Vancouver Games' first teen sensation? A singer VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -Even before the flame is lit, the Winter Olympics has its first teenage sensation: singer Nikki Yanofsky. Yanofsky is the voice behind "I Believe,'' the theme song of the Vancouver Olympics for national broadcaster CTV. The song was released two weeks ago, and then took off following the debut of a video during the broadcast of the NFL's Super Bowl on Sunday. It aired again Tuesday night during CTV's broadcast of "American Idol'' and by Thursday it was No. 1 on Canadian iTunes. Not a bad week, eh? Well, it gets better still: she turned 16 on Monday and on Friday night she's likely to be part of the opening ceremonies. While the Olympics are primarily a platform for athletes, other musical careers have been launched. In 2000, Nikki Webster soared above the opening ceremonies in Sydney when she was 13 and went on to become a singer and actress in her native Australia. Yanofsky has been a rising star since 2006, when she wowed a crowd of more than 100,000 at an international jazz festival in Montreal, her hometown. She has since performed with the likes of Celine Dion and Marvin Hamlisch, and recorded a song as part of an Ella Fitzgerald tribute album. She also recorded the song "Gotta Go My Own Way'' - from "High School Musical 2'' - in English and French as a bonus song on the worldwide version of the soundtrack CD and DVD. This spring, Yanofsky will release her first studio album, New to Me. Noted producer Phil Ramone worked with her on the album and on her recording of "I Believe.'' In addition to Yanofsky's English version of the song, Annie Villeneuve of Quebec recorded a French version, "J'Imagine,'' and a bilingual version. There's also a full-length instrumental by the song's composer, Stephan Moccio. "It's a global message put into one song that anybody can relate to, no matter what you're doing,'' Yanofsky told CTV." So it's really just like a good message.'' Olympic theme songs are usually popular during the games, then fade away. Yanofsky thinks her tune could be an exception. "Because of the message of it, it's not only for the Olympics,'' she said." I guess it's for everything. Hopefully it can have a life after the Olympics. I think it deserves to.'' The video is filled with clips of great Winter Olympics moments for Canada, including the voice of IOC president Jacques Rogge announcing, "the 21st Olympic Winter Games are awarded to the city of Vancouver.'' It also features background singers lined up in the shape of the interlocking Olympic rings logo. --Associated Press