Becoming famous on the Internet may not be a new phenomenon, but it can still be unnerving. "People know who I am from MySpace, which is really, really weird," says 19-year-old model-turned-singer Cassie. Not that she minds the attention. The self-described extrover, who is of Filipino, Mexican, and West Indian descent, started her page last year to help promote her catchy R&B ditty, "Me & U". Over 115,000 friends worth of Internet buzz later, Cassie won the attention of major record labels. Having already inked a management deal with Tommy Mottola, the singer signed with P. Diddy and Bad Boy Records, who will release her debut in August.

Along with her executive producer, Ryan Leslie, Cassie credits MySpace and her blog (cassie.ns4life.com) for helping her break through. "People really get to read and feel what I am naturally going through. That's what they want to see, what they usually can", she says. "I'm not trying to be cool and sexy, I'm straight out of Connecticut!"

Of course, as a model since the age of 12, Cassie is long used to the spotlight. After graduating from a 300-student private school, she bought a one-way ticket to New York in 2004, putting her college plans on hold to pursue bigger modeling gigs. With her distinctive look, Cassie appeared in major ad campaigns for adidas, Target, and Abercrombie & Fitch, as well as in the pages of this magazine in a swimsuit fashion spread (April/May 2005). Cassie shared an apartment with her best friend, another model, and enjoyed the 8th & Ocean lifestyle, in downtown Manhattan. "I got all the partying out of my system when I moved to New York," she says.

Nowadays, the brunette is focusing her energy on her burgeoning music career. Performing live provides a rush that modeling can. "People were singing along, it was crazy," says Cassie of her first live show in the U.S. "I got off stage and never felt happier.It's a heady time for the photogenic singer, but there remains one thing that gets under her skin. "I really hate when a song comes on at the club, and everyone screams," she says. It's a pet peeve she'll need to get used to when the screams are for her.

Georgette Cline