YouTube stars Brooklyn and Bailey coming to Palatine

When identical twins Brooklyn and Bailey McKnight try a new hairstyle, break up with a boyfriend, get asked to homecoming or have their wisdom teeth pulled, 10 million people follow along on social media.

This week, those fans will follow the 17-year-old YouTube stars as they travel to Palatine for their live, all-ages show Thursday at Durty Nellie's where they'll sing and interact with the audience. Teen singers Ashlund Jade and Chicagoan Maddi Jane also will perform.

It's one of the first stops on Brooklyn and Bailey's nationwide tour, done in partnership with the United Nations Foundation's Girl Up campaign. The global initiative empowers young women to support each other.

That's something the Texas twins do on their various social media channels, posting positive, perky, clean-cut photos and videos about fashion, music, crafts, comedy and their lives as American teenagers.

"Our followers, they're just kids like us, who are growing up. Teenagers who can relate to us. It's a good platform for positivity. And they bring positivity as well," Brooklyn said.

On Sept. 27, Brooklyn posted a heartfelt video about being dumped by her longtime boyfriend and talked about crying for days, leaning on friends for support and finding a way to move on with a positive outlook. It's garnered nearly 3 million views and 18,000 supportive comments.

"I feel like they're my friends and I wanted to let them know what's going on in my life," she said.

Brooklyn and Bailey have been on camera since they were little kids, modeling for their mom's Cute Girls Hairstyles YouTube channel. Fans watched them grow up online, and soon they branched off to start their own channel, quickly acquiring millions of followers and becoming powerful social media influencers. After Bailey dyed her hair pink, she met with fans a short time later and found many had done the same.

"Then, when I washed it out they were so sad about it," she said, laughing.

This fall, the girls debuted their own line of "merch," which included shirts and backpacks. The items sold out in just a few weeks. They'll be restocking and expanding that line soon and launching a line of mascara in the spring of 2018. The product is a natural fit, since they're known for their striking blue eyes.

While being on camera and living public lives can be taxing at times, neither Brooklyn nor Bailey ever considered quitting.

"It's a large responsibility, but one we feel blessed for," Brooklyn said.