Hot on YouTube: Sam Tsui

Sam Tsui is best known for covering and performing songs by popular artists such as Adele, Britney Spears, Jay Sean, and Bruno Mars, as well as original medleys and mashups.

He grew up a street away from Kurt Schneider, his producer and accompanist. Collaborations between Sam and Kurt began in high school with an electronic keyboard, primitive recording equipment, and GarageBand. Both attended Yale University, and there a musical partnership developed. They have produced videos ranging from covers and original medleys to the College Musical online series.

I first came across Sam’s a cappella medley of Michael Jackson hits. What started as dorm room fun for two tech-savvy Yale students became an Internet sensation. Sam was set to record with a female singer, but the woman flaked out at the last minute.

Instead of canceling the recording, Kurt suggested Sam sang every part separately. They then used some digital magic to piece it together into a creative illusion. In the video, which has gotten more than 30 million hits on YouTube, Sam sings the lead vocals, backup and accompaniment parts.

As of October 1, 2012, Sam’s YouTube channel has garnered over 23 million total views and 230 thousand subscribers. The most viewed video is Just a Dream, a duet with Christina Grimmie, with more than 50 million views.