Neither Krissy nor Ericka Villongco are old enough to vote. But both of them have already achieved a measure of fame that other kids their age can only dream about.

At 16 and 17 years of age, respectively, the sisters already signed with record label MCA Philippines. They enjoy a measure of popularity outside of the country, with a bestselling album out in Indonesia and Thailand. Their Youtube channel, krissysings, has received more than seven million hits, and their video uploads get more than 3,000 hits a day.

“It’s so surreal up to now because we have an album in Indonesia and Thailand, and it’s the sixth bestselling album in Thailand,” excitedly says Ericka.

Growing up classical
Music has always been part of the sisters’ lives, as growing up they took up lessons in classical piano, flute, and guitar. They would always be asked to perform at family gatherings and encouraged by their parents to perform in school. But it was Krissy’s decision to open a Youtube channel that would put them on the map.

“When I was 12, I started my Youtube channel, krissysings, and I would post videos of myself singing to minus ones. One day, Ericka and I started singing together and it got a lot more hits than when I was singing by myself. When we got a lot of hits, our manager saw our videos so we got a label, MCA. We were 15 or so,” recalls Krissy.

Being the youngest artists on their record label has not stopped the two from working as hard as any other artist. The two have already been front acts for Richard Poon and Sam Milby. Just recently, they opened the show for international artist Owl City here in the Philippines.

The decision to plunge into acting, however, was something that neither one of them expected to take.

“We really didn’t want to do acting, but we considered Idol because it’s a musical teleserye,” says Krissy. “It was a culture shock for us because acting and taping is 24 hours, four times a week. Nabibigla kami from all the stuff but it’s a really fun experience.”

Toughening up
The sisters know they can handle whatever fame that being on TV will bring. Achieving success Youtube has also toughened them up in the face of criticisms.

“A few would recognize us from Youtube so we really have to make it a point to dress well and act properly. Some people get intimidated, especially boys, no one goes to us!” Ericka says.

Youtube has also helped them distinguish constructive criticisms from plain hate, and has helped them grow not just as artists but as persons as well. “You just have the confidence to believe in yourself because you know what you can do. It’s all about you and your music,” says Krissy.

“When someone tells us we sound like chipmunks, we learn that we shouldn’t sing so high. If they say we’re ugly, we don’t care because it doesn’t have anything to do with our music.”

Not just here to sing
Krissy and Ericka balance their work and studies at St. Paul Pasig. They are also youth ambassadors for the Red Cross and World Vision.

“We’re really involved with the community. We want people to see that we’re not just here to sing but we’re here also for love and peace,” says Ericka. “Sometimes other teens don’t see what we try to say, but we really want to make a difference. We’ve always been taught to be humble for the things that come our way.”

The two are also preparing for a life outside of the music and entertainment industry, should it come to that. Ericka has just recently taken the gruelling University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) and hopes to take up fashion design. Krissy, on the other hand, has her heart set on taking up Music Production abroad, preferably in the Juilliard School in New York.

For other young people looking to break into the industry, the sisters have pieces of advice to give: Know what you want. Have a good team around you. And lastly, try uploading a video on Youtube!

“We’d definitely recommend Youtube. It helped us a lot. If singing is what you like doing, why not show people what you can do?” ends Krissy.