We had the chance to meet French-Lebanese pop artist Lea Makhoul who will be opening for pop icon Jennifer Lopez at the Dubai Autism Rocks Arena on November 17.

Makhoul, who first rose to fame as a participant in Star Academy 3 years ago, has been performing across the region, making waves as an up-and-coming act not to be underestimated. 

A former full-time school teacher, she's now solely focused on making music and following her dreams. Absolutely stoked about being J-Lo's opening act, Makhoul told StepFeed that she still cannot believe the news. 

"I got the news by phone! and I still can not believe it!" said Makhoul. 

She is promising her fans a fresh show, one that will feature her latest track 'Paradise,' which is a summer-inspired tune that has amassed 700K YouTube views and counting.

Makhoul's passion for what she does is obvious, and one can tell that  she's well on her way to becoming a great artist. 

On pre-performance rituals, she told us she only focuses on staying calm. 

Hoping to surprise her fans, Makhoul will be releasing her first original Arabic track on the 22nd November, which is also Lebanon's Independence Day. 

Here's a snippet:

"Being with Universal has been amazing, I am blessed to have an incredible team trying to support me and always looking out for me to perform in the region," Makhoul said about her record label, Universal Mena.

She prefers Instagram to any other social media outlet and reads all of her fans comments, the good and the bad.

Lea Makhoul will be the Red Bull opening act on November 17.