Lilly Singh on How to be a Bawse
sharjah — Social media queen and a vlogger with over 14 million subscribers on YouTube Lilly Singh made her maiden visit to Sharjah on Thursday and young fans could not get enough of the Internet sensation.
Unprecedented crowd of fans attended the YouTube star’s talk on at the 37th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair, giving the vlogger a rock star’s welcome to the annual event.
Over a hundred screaming teenagers, young adults and parents in some cases, stood on chairs to catch a glimpse of Singh, widely known as Superwoman. The Canadian videoblogger began her YouTube channel in 2010 and is ranked 10th on the Forbes list of the world’s highestpaid YouTube stars, earning a staggering $10.5 million in 2017.
Some came clutching copies of her book How to be a Bawse, in the hopes of getting an autograph and picture with Singh. A slew of volunteers handed out several dozen copies of her book for a breezy Dh60 and young adults purchased it in a frenzy in the hopes of getting to the online superstar.
Some youngsters came better prepared. A girl gave a handcrafted gift bag to Lilly; and Pranav Menon, a budding poet, submitted a copy of his recently launched book — Lollapalooza
— to the celebrity. In a Q&A with Singh, Menon even asked Lilly if she would follow him on Instagram as Singh was the sole reason for him to write the book. Mid-session, Singh declared that her UAE “Superwoman fam” was the most dedicated.
Singh shot to fame for creating relatable, funny and engaging video content, featuring a spoof version of overbearing parents and high school best friends. “I began making these videos when I was in a bad place. Today, I have everyday conversations with 14 million strangers who’ve gone on to become Team Super,” admitted Lilly.
However, Lilly also said that she did not start out making videos to become famous. “I wanted people to watch a Lilly video and be happy for five minutes.” She said.
“My first few videos were bad and that was because I wasn’t being myself. Over time, I learned to portray my authentic self. It was OK to be talking about my pimples and my relationships. People began to support my journey.”
Lilly also advised the young audience that success comes from being relentlessly stubborn and goal-oriented. She added: “Surround yourself with people who are a reflection of who you want to become.”
She has interviewed the likes of former US first lady Michelle Obama and actors Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock), James Franco and Priyanka Chopra. In 2017, Lilly Singh was announced a UN Goodwill Ambassador, to advocate for children’s rights.
Lilly is a fierce feminist and advocate for women and child’s rights, and she believes that all men and women must be feminists. “Feminism is not about hating guys. Feminism is about providing equal opportunities. If you’re not a feminist, you’re sexist,” Lilly explained to the wildly cheering crowd.
Feminism is not about hating guys. Feminism is about providing equal opportunities. If you’re not a feminist, you’re sexist.”
Lilly Singh,