'Idol' contender from LI a star on YouTube
Robbie Rosen was a typical Merrick teen whose life changed after a successful audition on "American Idol."
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Credit: YouTube.com
Although America may have just discovered him, Robbie Rosen is already a star of sorts - on the "RobbieRosenSings" channel of YouTube.
He sings the national anthem at an Islanders game. He auditions for "America's Got Talent." He wins Nassau County's 2009 Reach for the Stars talent search. He even plays with his cat, Eddie, and his dog, Cody.
But most of all, he sings and plays the piano. Rosen has an R&B-influenced style, similar to a young Justin Timberlake, that he controls very well throughout his wide vocal range, a sign of training and a whole lot of practice.
He clearly loves a good piano ballad - taking on John Legend's "Ordinary People" and Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting," as well as turning more upbeat pop songs such as Travie McCoy's "Billionaire" or Iyaz's "Replay" into more soulful showcases. He even sings Lil Wayne's rap verse in his version of Jay Sean's "Down."
The original songs he has on his MySpace page are similarly R&B-tinged piano pop, especially the breezy "Fallin' " and the more urban "Ride of Your Life."
"People have told me that my style reminds them of Stevie Wonder," he writes on his YouTube Channel. "That ain't bad for a Jewish white boy, huh?"
