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© Getty Images
0 / 31 Fotos
Superwoman's heroic origin story - Singh uses the social media pseudonym "||Superwoman||," which is not at all because she is a comic book enthusiast. Rather, it's reportedly the power inherent in the name that drew her to it.
© Getty Images
1 / 31 Fotos
From university to YouTube - Her channel now has nearly 15 million subscribers, but starting out wasn't easy, especially when her parents weren't completely on board with the idea. Her description sums it up: “Spent thousands of dollars on tuition, graduated and got a degree. I make YouTube videos now.”
© Getty Images
2 / 31 Fotos
Digging into her roots - At the beginning of her digital creator career, Singh slowly gained a loyal following from content based on her Punjabi heritage (her earliest public video was about how to tie a turban), which eventually took a hilarious turn.
© Getty Images
3 / 31 Fotos
Punjabi jokes everyone can enjoy - Her most popular series features her fictional parents, Paramjeet and Manjeet (both played by Singh), reacting to trending videos, controversial topics, and more.
© Getty Images
4 / 31 Fotos
She didn't limit herself to one category - Singh diversified her content to include satirical takes on everyday life, from music and pop culture to social situations and common complaints, which proved essential to reaching a global audience. Her most popular video is 2013's 'How Girls Get Ready.'
© Getty Images
5 / 31 Fotos
SuperwomanVlogs - One year after getting started on YouTube, Singh launched a second channel called SuperwomanVlogs where, instead of sketches, she chronicles more of her own daily life, posting reviews, reactions, and challenge videos nearly every day.
© Getty Images
6 / 31 Fotos
She even vlogged about her first vlog - So much has changed since her first vlog, and Singh knows it, so this year she made a video critiquing her first ever vlog. She yells at her past thin-eyebrowed self, calls herself “obnoxious,” and revels in how weird she is: “That has not changed.”
© Getty Images
7 / 31 Fotos
She did it for herself - Mental health still holds a huge stigma in South Asian culture, but Singh explained that she first started making videos in her bedroom as a way to pull herself out of her depression.
© Getty Images
8 / 31 Fotos
Little did she know a global audience awaited - Just as Singh loves the video-sharing website for providing a healthy outlet, the platform loves the star and has featured her in every YouTube Rewind video since 2014!
© Getty Images
9 / 31 Fotos
YouTube provided something essential - "There is no casting director, there is no producer monitoring your upload button. Anyone that looks like anyone can upload a video,” Singh explained. She admires the way digital spaces like YouTube set an example for the rest of the entertainment industry.
© Getty Images
10 / 31 Fotos
Her roster of celebrity collaborators - Will Smith, Dwayne Johnson, Selena Gomez, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Dr. Phil, Terry Crews, Hasan Minhaj, Priyanka Chopra, Shay Mitchell, Amber Rose, Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit, and many, many more have jumped at the chance to work with Singh.
© Getty Images
11 / 31 Fotos
Live shows - In March 2015, Singh began a world tour called 'A Trip to Unicorn Island,' where she adapted her YouTube content for the stage and included singing, dancing, music performances, comedy, and her parent characters. The tour's 27 cities covered India, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK, and the US.
© Getty Images
12 / 31 Fotos
She also dabbled in the music scene - As if her winning personality wasn't enough, Singh has featured as a rapper on a few songs, one of which played in the Bollywood drama 'Gulaab Gang.' She collaborated with other Canadian artists like Humble the Poet (pictured) and Sickick, releasing songs and music videos—'#IVIVI,' for example, is an ode to Toronto.
© Getty Images
13 / 31 Fotos
Forbes' Highest Paid YouTube Stars - Singh cracked the list in 2015, earning an estimated US$2.5 million from her channels and tour, among other projects. Two years later, she was ranked 10th on the Forbes list of the world's highest-paid YouTube stars, earning a reported US$10.5 million.
© Getty Images
14 / 31 Fotos
Her first feature film - 'A Trip To Unicorn Island' (2016) follows her journey in planning and executing her tour, revealing a raw and genuine side to the funny lady. Singh said it was a really difficult experience because she had no control over the cameras, and there were consequently many emotional moments captured that she didn't particularly enjoy.
© Getty Images
15 / 31 Fotos
Acting chops - Singh appeared in small roles in a few Indo-Canadian films, she voiced miniature unicorns named Bubbles and Misty in 'Ice Age: Collision Course,' played a cameo role in the movie 'Bad Moms' (2016), and had a role in HBO's film adaptation of 'Fahrenheit 451' (2017).
© Getty Images
16 / 31 Fotos
She's a best-selling author - In March 2017, Singh released her first book, 'How to be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life,' which quickly became a No. 1 New York Times best-seller.
© BrunoPress
17 / 31 Fotos
What is a "bawse" exactly? - Singh defines a bawse as someone who exudes confidence, achieves their goals, “gets hurt efficiently,” and smiles genuinely because they overcame every obstacle in their way and came out on top.
© Getty Images
18 / 31 Fotos
And how do you conquer life? - People hungrily searched for the answer to how this Punjabi girl from Canada made it big, but Singh warned: “This book does NOT include hopeful thoughts, lucky charms, and cute quotes. That's because success, happiness and everything else you want in life needs to be fought for—not wished for.”
© Getty Images
19 / 31 Fotos
Then there's the philanthropy, of course - With all that star power and a strong moral compass, Singh used her name and fame to become a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2017, to advocate for children's rights. She led a campaign called “GirlLove” to end girl-on-girl hate, and raised money for girls' education around the world.
© Getty Images
20 / 31 Fotos
What can't she do? - As hard work has been her solution all her life, Singh put in real work and traveled to South Africa in July 2018 to actually meet students of elementary schools who are speaking against bullying and classroom violence. Instead of pushing new campaigns, she lent her support to their existing efforts.
© Getty Images
21 / 31 Fotos
She created her own production company - Singh established Unicorn Island Productions to develop and produce inspirational and informative stories for film, TV and digital, across many genres—all with a focus on diverse female voices.
© Getty Images
22 / 31 Fotos
Being a YouTube star isn't all fun and videos - In November 2018, Singh posted a video unlike any of her others, where she announced she would be taking a break. “This is not clickbait, I'm not trying to get on the trending page,” she assured fans, before explaining that she was "mentally, physically and emotionally and spiritually exhausted."
© Getty Images
23 / 31 Fotos
Learning to prioritize health and happiness - Even with the money and the fame, Singh was scared to take a break, believing that as a creator she had to consistently pump out content at any cost. She took a note from other YouTube vloggers Alisha Marie and Grace Helbig, and practiced what she preached: prioritizing happiness.
© BrunoPress
24 / 31 Fotos
And then she came out! - With her relationship to the internet being so direct and open, it's fitting that Singh came out in a tweet. On February 25, 2019, she wrote a checklist, "Female, coloured, bisexual," to her 5.77 million followers. It's an especially significant declaration for the South Asian community.
© Getty Images
25 / 31 Fotos
Coming out - "Throughout my life these have proven to be obstacles from time to time. But now I'm fully embracing them as my superpowers,” Superwoman herself added. “No matter how many 'boxes' you check, I encourage you to do the same."
© Getty Images
26 / 31 Fotos
Opening up the social media platform
- As a “female, coloured, bisexual” person in the South Asian community, Singh continues to create much needed space for all LGBT women of color to speak about their experiences, and, most importantly, to laugh about them.
© Getty Images
27 / 31 Fotos
A glass-ceiling moment - Lilly Singh took over the 'Last Call With Carson Daly' spot on NBC in 2019, reportedly making her the only female late-night host on broadcast TV!
© Getty Images
28 / 31 Fotos
'A Little Late with Lilly Singh'
- Singh's half-hour show received critical acclaim and over two seasons she hosted numerous high profile guests including Jessica Alba, Natalie Portman, Snoop Dogg, Malala Yousafzai, and Charlize Theron.
© Getty Images
29 / 31 Fotos
On to new adventures
- NBC announced that the show would end after two seasons in June of 2021. The decision was based on their desire to move away from talk shows at their 1:30am slot, and Singh will continue to work on unscripted shows for the network. She's also working on a new Netflix comedy series with 'Black-ish' creator Kenya Barris. No doubt we'll be seeing a lot more from this young star.
© Getty Images
30 / 31 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 31 Fotos
Superwoman's heroic origin story - Singh uses the social media pseudonym "||Superwoman||," which is not at all because she is a comic book enthusiast. Rather, it's reportedly the power inherent in the name that drew her to it.
© Getty Images
1 / 31 Fotos
From university to YouTube - Her channel now has nearly 15 million subscribers, but starting out wasn't easy, especially when her parents weren't completely on board with the idea. Her description sums it up: “Spent thousands of dollars on tuition, graduated and got a degree. I make YouTube videos now.”
© Getty Images
2 / 31 Fotos
Digging into her roots - At the beginning of her digital creator career, Singh slowly gained a loyal following from content based on her Punjabi heritage (her earliest public video was about how to tie a turban), which eventually took a hilarious turn.
© Getty Images
3 / 31 Fotos
Punjabi jokes everyone can enjoy - Her most popular series features her fictional parents, Paramjeet and Manjeet (both played by Singh), reacting to trending videos, controversial topics, and more.
© Getty Images
4 / 31 Fotos
She didn't limit herself to one category - Singh diversified her content to include satirical takes on everyday life, from music and pop culture to social situations and common complaints, which proved essential to reaching a global audience. Her most popular video is 2013's 'How Girls Get Ready.'
© Getty Images
5 / 31 Fotos
SuperwomanVlogs - One year after getting started on YouTube, Singh launched a second channel called SuperwomanVlogs where, instead of sketches, she chronicles more of her own daily life, posting reviews, reactions, and challenge videos nearly every day.
© Getty Images
6 / 31 Fotos
She even vlogged about her first vlog - So much has changed since her first vlog, and Singh knows it, so this year she made a video critiquing her first ever vlog. She yells at her past thin-eyebrowed self, calls herself “obnoxious,” and revels in how weird she is: “That has not changed.”
© Getty Images
7 / 31 Fotos
She did it for herself - Mental health still holds a huge stigma in South Asian culture, but Singh explained that she first started making videos in her bedroom as a way to pull herself out of her depression.
© Getty Images
8 / 31 Fotos
Little did she know a global audience awaited - Just as Singh loves the video-sharing website for providing a healthy outlet, the platform loves the star and has featured her in every YouTube Rewind video since 2014!
© Getty Images
9 / 31 Fotos
YouTube provided something essential - "There is no casting director, there is no producer monitoring your upload button. Anyone that looks like anyone can upload a video,” Singh explained. She admires the way digital spaces like YouTube set an example for the rest of the entertainment industry.
© Getty Images
10 / 31 Fotos
Her roster of celebrity collaborators - Will Smith, Dwayne Johnson, Selena Gomez, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Dr. Phil, Terry Crews, Hasan Minhaj, Priyanka Chopra, Shay Mitchell, Amber Rose, Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit, and many, many more have jumped at the chance to work with Singh.
© Getty Images
11 / 31 Fotos
Live shows - In March 2015, Singh began a world tour called 'A Trip to Unicorn Island,' where she adapted her YouTube content for the stage and included singing, dancing, music performances, comedy, and her parent characters. The tour's 27 cities covered India, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK, and the US.
© Getty Images
12 / 31 Fotos
She also dabbled in the music scene - As if her winning personality wasn't enough, Singh has featured as a rapper on a few songs, one of which played in the Bollywood drama 'Gulaab Gang.' She collaborated with other Canadian artists like Humble the Poet (pictured) and Sickick, releasing songs and music videos—'#IVIVI,' for example, is an ode to Toronto.
© Getty Images
13 / 31 Fotos
Forbes' Highest Paid YouTube Stars - Singh cracked the list in 2015, earning an estimated US$2.5 million from her channels and tour, among other projects. Two years later, she was ranked 10th on the Forbes list of the world's highest-paid YouTube stars, earning a reported US$10.5 million.
© Getty Images
14 / 31 Fotos
Her first feature film - 'A Trip To Unicorn Island' (2016) follows her journey in planning and executing her tour, revealing a raw and genuine side to the funny lady. Singh said it was a really difficult experience because she had no control over the cameras, and there were consequently many emotional moments captured that she didn't particularly enjoy.
© Getty Images
15 / 31 Fotos
Acting chops - Singh appeared in small roles in a few Indo-Canadian films, she voiced miniature unicorns named Bubbles and Misty in 'Ice Age: Collision Course,' played a cameo role in the movie 'Bad Moms' (2016), and had a role in HBO's film adaptation of 'Fahrenheit 451' (2017).
© Getty Images
16 / 31 Fotos
She's a best-selling author - In March 2017, Singh released her first book, 'How to be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life,' which quickly became a No. 1 New York Times best-seller.
© BrunoPress
17 / 31 Fotos
What is a "bawse" exactly? - Singh defines a bawse as someone who exudes confidence, achieves their goals, “gets hurt efficiently,” and smiles genuinely because they overcame every obstacle in their way and came out on top.
© Getty Images
18 / 31 Fotos
And how do you conquer life? - People hungrily searched for the answer to how this Punjabi girl from Canada made it big, but Singh warned: “This book does NOT include hopeful thoughts, lucky charms, and cute quotes. That's because success, happiness and everything else you want in life needs to be fought for—not wished for.”
© Getty Images
19 / 31 Fotos
Then there's the philanthropy, of course - With all that star power and a strong moral compass, Singh used her name and fame to become a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2017, to advocate for children's rights. She led a campaign called “GirlLove” to end girl-on-girl hate, and raised money for girls' education around the world.
© Getty Images
20 / 31 Fotos
What can't she do? - As hard work has been her solution all her life, Singh put in real work and traveled to South Africa in July 2018 to actually meet students of elementary schools who are speaking against bullying and classroom violence. Instead of pushing new campaigns, she lent her support to their existing efforts.
© Getty Images
21 / 31 Fotos
She created her own production company - Singh established Unicorn Island Productions to develop and produce inspirational and informative stories for film, TV and digital, across many genres—all with a focus on diverse female voices.
© Getty Images
22 / 31 Fotos
Being a YouTube star isn't all fun and videos - In November 2018, Singh posted a video unlike any of her others, where she announced she would be taking a break. “This is not clickbait, I'm not trying to get on the trending page,” she assured fans, before explaining that she was "mentally, physically and emotionally and spiritually exhausted."
© Getty Images
23 / 31 Fotos
Learning to prioritize health and happiness - Even with the money and the fame, Singh was scared to take a break, believing that as a creator she had to consistently pump out content at any cost. She took a note from other YouTube vloggers Alisha Marie and Grace Helbig, and practiced what she preached: prioritizing happiness.
© BrunoPress
24 / 31 Fotos
And then she came out! - With her relationship to the internet being so direct and open, it's fitting that Singh came out in a tweet. On February 25, 2019, she wrote a checklist, "Female, coloured, bisexual," to her 5.77 million followers. It's an especially significant declaration for the South Asian community.
© Getty Images
25 / 31 Fotos
Coming out - "Throughout my life these have proven to be obstacles from time to time. But now I'm fully embracing them as my superpowers,” Superwoman herself added. “No matter how many 'boxes' you check, I encourage you to do the same."
© Getty Images
26 / 31 Fotos
Opening up the social media platform
- As a “female, coloured, bisexual” person in the South Asian community, Singh continues to create much needed space for all LGBT women of color to speak about their experiences, and, most importantly, to laugh about them.
© Getty Images
27 / 31 Fotos
A glass-ceiling moment - Lilly Singh took over the 'Last Call With Carson Daly' spot on NBC in 2019, reportedly making her the only female late-night host on broadcast TV!
© Getty Images
28 / 31 Fotos
'A Little Late with Lilly Singh'
- Singh's half-hour show received critical acclaim and over two seasons she hosted numerous high profile guests including Jessica Alba, Natalie Portman, Snoop Dogg, Malala Yousafzai, and Charlize Theron.
© Getty Images
29 / 31 Fotos
On to new adventures
- NBC announced that the show would end after two seasons in June of 2021. The decision was based on their desire to move away from talk shows at their 1:30am slot, and Singh will continue to work on unscripted shows for the network. She's also working on a new Netflix comedy series with 'Black-ish' creator Kenya Barris. No doubt we'll be seeing a lot more from this young star.
© Getty Images
30 / 31 Fotos
YouTube videos to late-night host: Who is Lilly Singh?
‘A Little Late With Lilly Singh’ is coming to an end after two seasons
© Getty Images
Not too long ago, Lilly Singh was just an Indian-Canadian girl from Scarborough, Ontario, with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology. Fast forward less than a decade, and she’s a world-famous, extremely well-off, and highly influential YouTube star, author, actor, rapper, philanthropist, and the only female late-night talk show host on TV. Now she's moving on from hosting her ‘A Little Late With Lilly Singh’ and starting to develop projects for TV.
Click through to see how she went from making videos in her bedroom to international stardom.
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