Alumna Kiesza Appears on Letterman After Video Gets 60 Million Views

The success of Kiesza's video for "Hideaway" is the rarest, and most coveted, of phenomena for a relatively unknown artist. With nearly 60 million YouTube views, its a hit that's gone superviral, igniting the career of a could-be star and landing her in front of an open fire hydrant on David Letterman's show. 

Earlier this month, the Berklee alumna made her network television debut on Letterman's Late Show. While performing "Hideaway," Kiesza and dance crew boogied off-stage and out to the street, in a nod to the video, which features her busting moves through Brooklyn, New York. After a run through the spraying hydrant, Kiesza headed back in to finish the set, after which Letterman greeted her with "That was great!"

For Kiesza, who graduated in 2011 with a degree in professional music, it was a watershed experience. "After performing on the show, it really sunk in that the U.S. was embracing my music. It was a really special moment," she said in an email interview last week while on tour in Europe. 

As for the runaway success of her "Hideaway" video, Kiesza said, "I don't have any explanation as to how or why the video went viral. Something about the video makes people want to create their own versions of it, so maybe the fact that it engages people so much has something to do with it going viral. It has been a very surreal experience so far." 

The fact that the song is a legit earworm can't hurt, either. And Kiesza credits Berklee with helping her develop the ability to write music. 

"Berklee brought me together with people I could work and collaborate with," said said. "I think working together with people really helped me grow as a songwriter."