Mysterious singer GILLE’s sensational popularity on YouTube has help her cut a deal with Universal Music! Her songs are mostly cover versions (in English) of J-Pop artists. GILLE first caught the attention of fans with her cover of the hit AKB48’s “Get Flying”, which she uploaded in February 2012. The video topped the charts with 2.8 million views from 163 countries.
Universal Music Japan was soon to rope in the starlet with a recording contract and she cut her first full-length album in March. The album “I AM GILLE” was released on July 18. The good thing about her versions is that the lyrics manage to stay authentic to the original Japanese version.
In the beginning there was a deep shroud of mystery over GILLE’s nationality. But when AKB48 executive producer Akimoto Yasushi endorsed her cover version, a formal announcement regarding her Japanese nationality was revealed. Keeping up with her assumed person, GILLE maintained a silhouette during a recent television interview. “I AM GILLE” debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes music chart and her videos continue to hit the high numbers. Below are the enigmatic and original versions of “Get Flying”, let us know which you like better.
Sensational GILLE’s Cover Version
The AKB48 version for comparison
[Via RocketNews]