What makes a superstar? You have to have talent, passion, ambition and the ability to utilize all three qualities in the face of obstacles and failures. Without a doubt, Jessi Malay is a superstar on the rise.

The former teen pop star is reemerging from a brief hiatus to begin her career as a solo artist. Campus Circle met with Malay to hear her story and find out what sets her apart from other artists today.

With song lyrics like “From Kors to Louis, ?I always stay bougie” in her new song “Bougie,” one might assume that Malay is some huge diva. However, the 27-year-old singer is anything but that. In fact, Malay is more down to earth than you could ever imagine.

When I arrived for the interview at her small office in North Hollywood, there was a welcoming air, and Malay was the warmest of all. She greeted me with a big smile and an even bigger hug the moment I walked through the door.

Within the first five minutes of my arrival, Malay and I realized that we had the same phone case and the same name for our dogs (her adorable Maltese pup Missy was trotting around the office). “We must be soul mates,” Malay said, giggling. Halfway through the interview, when Malay stopped everything so that we could properly gush about how Beyonce is the “real deal,” I began to think that she was right.

Malay is no stranger to the spotlight. When she was 14, she was a member of the widely popular girl group No Secrets. Malay’s experience under large label Jive Records gave the starlet an opportunity to learn how the music industry operates. “It was a very exciting growing process, and it really taught me a lot about how to work as a team, how to ring people in and patience,” she said.

However, when No Secrets broke up, Malay traded in her teen stardom for textbooks as she enrolled as a student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

“College was always really important to me,” she said. “I think my dad would have disowned me if I hadn’t gone to college at some point. I tried to, you know, get straight A’s, be super active with the social scene at school while still trying to pursue my career.”

Malay completed her freshman year at UCLA, and then she signed to Warner Bros. Records, taking a few years off from school to focus on her music career. Unfortunately, things did not take off as she had hoped.

“After four years at Warner Bros. with things just not going very well, I tore my ACL and had to have knee surgery,” said Malay. “During that time, I did some soul-searching and ended up negotiating out of my contract, so that I could be a free agent and decide where I wanted to go from there.”

Malay went back to school, graduating from UCLA in 2012 with a degree in World Arts and Cultures/Dance. For current college students, Malay gave solid advice about the importance of self-marketing:

“If you have an artistry, a business, anything you want to promote, do it. There are so many [viral] outlets these days that you can use. Don’t be afraid to be confident, and know that your product is good,” she urged.

Now that she’s finished with her studies, Malay is ready to take on the music industry, and this time, she’s calling the shots.

“With No Secrets, the labels ran the show,” recalled Malay. “We would just show up, do whatever the labels wanted us to do, and that was it. This time around, it’s been a treat, because we get to do everything from the ground up. I’m enjoying it a lot more this time around, being able to have creative control.”

Malay’s creative control manifested itself into her production company, The Coalition Group, which she co-runs with entrepreneur (and best friend) Luisa Iskin. The company recently produced the music video to Malay’s single “Bougie.”

She described her new sound as “eclectic.” It’s a combination of electro and pop-dance, with a touch of hip-hop and even a little bit of samba.

Between the recording, touring, performing and producing, Malay’s schedule is crazy. Even crazier though, is how normal the singer is in her everyday life.

In her free time, Malay catches up on “Dexter” and “Sons of Anarchy,” rocks out at Major Lazer and The Weeknd concerts, indulges in sushi and froyo, and is always excited for a day at the beach.

One of her biggest hobbies is exploring the sartorial world. “I’ve just always loved fashion,” said Malay. “It’s the easiest way to express yourself…you wake up in the morning and dress according to your mood!”

Her downtime endeavors are a lot less scandalous than most celebrities, and she managed to transition from teen sensation to young adult without breaking down like some young stars today. Malay credits a “great support system” for keeping her grounded and focused.

She’s already accomplished so much and shows no signs of slowing down. “In 10 years, I will have already toured the world stadium style,” predicted Malay. “My production company, The Coalition Group, will be full on producing blockbuster films, and I will have kids with my husband.”

Malay has what it takes to dominate the music industry. She has the talent, the ambition, and the passion, and she uses those skills correctly. Most importantly, Malay has a way to make someone she just met feel like her best friend, and that ability to connect with people is what will skyrocket her to superstardom.

Follow Jessi Malay on Twitter @jessimalay.