Superwoman - The Making Of A Social Media Star

The Internet’s favorite sensation Lilly Singh gets real about the lack of women in comedy and why there are absolutely no shortcuts to viral fame.

- Riddhi Chakraborty

LILLY SINGH COULD WELL BE CLARK KENT. THE SOCIAL MEDIA sensation who goes by the moniker of Superwoman has a quiet, dependable strength that Superman’s alter-ego is famous for. There’s also a sense of resilience that we’re not privy to when she’s on YouTube or onstage. It’s interesting that while the boisterous Superwoman was the one who saw methrough a lot in all the years I’d been a fan as a young adult, it’s Singh who makes the grander impression when we finally meet.

The Indo-Canadian YouTube sensation claims she’s more unicorn than human, and is effortlessly professional from the moment she arrives on the set for the cover shoot. For someone who has the world eating out of her hand, Singh is unfussy about everything (“A regular Margherita is good, thank you”) and rarely ever gives the dutiful support staff a chance to fuss over her.

Superwoman simmers just beneath the surface, making appearances between flashes of the camera and then again when a couple of pre-teen fans visit the set. It quickly becomes apparent that while Superwoman is the one with the powers, Singh is the true hero. “Superwoman is a performer,” she says when we sit down for a chat after the shoot. “Superwoman is onstage, so she’s super loud, super animated, never gets tired and never feels scared. Lilly... is the business owner. She does get nervous sometimes, she gets scared and she gets tired. So personality-wise they’re very similar but of course one is the performer and the other is the backbone of the business.”.”