By Melina Paris and Terelle Jerricks
[Editor’s Note: The print edition included a mis-attributed quote to TONI that has been deleted in the online version of the story.]

YouTube views for unsigned independent music artists are probably a better measure than Nielsan Soundscan in determining the likeability of a song. It is the one measure that doesn’t discriminate according to whether you’re signed to a label or have distribution deal.

True, there are some variables to consider, such as how many of an artist’s singles are on the YouTube under a single account, the general online virility of the music video itself. In the most recent edition of Random Lengths News ran a feature on Carson R&B singer Tenelle Luafalemana and her debut single Bulletproof, which garnered 45,000 views in about a month. Around that same period of time, San Pedro singer-songwriter TONI caught our attention with 35,000 views during the same time period. But when we got ready to interview her for this story, the views on her single, “All I Want Is You,’”had rocketed from 35,000 views to 105,000. The change happened in less than a week.