For many people, the name ‘Mike Chelsen’ seems to have popped out of nowhere this year. There is a certain intrigue about the person – which only adds to his appeal. But Chelsen is remarkably open about his life.
The 16-year-old is half Italian, half Spanish. Ever since he was a kid, Chelsen loved to be on the stage and perform. But Chelsen also opens up about his struggles with depression and bullying. Even as a child, Mike Chelsen was always different from others. While he considered it his greatest strength, others had a different opinion. His classmates bullied him for not conforming to the stereotypes set by society. At one point, things got so bad that Chelsen went into depression and even contemplated suicide. However, he soon recovered after tremendous efforts and decided to change the course of his life.
He recalls an incident when he went to Paris with his mother for some event. After the event, he remembers crying and confessing to his mother that he wants to become a star. His mother promised him that he would. Years later, Chelsen fulfilled that promise.
For Mike Chelsen, becoming a ‘star’ was always a dream. But his definition of stardom doesn’t revolve around piles of cash, posh cars or a large house. Chelsen says that he has been nameless all his life. Despite being different from everyone else, he was never the ‘cool kid’ at school; in fact, many of his classmates didn’t even know his name. So now, as a singing sensation, all he wants is to be recognized by others. The thrill that comes when someone not only knows him, but confesses to being inspired by him, is something that Chelsen cherishes more than anything else.
That’s another of the things that set Mike Chelsen apart from his peers – he values his fans too much. His fans affectionately call themselves ‘supernovas’. Chelsen adores that name, explaining that each of his fans is a star in his/her own right. For Mike Chelsen, his fans are truly his life. He says that they were the ones who made him believe that he truly is worth something. Every day, the affection they pour over him makes him believe even more that the path he took was the right one. As such, Chelsen goes out of his way to ensure that he never disappoints his fans intentionally or inadvertently.
Mike Chelsen first found prominence on social media. On Tik Tok, he unleashed his creative side and emerged as a fantastic entertainer – gaining more than 100,000 followers in no time. On Instagram, where he is more active these days, he prefers to be flamboyant. Like his idols David Bowie, Prince and Lady Gaga, Chelsen too carries an outrageous fashion sense with killer confidence. He has 33,000 followers on Instagram who all follow him for one reason – his fashion statement. But for Mike Chelsen, this is not an attempt to copy someone or put out a false projection. His fashion is an extension of his personality itself – striking, edgy and sometimes downright amusing.
Mike Chelsen’s fandom is as flamboyant as he is. In fact, the two things are quite connected. Chelsen’s social media flamboyance is a message that he is truly comfortable in his skin. This is the message he wants to send to each of his fans. He wants his fanbase to be a safe space for everyone; where everyone can be truly what they want to be, without judgement or discrimination. A quick look at the comment section of his Instagram posts affirms everything that Chelsen said – a group of diverse, confident people who love and adore him.
Mike Chelsen’s musical journey has only begun. This year, Chelsen launched his first single, Starlight. The beautiful vocals and sombre lyrics of the song were met with applause from the audience. It found impressive success on Spotify. This solidified Chelsen’s plans to pursue the career as a singer. Right now, he has been working on a new EP for months. He understands that it took a lot of time, but he wants to give his best in all his works. The song, which will be a pop/electro track, will likely release before the end of this year.
