11-year-old Maria Aragon found fame in early 2011 when she posted a stellar cover of Lady Gaga‘s ‘Born This Way’ to her YouTube page, which eventually got her on the stage with the pop icon. Now, Maria is releasing some music of her own.

The super sweet Canadian youngster just wrapped her very first original song ever, which will appear on her forthcoming new album. “I wrote my first song the other day. I felt really happy because I’ve been trying to find something to influence me and inspire me but it just came to my head and then I wrote it,” the pre-teen told the Canadian Press.

Since appearing on stage with Gaga in Toronto, Maria’s career has blossomed — she has performed in public several times, starred in a GAP Kids commercial and even snagged a record deal in the Philippines. Her new album, which will be her second following a debut cover album, is about something very close to her, though she won’t say what exactly.

“I want to keep it a secret but it’s about something that’s really important to me,” Maria said. “I want the whole album to be about something that a lot of people can relate to.”

As she grows in her newfound fame (Maria says she gets recognized sometimes when she goes out), the young hopeful is doing whatever she can to keep herself grounded, including using her 22-year-old sister as her manager and making family decisions rather than solitary ones. Of course, being a celebrity has its ups and down, and often Maria is away from her home for long periods of time, but when it comes to sacrifice she’s wise beyond her years.

“If you want something, there’s something you need to sacrifice, like your time with people you love,” Maria commented. “In this past year my dreams have already come true. I just have been really blessed.”

More From 1025 KISS FM