Us The Duo share the love on 'America's Got Talent'

SCREEN CAPTURE / YOUTUBE

Us the Duo is made up of Michael and Carissa Rae Alvarado of Claremont, Calif.

AMERICA'S GOT TALENT, may be the big break that Us the Duo needs to launch them into stardom.

I've been following Us the Duo,  Michael and Carissa Rae Alvarado, for a couple of years. They have been performing together for over five years singing their songs throughout the world. Through their social media performances, they attracted talent scouts and secured a recording contract with Republic Records, a major label.

Though known for their cheery covers of contemporary pop songs, the folk-rock duo has pumped out three full-length studio albums and an EP since 2012.

The singing couple is recognized as one of the first acts to be signed to a major label following success on Vine. Although popular on social media, they've never really hit the really big Big-Time.  A month-long summer tour is booked. And they’ve accumulated 4.3 million followers on Facebook and 1.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, according to Billboard.  

They've got the looks (impossibly cute), the sound (indie pop plus standards) and their love for each other radiates through their performances. They've just been lacking the Big Break.

RELATED: Us the Duo sign record contract

All of that was on display last week on their audition night on AGT. With Michael on guitar and Filipina American Carissa on percussion, they sang the song they wrote for their wedding, "No Matter Where You Are."

“We want to start a family soon, so (winning) would actually make that dream come true,” Carissa said at the top of their performance, perhaps a clever strategy to pull at the judges' heartstrings.

Howie Mandel wasn't convinced.  "A little too coffee house," was his criticism. When is that a bad thing? Heidi Klum was an enthusiastic supporter and was the only one to give them a standing O. Mel B was on the bubble but in the end, gave them a vote of confidence. Usually cynical Simon Cowell liked them. He even smiled during their performance. 

“Well, I don’t agree. I love the chorus on the song. I like the fact you were playing the drums," said Cowell. "The fact that you did something original makes you stand out. We’re gonna remember you. This was a really good audition."

Watch their AGT performance below and then listen to their reaction. "No Matter Where You Are," was featured in the end credits of  Disney's animated hit, The Book of Life, for which another FilAm song-writing couple, Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, won an Oscar for Best Song.  If you want to hear the entire song of "No Matter Where You Are," click here.

America's Got Talent airs on NBC, on Tuesdays, 8 p.m. EDT, 7 p.m. Central.

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TGIF FEATURE: "Better Together" - Us The Duo

Michael and Carissa Rae Alvarado

US THE DUO is to Vine, what Justin Beiber is to Youtube. 

The southern California couple is just back from a tour of Southeast Asian including the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia, the singing duo is back home composing more music and arranging for future appearances.

Husband-and-wife, Michael and Carissa Rae Alvarado, recently signed with Republic Records, and hopefully doing through Vine, what the Beib did for YouTube.

The attractive pair breaks new ground for a platform that - up to now - was better known as a launching pad for comedy performers. Where YouTube-rs like Justin Bieber (Island Def Jam) and Karmin (Epic Records) paved the way several years ago for the likes of other acts who didn't have the entertainment industry connections, Us has the potential to do the same for other musicians who may turn to Vine.

"There's a universality to what they're doing, and I don't think there's a glass ceiling to it," says Nate Albert, Republic's senior VP of A&R, who first met with the duo in early January. "Their songs are like walking through the birth of their relationship, and it's really rare that you see something that has that level of earnestness to it. These are songs that everybody can relate to, but there's an elegance to how they do it." 

You've heard of Republic Records, right? Think Taylor Swift.

Part of their attraction for young people living in this cynical world is the couple's loving relationship and the genuine likability that comes through in their Internet performances. Their songs are a reflection of their relationship and viewers were able to watch their working and personal relationship grow online, culminating in their marriage.   Watch Michael's proposal to Carissa. Too impossibly cute! It's been Us the Duo ever since.

One of their Vine trademarks is that they only show half their faces as they sing.  "I wasn't wearing makeup one night, and Michael wanted to film a video and I was like, 'No I'm tired and I'm in my pajamas,'" she recalls. 

"We'd had a Vine account, but we never really too active on it," the Filipino/American told Billboard Magazine. "We tried to post funny Vines, but we're not comedians, so it didn't go over too well. But the six-second cover thing seemed to really take off and people seemed to like it."

Their online success is an example how new talent, with no previous experience, business connections, or relatives in the entertainment industry, are breaking into the music business -- which is the case for most people of color. As more people clicked on their videos (over 3 million on Vine) it led to press and media attention from Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Business Insider, Buzzfeed, iHeartRadio, an appearance on Good Morning America and then the record contract last year. Since then it has been tours and performances around the world. The Internet knows no boundaries.

Check out their website to find out if they are coming to your area. If you like the video below, you can hear and watch more of their music videos on YouTube.

Have a great weekend!