AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin singer is gaining attention online for showing off her talents.

Kya Monee' is a 19-year-old R&B singer who has graced the mic with her voice since the age of 4. Today, after several videos of her singing went viral on social media, Monee' is hoping to take her career to the next level.

"When I first started TikTok, I only had like 20 followers," she said. "Now I'm almost up to 300,000." 

She said she's loved singing since being inspired by her own American idols.

"Seeing them move around the stage and having different places that they go sing," she said. "Studying Jennifer Hudson and seeing all the stuff she's done and watching Fantasia on 'American Idol,' I thought, 'I want to perform because Fantasia performs.'"

Hudson and Fantasia were both contestants on the third season of "American Idol," which Fantasia went on to win. Though she was a little young to see them at their start, Monee' was inspired by their careers that followed, starting with​​ Hudson's performance in the movie "Dreamgirls." She studied Hudson and Fantasia's Idol run before eventually taking a shot at the Idol stage herself.

"It was something achieving because I watched Fantasia," she said. "She was 19 when she went. When I went, I was 19 also, so just having that, it made me more confident in myself."

Monee' earned that golden ticket just like her own idols before her, a feat that takes tons of talent on its own. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to make it quite as far as Hudson or Fantasia, and the disappointment from that was only made worse by the death of a close friend and supporter. However, she said through it all, she still finds the strength to move forward with her career. 

"Music is my healing, that's what helps me heal," she said. "I got through that because of my music, putting my feelings on paper."

She hopes to share those feelings with the public as soon as she works on releasing a new album with Austin label Tap Out Records. Follow her @0fficialkyamonee on TikTok and Instagram to hear more.