Alexa Goddard: Meet Jay Z's Newest ROC Nation Recruit

With over 44 million hits on YouTube and a contract with Jay Z's ROC Nation label to add to her résumé, we find out everything you'd need to know about Brit-born singer Alexa Goddard.

25-year-old Alexa Goddard hails from Camberley in Surrey and is Jay Z's newest protégée. We had a chat with her to get the lowdown on what it's like being the next big thing.

Here are a few things you need to know about Alexa: Before the glitz and glamour, she did her fair share of 9-5s.

'I worked as a care worker which I loved and I had a job in a cafe for a little while just to earn some pennies, but really it's been music the whole time, that's always been my main focus.'

She finds being away from home one of the hardest parts of her job.

'Being 18 and away from home was a real shock to the system, but it's done me so good because, though I'm always going to miss home, I've had that experience and it's set me up for what's to come.'

She made sure Jay Z knew who she was…

'I was at a party, looked over and thought: no, that's not Jay is it!? It felt far too surreal for me to be at the same party as him. But there he was, sat with Beyoncé. It got to the end of the party and everybody was leaving... Jay went to walk passed and I grabbed him. Well, not grabbed him but got his attention and introduced myself. Even now, it still doesn't feel real.'

X-Factor crossed her mind, but she chose to get noticed on YouTube instead.

'The YouTube scene just felt a bit more right for me. I wanted to say that I done it myself. It's a nice, satisfying feeling that my career started from my room with my fluffy headphones and it built up gradually.'

She hasn't let her newfound success go to her head.

Referring to the massive response she got from her rendition of 'Turn My Swag On' on YouTube, she said: 'I definitely didn't expect for that to happen, it was very exciting. I was well excited when I got 50 views! Even if 40 of them was my mum!'

She's not a diva.

'I was at an awards ceremony after party the other day and I felt like a real pop star, and then I come home and my naughty chihuahuas had peed all over the floor and I'm clearing up after them. So, I have such a normal life outside of the music. I love normal things, love spending time with my family and friends. It's keeping that balance that keeps me grounded.'

Her first single 'Marilyn' is about making a statement.

'When I first heard it I fell in love with it, and I love the message that it gives. For me it's all about wanting to stand out from the crowd and not being afraid to embrace who you are. It's a great statement to make. For people who don't know me as an artist, it's a good way of them getting to me know me.'

She can't live without a pair of 'kicks'. 'I cannot live without trainers. There's nothing nicer than popping on a nice comfy pair of kicks, especially if I've been wearing high heels all day.'

Her style is ' a bit crazy'.

'I'm a bit obsessed with 90s hip-hop culture and absolutely adore Aaliyah's style with the baggy denim and the cropped tops. She was always so cool and effortless. I love Rihanna's style. I love how one day she can be tomboy, the next day she can be a glamour queen, then the next day she can be naked and she kills it every time!'

She's a little bit obsessed with concealer.

'I think I own about 20 different types. It's handy for helping to cover tired eyes - and of course the odd naughty pimple that pops up.'

Alexa Goddard will be performing at this year's Wireless Festival, 4 - 6 July.

Watch Alexa's new single 'Marilyn' below, due for August 17.