Despite high hopes, most YouTube artists never make it big. But the odds were with R&B singer and songwriter, Dondria. With her covers of songs by various artists, such as Musiq Soulchild, Alicia Keys, and Rihanna, Dondria’s channel grabbed huge numbers of views. But it was her rendition of Ciara’s “Promise” that really helped to launch her career. The video received one million views and sparked an enormous following for Dondria. One fan in particular turned out to be none other than Jermaine Dupri, who invited the singer and her mother to Atlanta for a meeting. In 2007, Dondria officially signed with So So Def records and made her recording debut with the promo single, “Can’t Stop,” which she co-wrote with Chrisette Michele.
Dondria vs Phatfffat, her first full-length album pays homage to her YouTube start as well as her college nickname, Phatfffat, which she earned because she was skinny and had a huge appetite for food. It is slated for a summer 2010 release. Presently, Dondria is preparing to shoot the video for and release her second single, “Shawty Wus Up” featuring Johnt á Austin and Diamond.
Born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma and raised in Dallas, Texas, Dondria began singing in her church choir at the age of four. As of February 2010, her YouTube account had over 3,000,000 page views, 21,500,000 video views, and 100,000 subscribers. And the numbers are still growing.
