M arija Žeželj is definitely no ordinary teenager. For her it’s as though obsta- cles don’t exist, and her successes mount as if she’s playing. And that’s actually how it all began – with a view to video bloggers, two years ago she started filming and posting on You- Tube video clips in which she spoke in a cute way about the most diverse top- ics typical for her age group. Her peers liked it and her number of followers in- creased from day to day, so the game became much more serious. Marija ap- proached it all with unexpected matu- rity, which brought her even more at- tention... - When you decide to expose your- self and your work to the public, you al- so have a great responsibility towards your peers who follow you. For a certain number of children, I am in some way a role model. Before I post anything, I analyse the content, then consult with my parents or friends. And despite this it still happens that I make mistakes and my followers misinterpret some words or actions. All of this creates additional pressure and compels you to constant- ly adjust and perfect your work– she says, adding that for her it is most im- portant to receive a good grade from the “house council”, because then she knows for certain that she was up to the level of the task. Encouraged by her success on You- Tube, Marija devised a way to realise an- other dream – she wrote a novel, My Sweet Life, whose lead character, thir- teen-year-old Nađa, won over an army of teenage readers, with the book reaching four editions in record time. The young author wrote about what she knows best – growing up, and the fears and the hopes that accompany that, which her fans easily identified with. At the 2016 Belgrade Book Fair an army of teens laid siege to her publisher’s stand for two days, trying to get signed copies of the novel, and Marija says she would like to write a sequel and give her heroine the chance to grow up into a young lady. In the meantime, she also grew into a real beauty and started modelling, and then something happened that she’d de- sired, but didn’t dare hope for - one of her YouTube clips opened a door that she’d always wanted to go through. Her cover
Her cover version of Justin Bieber’s song ‘Love Yourself’, which Marija sang with her friend, attracted the attention of people from Universal Music Serbia, who gave her a chance to try her hand in the music industry Obrada pesme Love Yourself Džastina Bibera, koju je Marija otpevala s prijateljicom, privukla je pažnju ljudi iz izdavačke kuće Universal Music Serbia koji su joj pružili šansu da se oproba na muzičkoj sceni
version of Justin Bieber’s song‘LoveYour- self’, which Marija sang with her friend, attracted the attention of people from Universal Music Serbia, who gave her a chance to try her hand on the mu- sic scene. Her debut single ‘Dance Like Nobody’s Watching’ has amassed over 14 million views on YouTube and was one of the five most popular domestic songs of 2017. - I’ve loved music since I was little. Given that my dad is musically educat- ed and it is his profession, music held a special place in my heart. I was a shy and withdrawn child, which is why I didn’t have the courage to develop my talent. Fortunately, Universal Music Serbia gave me the opportunity to return to that un- realised desire and try to break through. I’m glad I succeeded, and that it was made possible for me to do what I really love and enjoy in my life – says Marija. After her first hit, another followed. The song ‘Louder Than A Drum’, inspired by Marija’s life, brings the mature sound of an artist who is developing from a teen into a young independent wom- an aware of her influence. - The new single talks about my up- bringing and the development of my personality, explaining my feelings and all the doubts playing out within me. I wanted to convey my thoughts and try to explain them to the audience. I believe a lot of my peers are going through the same process and I think most of them will find themselves in the song and be able to identify – says this young girl, who certainly has an international ca- reer ahead of her.
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