A MODEL who has graced the pages of top glamour magazines is hoping to start a new career - as an R&B pop princess.

And Mary Habiba Davidson - otherwise known as Mary HD - will be keeping up her glitzy lifestyle when she flies to New York this summer to record a single with revered producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins.

The American, who has worked with Mariah Carey and Mary J Blige, decided to link up with the former pupil at Beardwood High School, Blackburn, after spotting her modelling profile on social networking website MySpace.

Mary, 25, appeared in magazines Bliss, Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Vogue before switching to music earlier this year and touring Eastern Europe with dance act Uniting Nations.

She said: "I did a demo for Darkchild in Manchester and sent it over and he said I had it poppin'.

"Then I started recording with a producer who has worked with Jamelia and Sugababes and then Uniting Nations contacted me."

The former model, of Brookhouse, Blackburn, says she loves all kinds of music and she is excited about her latest career move.

She added: "It is fantastic for me. It is overwhelming but I think everything happens for a reason.

"I started writing songs at eight or nine and it progressed but I never thought that I would be a singer.

"It is all going well but this year everything is happening so fast, it is all just bang, bang, bang."

And despite being a proud Lancastrian, Mary admits she'd be happy to move to America "as long as my mum's looked after".

Angela de Fouw, Mary's former modelling manager at Altrincham-based ADF Management, said: "I would expect her to be a recognised talent in a year's time.

"If you become a singer and you happen to be beautiful too it is no disadvantage.

"I really do think she can go all the way."