Chicagoland-native and YouTube sensation Hailey Rowe has never walked into a bar and looked across the room to find her boyfriend proudly wearing a pink "birthday" sash, tangled in a swarm of square-jawed dudes, sipping a chocotini and swaying to the timeless tunes of Britney Spears.
No, like most of the 19-year-old's songs, "My Boyfriend is Gay" was randomly thought up one overcast afternoon.
Rowe has written countless others just like it. But this fictional scenario is different. This one struck internet gold.
The video drew nearly 25,000 views overnight when it first released Feb. 1.
But more important than spreading across the internet like wildfire with more than 160,000 views today, the playful tune caught the attention of Pop Rocks Productions, the Grammy Award-winning producers behind fun.'s "We Are Young" album.
The soon-to-be sophomore at Loyola Marymount University in L.A. and aspiring singer/songwriter is working with the production company to write a new song and video.
Rowe said her newest song is more atoned to her accustomed musical style, which walks the line between country and pop. Rowe said the still untitled song will be a "normal" relationship song.
"[My Boyfriend is Gay is] my most risqué project, I think that's safe to say," Rowe said with a chuckle. "The new song is just a normal relationship song, which is also kinda funny because I have no relationship currently."
The 2012 Barrington High School grad said she was shocked at the success of the video that features many of her classmates, friends and a few reality TV stars, such as J.D. Ordonez, the former face of MTV's "The Real World Brooklyn."
"No, I didn't expect this much attention, not at all," Rowe said. "I'm used to putting out a new song and then it just kind of sits there. I was really excited. I've never had anything have so much feedback."
The feedback has been coming in buckets. The video has more than 360 comments, ranging from, "I used this video to come out to my girlfriend," to those who find the 3 minute, 45 second tune offensive.
Either way, Rowe's life has changed irrevocably since the video sent the internet abuzz.
While Rowe said she has never been recognized on the streets as the sparkly-purple dress-wearing singer in the hit video, she was recently informed "My Boyfriend is Gay" will be aired on the radio in San Francisco, Palm Springs and Las Vegas. The song even cracked All Access's "Top 40 Cool New Music."
Currently, Rowe is working on a charity video with several other Chicago musicians to raise awareness about gun violence in honor of the victims at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut.
But as Rowe likes to joke, the highlight in the video's rise to internet fame came when two stars from the TV show "Real Housewives of Orange County" shared the video on their Facebook pages, which is only appropriate given the song's lyric, "My boyfriend is gay. Should've known by the way he TiVo-ed every episode of RHOC."
"It's been so fun. It has all just been so great," Rowe said. "My goal is to be able to be a full-time singer, songwriter and to be able to share positive music with people. That's about it. I don't want to do anything else."
Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page.
No, like most of the 19-year-old's songs, "My Boyfriend is Gay" was randomly thought up one overcast afternoon.
Rowe has written countless others just like it. But this fictional scenario is different. This one struck internet gold.
The video drew nearly 25,000 views overnight when it first released Feb. 1.
But more important than spreading across the internet like wildfire with more than 160,000 views today, the playful tune caught the attention of Pop Rocks Productions, the Grammy Award-winning producers behind fun.'s "We Are Young" album.
The soon-to-be sophomore at Loyola Marymount University in L.A. and aspiring singer/songwriter is working with the production company to write a new song and video.
Rowe said her newest song is more atoned to her accustomed musical style, which walks the line between country and pop. Rowe said the still untitled song will be a "normal" relationship song.
"[My Boyfriend is Gay is] my most risqué project, I think that's safe to say," Rowe said with a chuckle. "The new song is just a normal relationship song, which is also kinda funny because I have no relationship currently."
The 2012 Barrington High School grad said she was shocked at the success of the video that features many of her classmates, friends and a few reality TV stars, such as J.D. Ordonez, the former face of MTV's "The Real World Brooklyn."
"No, I didn't expect this much attention, not at all," Rowe said. "I'm used to putting out a new song and then it just kind of sits there. I was really excited. I've never had anything have so much feedback."
The feedback has been coming in buckets. The video has more than 360 comments, ranging from, "I used this video to come out to my girlfriend," to those who find the 3 minute, 45 second tune offensive.
Either way, Rowe's life has changed irrevocably since the video sent the internet abuzz.
While Rowe said she has never been recognized on the streets as the sparkly-purple dress-wearing singer in the hit video, she was recently informed "My Boyfriend is Gay" will be aired on the radio in San Francisco, Palm Springs and Las Vegas. The song even cracked All Access's "Top 40 Cool New Music."
Currently, Rowe is working on a charity video with several other Chicago musicians to raise awareness about gun violence in honor of the victims at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut.
But as Rowe likes to joke, the highlight in the video's rise to internet fame came when two stars from the TV show "Real Housewives of Orange County" shared the video on their Facebook pages, which is only appropriate given the song's lyric, "My boyfriend is gay. Should've known by the way he TiVo-ed every episode of RHOC."
"It's been so fun. It has all just been so great," Rowe said. "My goal is to be able to be a full-time singer, songwriter and to be able to share positive music with people. That's about it. I don't want to do anything else."
Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page.