Teen actress, singer, and dancer, Zendaya Coleman, has been taking off on her career day by day.

Born September 1, 1996, Zendaya has grown up with much theatrical background. Her big shot in Hollywood came alive when she became apart of the Disney Channel series Shake It Up. Her dancing skills from that show then lead her to competing on Dancing with the Stars with professional dancer, Val Chmerkovskiy, as her partner. Zendaya has also written her first book titled Between U and Me which shares advice for her young fans.

Disney Channel was one of her main outlets when starting her singing career. She’s had the opportunity to sing at the White House, the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and has toured select cities with her Z-Swagg dancers and singers. In 2012, she finally signed a record deal with Hollywood Records and immediately started working on her debut album which was released on September 17, 2013.

Zendaya seems to enjoy the changes in her music career compared to her acting and dancing career.

She reports to many interviews how getting into the music career is a huge deal by saying, “It’s more hands-on. I have more control of what I want to do, and my own visions with my music can come true.”

She recorded her very first music video with her single, “Replay,” from her debut album. The creative and catchy video was all her decisions. She got to choose her choreographer, the director, and the story of the music video. Ian Eastwood, choreographer of “Replay,” really made the song come alive with dancing, which is Zendaya’s goal for all her songs.

To make good music, Zendaya believes it is very important to create special bonds with each producer she works with. This way, a real story will come about from a song. Her music isn’t the typical teenage girl pop music some people might expect. The unexpected sounds heard in her songs catches you off guard, but only keeps you interested and listening to more. It’s easy to see how she really lets her dancing abilities connect with each song as well. Just by listening to her music, it’s obvious it’s a dancing song, something you can’t just sit still to listen too.

Zendaya’s biggest role model is Michael Jackson.

“He was a true artists. He wrote and produced his own music, and he wasn’t afraid to take chances with his music,” Zendaya explains in a recent interview. “He did what he wanted, regardless of what others thought.”

Michael Jackson is who got her to where she is now. She let’s that same attitude come out in her music. It’s her music, her personality she’s expressing. It’s awesome to listen to her music and see how fun and out of the ordinary she  is, and she loves it being that way.

‘Replay’ shot up with more than 12 million views in a matter of no time. Her debut album is making her shine in the music department, really surprising the music industry that new music is here, and it’s here to stay.

I’ve personally listened to Zendaya’s debut album, and I’ve found to actually really love it! I love how her music relates to teenagers her own age about relationships or even just about having fun, but her music doesn’t sound like the “little kid” music that some young artist might start off with. I find myself listening to more of the music and the beat rather than the words to the actual song. The music is what draws me in the most. It’s not the typical, boring background music to a song. The music itself has it’s own message, while the words add to it like icing on the cake. My favorite songs would probably be Replay, Butterflies, Bottle You Up, and Scared. The out of the ordinary beats keep me listening intensely. What I love most is how unexpected her songs are. While listening, I’d think at first that a big note is about to come out, or I’d think the beat would stay the same, but Zendaya surprised me by putting her own twist to each and every song she sings and performs.

Check out Zendaya’s debut album and keep supporting her as she keeps moving on with her life and career.