Krystal has the job that millions of young people can only dream about: Every night the 19-year-old singer takes the stage as the opening act for the Backstreet Boys on their world tour.
"I feel really lucky when I see that there are a lot of other girls that would like to be in my place," Krystal gushes.
Being in Krystal's place not only means nightly hugs and inspirational huddles from BSB heartthrobs Kevin Richardson and A.J.McLean, it also means having the privilege of being the first artist signed to the new record label that the Boys are creating in conjunction with their management company, The Firm.
Krystal was brought to Richardson's attention by a longtime friend of both parties, Jonathon "Mooky" Murant. Richardson, who says Krystal "has a voice like an angel," decided that the young singer should be the premier act on their still-unnamed label after hearing her demo tape.
Krystal was in awe of being taken under the BSB wing. "It was like, 'Wow, an artist like that can take a personal interest in an artist like me who's unknown?' It's a blessing," she says. "It can make you feel good that somebody thinks that the music you do is good enough to back!"
This is no overnight Cinderella story, despite Krystal's young age. The only child of musician parents, she's been singing for almost as long as she's been talking. Her parents always encouraged her to pursue her musical dreams.
"They're totally supportive," she says. "They raised me up to do this."
While it's been a relatively smooth ride so far, in the two short weeks since Krystal's been on the road with the Black & Blue World Tour, the gossip mill has wasted no time linking her romantically to one of her BSB mentors.
"I've already heard that I'm supposed to be hooked up with Nick [Carter]!" she says in disbelief.
The positive experiences have outweighed the bad, however, and she says she's been received with "open arms" from the fans, whom she prefers to call "friends."
"It alleviates the pressure because people are really welcoming me and it just enables me to be myself and bring whatever I have to the people!" she says.
This show of love and support has inspired her to set a goal for the future.
"I would love to do for other artists what the Boys have done for me — which is put backing behind an artist I really believe has what it takes to make a difference in people's lives," she notes.
Considering her own seeming ability to make her dreams come true, the title of Krystal's first single from her forthcoming CD, Me and My Piano, seems appropriate: "Supergirl."
"Sure I feel like Supergirl! How could you not?" she says. "I believe personally there's a Supergirl inside of every woman to do whatever her dream is and fulfill it."
