If there are any doubters about the influence of the Internet on the changing landscape of the music industry, the story of singer-songwriter LaLa Romero will change their minds. LaLa’s fate was to be anything but a pop music star or, at least conventional wisdom said so. After all, a girl from the largely Latino neighborhoods of Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley with talent might impress a few friends and family, but who outside the neighborhood would ever hear her?

LaLa’s passion for music started at an early age. “Growing up in a big crazy family, music was all that I had that was mine! MY thoughts, MY feelings MY songs… there was no other place for me to express my dreams & frustrations.” That expression grew into a career aspiration. By the time she graduated high school she thought she was poised to take the world by storm. Unfortunately things didn’t fall into place overnight. Beautiful, talented, and interesting, yet many executives tried to make her fit a model that just wasn’t right. “I've been in girl groups & had solo deals where I was limited and misunderstood- the ‘token “spicy” Latina’. There' aren’t many dimensions to that girl, and I knew to be fully valued I was going to have to break down doors and be ‘the example’.”

In 2006, LaLa took control of the fate of her career and brought her music directly to people -- She built her MySpace page, and the music fans came in droves! Their endorsement of LaLa’s unique Latin-infused Urban/Pop, which she refers to as “Pretty Brown Sound,” was so swift and passionate that it caught the attention of influential west coast radio stations-- all this without the guidance or support from a manager or record label.

The next year, Priority Records founder Bryan Turner signed LaLa to a management and production deal. From Turner, LaLa learned the precedent setting "street-based" formula of underground marketing used by Priority Records- and her fan base soared. Her first music video “Homegurlz,” topped the charts on MTV Tr3s’ show MiTRL, beating Juanes, RBD and Rihanna for the #1 spot, and enthusiastic fan support forced radio stations in the southwest region to take notice and play her record. Her next single, “Sprung On A Thug,” also received major market radio play, and was her 2nd video to reach the #1 spot on MTV Tr3s’ Mi TRL. And, LaLa continues to grow in MySpace popularity. She gains 5,000+ new ‘friends’ each month. #1 on the MySpace Latin chart, she currently has 4.4 million+ profile views, 140,000+ friends, and 7 million+ plays of her music.

Even more special than statistics is the close – or rather, ‘interactive’ relationship she has with fans. She consults with them to select her singles, choose music videos concepts, and vote on everything from their favorite outfit, haircut, and nail color, to the “thug” to be featured in the “Sprung On a Thug” video. “My fans are my A&R, they launched my career right off Myspace and I’m doing this for US”.

LaLa’s perspective and her connection to the voice of her fans are at the center of her appeal. “I write songs based on my experiences- real things that I’ve lived or seen”. This lyrical authenticity has created intense loyalty among fans and her writing prowess and success led her to a multi-album publishing deal with peermusic, the world’s largest independent music publisher.

LaLa left Turner in 2009 with the opportunity to join forces with Laney Stewart, accomplished music producer and executive, most recently responsible for discovering and developing super producer and artist The-Dream. Now with Stewart, LaLa is busy building her brand. In addition to touring and recording new songs for her upcoming album, she is creating a beauty line, has a television show in development, an upcoming movie role, and is working her new single “Radio” on the airwaves.

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