Even though most kids love to sing, some happen to be ridiculously good at it. Thanks to both reality television and the internet, people are discovering fresh new talent from some pretty unlikely sources. This particular video happens to have gone viral twice. The first was right after it was posted. The second was when rapper Missy Elliot shared it once again on social media.
The video features then-7-year-old Brooke Monroe Conaway, who happens to dig the music of Chaka Khan. With the help of her father, Cornell C. Conaway, Brooke put plenty of smiles on everyone's faces. Dancing along to the hit, she also knows all the words.
This video is sweet for plenty of reasons — but mostly because you can tell that Brooke and Cornell have an incredible relationship. It's hard not to sing along with them.
"I love this video because me and my daddy made it and it was so much fun. It was a feel-good song and I love it. I love all of it," Brooke, who's now 8, told Today.
Brooke's feelings about going viral will melt your heart. She's not in it for the fame or the recognition. Instead, she's so happy that her video made so many people smile throughout the world. It also ended up connecting her with fans worldwide, from countries such as Brazil, Australia, and Ireland.
"It makes me feel happy that they're happy," she said to Today. And that's one of the best reasons to get a kid in front of the camera. If they're excited about it and want to help cheer up people all over the world, it's a great idea. They weren't looking for money — just smiles.
According to her dad, Brooke has a ton of great moments on video. "I have been filming her since we brought her home from the hospital," he said. And even better, many of them happen to be musical. "One particular day, we were going to my mom's house," he explained.
"We were listening to Run DMC 'Proud to be Black.' I challenged her and said, 'I bet you can't learn these lyrics.' She did it, and with so much tenacity," said Cornell. For Brooke, it looks like lyric memorization is one of the easiest parts.
Brooke has plenty of great musical influences. Aside from Chaka Khan, she also loves Michael Jackson and Beyoncé. Right now, she's aiming to be either a singer or an actress when she grows up, but she's not ruling out other occupations just yet. (Nor should she — she's still young.)
In fact, you can tell she's got big aspirations because, as she told Today, she wants to be something truly unique. "The best thing I want to be is something no one has been before," she said. And quite honestly, she's heading in the right direction. Going viral twice for the same video is a rarity.
And there's a chance she may continue going viral. According to her dad, they're both still interested in making more videos. And he's still up for playing the role of the "hype man." The fact that he's willing to take a backseat to his daughter's talent speaks wonders.
"Our main purpose is to give people good vibes and brighten up their day," he said. "We get inspired because we have so many people sending us messages saying we have inspired them." It's amazing how powerful just one video can be — especially during a time like right now.
Cornell also likes the fact that his videos with Brooke help break a bad stereotype. As he told The Baltimore Times, "Black fathers get a bad rep for not being in their child's life." But he's all about showcasing the fact that that's not true. Obviously, he's very close with his daughter.
The video has already led to so much more. For one, Brooke appeared on the TV show Little Big Shots, which aired on NBC. The show features talented kids all over the globe. But just because she was a viral sensation didn't mean she got to duck out of the application process.
"So many kids go viral," her dad said. "Brooke had to do solo Skype sessions [with the producers] to see if she had the same personality on camera by herself." The audition proved that while Cornell is a big part of the video, Brooke can shine all by herself.
The experience was a solid one for Brooke, who's currently enrolled in acting classes. Once again, she mentioned the ability to make people smile. "I got to make everybody happy," she said. "I got to be in front of a live audience so everybody can know what I can do, and I got to talk to Melissa McCarthy and make friends from all around the world."
Brooke has already signed with an agent at Stewart Talent Agency. She and her father can be found on YouTube under the channel name of Brooke and Her Sidekick. Every video they take showcases another magical moment between the two of them. They're well on their way to becoming stars.
This is a great reminder for all of the creatives out there to keep making content. Even something small can end up cheering someone up. During times like these, we need to do everything we can to keep smiling and stay positive. And Brooke's the perfect kid to help make that happen.
