TRENDING

Piper Rockelle wants to be clear: She doesn't consider herself famous.

"Honestly, I try not to think too hard about it," the 14-year-old admits of her astronomical social media following (which, as of this moment, is over 20 million fans across platforms). "It almost doesn't make sense." But that's the thing about social media celebs: The fans choose who's a superstar, not the other way around. And for more than five years now, they've *definitely* picked Piper.

From her YouTube presence, it's easy to see why so many followers adore her: She's bold, energetic, optimistic and brutally honest. Though Piper confesses to being slightly more hype online, sitting across from her in a Los Angeles photo studio, Piper's basically the same—though, self-admittedly, a bit more reserved. "I love meeting new people, but I'm a little shy sometimes. I get better after I've talked to them for a while. That's something that a lot of people don't know about me."

Growing up in Georgia, Piper worked hard to excel in dance competitions and talent pageants. But with main character energy and an ~occasional~ flair for the dramatic (she's a Leo, duh), Piper soon branched out from the local stage to the YouTube screen.

Only a year into posting, she experienced her very first viral success. "I put up a video where I was freaking out that I broke my leg on a hike, but I really just fell and scraped it," she explains. "It got like 4 million views. It was completely shocking."

From there, Piper tried tons of trends, from slime tutorials to lip-syncing on Musical.ly (aka TikTok's predecessor). She even starred as spunky lead Sky on the first few seasons of the Brat TV series MANI.

But as Piper grew from a sassy, outgoing kid to a smart, relatable teen, it was her YouTube presence that caught everyone's attention. And there, Piper wasn't playing any character: She was simply being herself. "I think people watch my videos to just relax and have fun," Piper says when asked to reflect on her fandom. "My content is funny and crazy and weird."

It's true: Through her vids, tweens and teens stuck at home studying can live vicariously in a world where they hang with their BFFs 24/7, go on vacations with their crushes and pretty much constantly get pranked or head out on a spontaneous adventure (P.S. Piper does do HW, too: "I make time for home-school in the early mornings and later at night," she says of her jam-packed sched.)

Piper also gets real on her channel, opening up to viewers about her body image struggles, bestie breakups and dealing with haters. As a result, fans feel part of her journey: There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Insta accounts devoted to supporting Piper's specific BFFships and crushes. And Piper isn't afraid to let the world into the truth of those relationships.

"I don't like drama personally, but people on the internet seem to love it," she admits. "I think that's what draws them in. They love the friendship and the ups and the downs." And, she quickly adds, "They love my dog, Frank!" Naturally, Piper's pug is a star, too, with frequent comedy voiceovers in her videos and an Insta account with over 600,000 followers.

But Piper's path hasn't always been paved with good vibes: Over the years, her huge following has brought a lot of attention, not all of it positive. "I think about 3% of people who watch are haters or just want to make fun of it," she says of her ever-growing view count.

When Piper was younger, her mom isolated her from the negativity (Piper never read her own messages or comments), but now that she's in control of her own social media, it's tougher to stay in the dark.

"I can definitely get too much in my head about it sometimes," she admits of scrolling through negative posts. "I'll think, 'Maybe I shouldn't be doing this anymore if, like, this many people don't enjoy it.'"

But as Piper's friends and family have told her, haters can be motivators, too. "They're obviously watching it, so they enjoy something about it," she adds with a nervous laugh. "Maybe they enjoy making fun of it, but it's OK, let them do that. They clearly have something going on in their own life."

Her own IRL crew is what gets her through it, including go-to girls Jenna Davis, Emily Dobson and Elliana Walmsley, plus her BF Lev Cameron—all social media stars in their own right. "It's very difficult to find amazing people who truly care about you. I'm so grateful for that," Piper shares.

She's dealt with fake friends in the past. "If someone's always asking to do a TikTok with me or to tag them in a post on Insta, it's a red flag," Piper says. But right now, her squad is stronger than ever. "Those people who you can just be chill with and know that they truly care about how you're doing? That's everything," she says.

This month, Piper heads back out on tour, even going to the U.K. for the first time. ("I'm so excited to sightsee with my friends, but I'm kind of nervous for the long flights.")

Alongside her travels, she'll be digging into her passion projects, from the relaunch of her casual-cute clothing line BBY to her original music. Since the release of her hit singles "Butterflies" and "Yesterday" (together, they have over 6 million streams on Spotify), Piper's been working hard in vocal lessons.

"Obviously, I'm not the best singer in the world," she confesses, "but I love to make music that's upbeat and that you can dance to." One recent big accomplishment? Gaining the courage to sing onstage during her tour. "Knowing I had my fandom's support def helped me with my nerves," she shares.

And, of course, she's going to keep innovating on social media. Piper isn't trying to imitate any other influencer ("I love Emma Chamberlain, but it's because she does her own thing," she explains) and is content to keep charting her own path.

So whether she's taking on her biggest dreams, planning high-key hilarious pranks with her besties or going all in on her love of pets in need ("my mom and I have rescued like 70 animals. I currently have multiple dogs, cats, a hamster, a turtle, a bird and a fish," she says), one thing's for sure: Life with Piper *never* gets boring. And, tbh, we're pretty glad we're all invited along for the ride.

Hey, girl! Just wanted to let you know that this story originally ran in our February/March 2022 issue. Want more? Read the print mag for free *today* when you click HERE.

Credits: Photographed by Sean Scheidt. Story by Katherine Hammer. Styled by Lo VonRumpf. Hair by Heather Weppler for Exclusive Artists using Kevin Murphy. Makeup by Phillip Nathaniel. Story edited for digital coverage by Kathleen O'Neill. GIF via Giphy.

by Katherine Hammer | 3/1/2022