Lilly Singh

Lilly Singh – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Explore the inspiring life and career of Lilly Singh, the Canadian comedian, YouTuber, television host, and author. Learn how she rose to fame, her key achievements, personal challenges, and memorable quotes that show her mindset.

Introduction

Lilly Singh (born September 26, 1988) is a Canadian entertainer best known for her comedic YouTube persona IISuperwomanII, her late-night talk show, motivational speaking, and her role as a trailblazer for South Asian representation in digital media.

Starting from posting comedic videos in 2010, she built a global following and used her platform not just for laughs, but to discuss identity, mental health, empowerment, and authenticity.

In this article, we’ll trace her early life, ascent into digital fame, expansion into television and writing, her values and challenges, and close with some of her best quotes.

Early Life and Family

Lilly Singh was born and raised in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

She has an older sister, Tina Singh, who also creates content online.

She attended Mary Shadd Public School for her elementary years, and later Lester B. Pearson Collegiate Institute, graduating in 2006. York University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.

During her youth, she battled with depression and used creativity as a coping mechanism.

Youth and Early Creative Beginnings

While pursuing psychology in university, Lilly was contemplating grad school (as expected by her family), but she also nursed a growing creative drive.

In October 2010, she launched her YouTube channel under the name IISuperwomanII.

Over time, her content evolved to interweave motivational and personal topics—including mental health, relationships, cultural identity, and empowerment.

She also created a “Superwoman Vlogs” channel (later renamed) to provide behind-the-scenes glimpses of her daily life.

Her early growth was organic: as views and subscribers grew, she reinvested in better production, collaborated with others, and leveraged trends.

She also starred in small roles in local productions (for example, background dancer roles) early in her career.

Career and Achievements

YouTube Breakthrough & Unicorn Island

By mid-2010s, Lilly had become one of the top YouTube creators in Canada and globally, amassing millions of subscribers and billions of views.

In 2015–2016, she went on her first world tour, titled A Trip to Unicorn Island, blending her online content with live performances, storytelling, music, dance, and audience interaction.

In 2017, she published her first book, How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life, which became a New York Times bestseller. Be a Triangle, in 2022.

Television & Expansion

In 2019, NBC announced that Lilly would host a late-night talk show, A Little Late with Lilly Singh, which debuted on September 16, 2019.

On her show, she blended celebrity interviews, comedy sketches, and personal commentary.

Lilly also ventured into acting roles: she appeared in Dollface (Hulu) as “Liv”, and in The Muppets Mayhem on Disney+. Canada’s Got Talent in 2022.

In addition, she has ongoing deals in TV and film development via her production banner, Unicorn Island Productions.

She also is involved in philanthropic initiatives, campaigns, and creative experiments—leveraging her platform to support causes and amplify voices.

Awards, Recognition & Influence

• She has been featured in Forbes and Time for her influence and innovation.

• She has won multiple Streamy Awards, People’s Choice Award, MTV Fandom Award, and received nominations (e.g. Daytime Emmys, Canadian Screen Awards).

• She is recognized as a pioneer among South Asian creators, especially as one of the first prominent Indian-descent women in English-language comedy and digital media platforms.

• Her #GirlLove campaign, launched to combat girl-on-girl negativity and promote female support, has become one of her signature initiatives.

Historical & Cultural Context

Lilly Singh’s rise coincided with the democratization of creative media through platforms like YouTube, allowing marginalized voices to build audiences without traditional gatekeepers.

As a woman of South Asian heritage in mostly Western-centric spaces, she navigated stereotypes, cultural expectations, and issues around representation. In interviews she has spoken about being both advantaged (standing out) and pigeonholed by her identity.

Her openness about mental health—especially as a person from a culture where such topics are stigmatized—helped normalize discussions among her audience.

By bringing humor, personal vulnerability, and social commentary together, she contributed to a model of creators who entertain and reflect.

Her transition into television, publishing, and production shows how digital creators can cross into traditional media while retaining voice and vision.

Legacy and Influence

Although still active and evolving, Lilly Singh has already left a notable legacy:

• She expanded the idea of what a YouTuber / digital creator can become—moving into mainstream media while maintaining authenticity.

• She opened doors for South Asian and women creators to claim space in comedy, hosting, and storytelling.

• Her blending of entertainment and empowerment has influenced how creators address identity, mental health, and community.

• Through campaigns like #GirlLove and by speaking openly about depression and identity, she has encouraged audiences to be kind, resilient, and self-aware.

• Her books provide frameworks for personal growth and ambition, used by many fans as guides beyond her performances.

Personality, Style & Approach

Lilly is known for a blend of high energy, wit, self-deprecation, vulnerability, and motivational insight. Her performances often mix humor with sincerity—she makes people laugh and reflect.

Her style is also hands-on: she often writes, shoots, edits, and conceptualizes her own content. As she has described, she acts as her own boss, editor, shooter, and writer—learning through trial and error.

In public appearances and on her talk show, she brings her personal stories and perspectives, often unpacking taboos or societal pressures with candor.

She also emphasizes relatability: pointing out that she shares imperfections, bad days, insecurities—and that people connect when they see themselves in others.

Her creative process is fast-paced and iterative: many of her videos are written, shot, and edited in a single day.

Famous Quotes by Lilly Singh

Here are several quotes that reflect Lilly Singh’s mindset and philosophy:

“Life is designed to knock you down. It will knock you down time and time again, but it doesn’t matter how many times you fall — it matters how many times you get back up.”

“Happiness is the only thing worth fighting for in life.”

“Maybe the purpose in life is just to live.”

“Dreams are made of your potential.”

“Think of discomfort as currency — it’s the price you pay to learn some pretty crucial things.”

“Say what you mean, but don’t say it mean.”

“I’m my own boss, my own editor, my own shooter, my own writer … failing at a lot of things has taught me how to succeed at them eventually … you roll with the punches.”

“A big part of depression is feeling really lonely, even if you’re in a room full of a million people.”

“It’s really important to talk to yourself and look at yourself in the mirror and love who you are.”

“The number one thing I want my videos to be is relatable.”

These reflect themes of resilience, authenticity, self-love, ownership of one’s craft, and confronting inner struggles.

Lessons from Lilly Singh

From Lilly Singh’s journey, there are several actionable lessons:

1. Be consistent and persistent. She built her career slowly, uploading regularly, experimenting, and evolving.

2. Own your voice. She stayed true to herself—her cultural identity, imperfections, and perspectives—rather than trying to mimic others.

3. Mix entertainment and meaning. She pairs humor with deeper reflections, showing that creators can uplift as well as amuse.

4. Fail fast, learn quickly. Her description of being her own editor, shooter, etc., shows she embraced trial and error.

5. Vulnerability is strength. By speaking about depression, insecurity, and identity, she humanized her platform and connected deeply with her audience.

6. Empower others. Through campaigns like #GirlLove and her social messages, she leveraged her influence to promote community, kindness, and support for others.

Conclusion

Lilly Singh’s story is one of transformation: from a young woman navigating cultural expectations and inner challenges, to a global creator, author, and media personality. Her career trajectory—not confined to any single medium—demonstrates how creativity, authenticity, and grit can open doors across platforms.

She challenges her audience to be resilient, self-aware, and kind to themselves and others. Her voice continues to evolve, yet always rooted in the conviction that every person has value and that stories—funny, hard, personal—can change perspectives.