Since the release of her single “Naked” two years ago, dance-pop artist Consuelo Costin has been burning up the charts. “Naked” was on the Billboard Charts for 16 weeks, reaching #11. Next came “Feel So Alive”; it spent 21 weeks on the charts and earned her the title as Billboard’s #2 Breakout Artist. Now, “Here We Go” is proving to be an international sensation—top 40 on all German Dance Charts, #11 on the UK Music Week Charts, and #3 on the Polish DJ Charts. The singer also just signed a deal for distribution in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland. What’s next? It’s the highly anticipated release of her first solo album, Just Me.

Costin credits her musicality to a wide variety of influences, the first, though, is probably family vacations in the Caribbean. The soulful sound of Reggae artists, such as Buju Banton, along with the freedom, warmth, and vibrancy of island culture were a revelation.

“I remember visiting a wonderful village in Montego Bay. Inside the village market there were six of the most outrageous, colorful, and vibrant Jamaican women dancing. They brought me into the circle with them and taught me how to dance—how to feel the music—because I had never been exposed to this type of genre before. It was a huge moment in my life and it transformed me.”

A deep love for island culture draws her back often. In fact, she chose to celebrate the 2013 New Year on the beautiful island of Barbados, at the home of one of her long-time friends.

As her journey to become a recording artist unfolded, those island experiences helped Costin open up stylistically—to reach deep and draw from a more soulful place. Big life moments also influenced that journey. At the age of 19, Costin was involved in a devastating car accident that smashed the left side of her face. Thanks to the support of her mother, she was back on her feet a year later, with renewed determination and focus. The only evidence of that accident is a small dimple christened an “angel’s kiss.” A year after that, she signed her first contract. Soon, however, her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The singer wrote “Better Days” as a tribute to her mother and her journey—a song the American Cancer Society ended up licensing. Proceeds from another single, “Find A Way,” were donated to the Ovarian Cancer Coalition of Greater California, where she continues to give back as the organization’s Vice President. Proceeds from numerous performances at fundraising events all went to charity.

When it comes to her music, Costin trusts both her intuition and a very talented support team. Her latest single, “Here We Go,” has an amazing and contagious hook. While in development, they chose to test it out on the European market, because of the strong, positive response to her recent tour. It was a validating moment she will never forget: “I was performing on this phenomenal boat in the French Riviera with my dancers, and the people listening went insane for the song. Crazy.” Then, an opportunity to launch the single in Germany came around. The video was released at the same time. Costin was featured on Rockin Berlin—a popular show on Pro7, one of Germany’s largest networks. It was basically a day in the life of an international artist trying to break into their market. Cameras followed her around, as she prepared for a live performance, finding a studio, working with a new choreographer, etc. The show was a hit and garnered the station’s highest ratings in its 17-year history.

Costin embraces the responsibility across all areas of her vast career as a recording artist and as an entrepreneur. She writes most of her lyrics and has launched her own label, C & R Productions, which handles distribution and territory deals. “It’s a very interesting time in social media. Being your own best advocate is the only way to go. If you can start your own label, own your own masters, have the creative control to be the kind of artist you want to be—it’s extraordinary, what you can do.” The experience in Germany with Rockin Berlin reinforced her belief that there was a strong need in the industry for a trusted and reliable “black book” of resources that artists could access. Work is now almost complete on this new venture, which she developed with business partner Umi McGuckin. Called SohoMuse, the website is scheduled to launch in 2014, it is positioned as the industry’s “Trusted Source for Creativity.” At the same time, Costin will be embracing a new role, as television co-host on RTL Network’s exclusive Das Starmagazin segment covering the Oscars.

Balancing daily life, a viral solo career, and several new business opportunities, is a challenge Consuelo Costin handles with grace. Away from the limelight she has a refreshing, down-to-earth attitude and a great sense of humor. “I’m a little bit quirky and love to laugh. I have a white Pomeranian named Bugsy Malone and a beautiful husband who makes everything real. I feel blessed every day.” Check out her new album, appropriately called Just Me.

For more information on Consuelo Costin go to www.costinmusic.com or www.sohomuse.com.