Laetitia Baloula didn’t know she’d become a musician performer to an audience of over 1,000 concurrent viewers on the world’s largest live streaming platform. Yet, she welcomes the newfound freedom and joy she’s discovered from relentlessly following her passions wherever they might lead her. As the performer, WhoIsFelyce—an entertainer, a musician, a singer, and livestreamer planning to take her music career to the next level with the aid of a growing community—she’s been working toward this very moment. “I decided a while ago to never live in fear anymore. I’ve been dedicated to doing everything I’ve wanted to do without thinking too much about the drawbacks… it’s been rewarding,” Baloula said during a phone interview with Lifewire.
Carpe Diem
Born in the urban flair of the City of Love, Baloula developed a deep adoration for music in a home where joyful tunes bounced off the walls. She found herself entranced by the world of American pop music. From the finesse of Madonna’s performance art to the intricate moves and sugary sweet vocals of Britney Spears, she was inspired. However, it was a desire and talent she kept bottled up. “I didn’t ever sing in front of anybody. It was kind of my little secret. I sang in front of my mom a few times, but other than that, no one ever knew I loved to sing,” she said. She distilled this interest and influence into other forms of performance. Namely, dancing and acting. Her desire to sing, however, would be locked away. The secret singer would go the traditional route: graduating from university with a degree in language before completing a master’s program in human resource management. Disappointment abound. After realizing the limitations of human resources as a career path, the young Baloula quickly became disenchanted with the field and set her eyes on something a bit more fulfilling. “I hated it working in human resources. They weren’t prioritizing humans. We weren’t the resource,” she said, detailing her discontent with her career post-graduation. Eventually, she left the job to pursue music. She had short-lived stints in bands playing the guitar and bass until she would finally find herself as a solo act.
Strumming to the Top
Social media was never in the plan. Seen as a way to connect to audiences, it quickly became something more. Baloula found her way to Instagram initially before her fiance introduced her to the wonderful world of Twitch. With a former career in the e-sports industry, he was well-acquainted with Twitch and thought the soon-to-be streamer would be a perfect fit. “I didn’t really know much about Twitch,” she said. “When I logged on and saw all the video game streams, I was so confused. I thought, ’this isn’t for me. I’m not sure what he was talking about.’” She persisted nevertheless and discovered the Twitch Music scene where she set up shop and immediately started her live stream journey. Little by little, audiences trickled in to watch her sing some classic pop hits. Here she had been allowed to hone her vocal talent via virtual audiences. Nine months into a Twitch-dedicated schedule, it is a bit surreal; not the audiences she enraptures with soaring vocals and instrument-based talents, but the connections and financial aspects. It’s hard for budding musicians, but Twitch makes it easier. “What seems surreal to me is all these people subscribing. I’m always like do you realize what you’re doing? Because that’s the main thing when you’re a musician, people will follow you, but will they support you? That’s another topic. So, seeing this support is surreal,” she said. Baloula has made it to the front page of Twitch, performing to audiences and introducing them to her talents. Her small but dedicated community has fallen in love. She’s hoping to go full-time and dedicate more of her energy to writing original music. While aspects of being a working musician are still scary, she’s ready to take that leap into superstardom. “I am a normal girl who loves to sing,” she laughs. “Music connects us. It’s like a universal language, and I just want to connect everybody with my talents. Is that too much to ask?”
