you’ll find a way out. You just have to be persistent and not give up…. Currently I’m based out of Mumbai and Auckland. I recently made the move to shift to India to explore more opportunities, and I’m absolutely loving every bit of it!”
Success mantra
Justin Bieber, Psy, Cody Simpson…. What would life have been for these singers without YouTube? And it’s not about putting up a few songs. It’s about sustaining momentum. “There’s no right or wrong way on YouTube. The best part about all the creators is their uniqueness. That’s what differentiates them from all the other content that’s out there. Sometimes some things work, sometimes they don’t. One shouldn’t be afraid of making mistakes on YouTube, it’s the beauty of the platform. I still have my old videos on my channel, I feel that they show a person’s growth. As far as sustaining the momentum goes, consistency is key!” she said.
Mathures Paul
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