Feels Like 2021

TikTok has taken the world by storm over the past year and continues to catapult individuals to fame. Kelianne Stankus is no exception. “I started making videos at the very beginning with my two best friends, Tayler Holder and Nate Wyatt. It took off from there, and it’s been a crazy roller-coaster ride,” she says.

Before Stankus became a TikTok star, she was a competitive gymnast with a dream. “When I was 18, I stopped competing in acrobatic gymnastics. I decided I wanted to move to L.A. with my best friend and tackle this entertainment world,” she explains. “I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, like where I wanted to land, but I want to do everything.” Combining her love of gymnastics and dance on the popular app has provided Stankus an array of opportunities, including signing with United Talent Agency (UTA) for worldwide representation in all areas. “I’d always wanted to sign with one of the best agencies. My team and my agents over there are absolutely incredible,” she adds.

On December 8th, together with Holder and Wyatt, Stankus released a holiday song, “Feels Like Christmas,” launching her career in music. “I’m going to be releasing my own solo music. Currently, I’ve been in the studio, been in writing sessions, and just been working on my music to find my sound and what I want to do, what I want to write about,”she shares.

Moreover, thanks to her and her team’s innovative thinking, Stankus also hints that you may see her acting soon. “We like to think about longevity and think about the future for me, not just the here-and-now,” she says, referring to the plans that have been discussed. “We plan on taking this down the long road and growing my brand to something bigger and better.” On top of that, she has recently debuted her own merch line – By Kelianne – as an addition to the empire she is building. This coming year, she is determined “to live it up, to do everything that I’ve wanted to do and actually go out and do it.”

As a matter of fact, this all started in a time of isolation due to the coronavirus crisis, when we did not know if we’d even have a vaccine, whether any therapeutics would work, and whether we’d ever emerge from the shadow of the biggest pandemic of our lifetime. “The fact that I am with my agency now, the fact that I’m even able to release music and people can respond and listen to it, and even where I live – everything has brought me here, where I am today, with so many opportunities, and I’m very grateful and thankful for it,” Stankus says. “It’s definitely taught me not to take things for granted because they can be taken away. Thank you to everyone for supporting me, sharing their kind words with me, it’s been so overwhelming with all the love. I just want to say thank you to everyone out there.”

Writer: Savannah Dial

Photographer & Videographer: Haldane Morris

Editor: Eiko Watanabe

Special thanks to EPK Media (@myepk & @epkmedia - epkmedia.com)