Paula DeAnda
No matter what happens with Paula DeAnda’s career, the 17-year-old Texas pop singer can always say she impressed a music legend. When then-Arista Records boss Clive Davis — the man behind such talent as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys and Kelly Clarkson — heard DeAnda sing, he immediately offered her a record deal. Her self-titled debut album includes the single, “Walk Away (Remember Me)” (feat. The DEY), which was written by Ne-Yo, Christina Milian and Stargate. The tune is currently #8 on the US Top 40 Chart and its video is #9 on MTV’s TRL.
Zeeks: Signing autographs, is that cool or weird for you?
Paula: It used to be really weird for me, just because I feel like, ‘Why are you asking for my autograph?’ Especially because my friends ask for it. But I actually love that people want to have my signature. It’s just so crazy. I had a show, I think it was in Oklahoma, and that was the first time I ever saw posters of ‘I Love You, Paula,’ and laminated pictures. It was just so crazy.
Zeeks: Have you always been confident and comfortable with it?
Paula: No, not really. I’ve always loved, loved, to perform. I never really signed autographs or got paid for any gigs. It was just something I loved to do, any time. It was really funny because I would sing literally everywhere. I’d sing in the grocery store. I sang (in) MacDonald’s one time through their microphone thing. Anywhere and everywhere.
Zeeks: Did anyone try and develop your talent before now?
Paula: Yes, I was actually in a group with two other girls. They were sisters and we were an amazing group, like Destiny’s Child. I was like 13 or 14. We were just called Girls. We never put anything out, but we performed here and there. We had a producer, Cruz Martinez, who is also the producer of Kumbia Kings.
Zeeks: What was important for you in making this album?
Paula: One of the things I wanted to make known is that, okay, I’ve been singing since I was six, so that’s one thing I’ve accomplished and I know that I’m comfortable with, but one thing I never did a lot of was my own writing. [On my album] you get a feel for what I can write about and it’s great. It’s very important. I wanted to have my own feeling in the songs and it’s really cool for them [the label, producers, writers] to believe in you and let you write for your own album.
Zeeks: When you perform, do you take your friends with you?
Paula: I take my friends sometimes when I can, when we’re not flying, when we’re driving. But I’ll have enough miles soon. I’ve been flying everywhere, so I can get free trips.
Zeeks: What’s been the best free stuff?
Paula: For my photo shoots, they do allow me to keep some of the items. I keep a lot of the shoes. I got these Ice Cream shoes [musician/producer Pharrell Williams’ sneaker line] that are really expensive and I’m glad I didn’t have to pay for them. I’m not really that big of a spender.
