Social media makes it possible for people to become famous at an incredibly young age instantly.
With the potential offered by social media, some young artists have become famous and built careers that can offer them good monetary rewards.
One such youngster who got instant fame is AJ Mitchell. AJ gained popularity as a multifaceted personality on many social media channels.
AJ is both a singer and a songwriter. He is also an accomplished piano player. He has this unique talent for writing his own songs, composing music, and singing them.
Though much is not known about the childhood of AJ, he revealed that his parents and other family members gave good encouragement in his youth.
“Really, there was nothing else that compared to my love for music. Before school, I would write songs. During school, I would think about music. After school, I would hop on the piano and start writing," Mitchell said.
Mitchell, who has a crystal-clear singing voice, began to hone it just out of pure love of participating in song, in melody.
His Rise to Stardom
AJ can be called a child prodigy. He started playing musical instruments like the piano when he was just five years old.
His mother, Allison Mitchell, is a small business owner, and his father, Aaron Fredrick Mitchell Sr, is a traveling nurse.
AJ is the couple's only son and youngest child, after their daughters Andrea and Addison (Addy).
While Mitchell's parents would “blast” Stevie Wonder, KISS, Enya, classical music, and other varieties around the house, it was listening to his dad write and play that sparked everything.
Mitchell began piano lessons at four, inspired by his father, who also learned to play piano and write songs.
Mitchell attended Belleville West High School, where he played on the football team and sang in the school choir.
To be a young artist in this industry, it is crucial to inspire both inside and outside the industry.
"I didn't want to learn how to read music. I just wanted to be more creative. I really loved The Beatles. So, we got a big old Beatles book with all the songs in it. We just learned a song a day or some days we would just mess around and just write our own songs," Mitchell said.
While his fame started to increase immediately after he posted his short videos on social media networks, it was only when he began writing and singing his own songs that his fame touched great heights.
When he started developing his own music videos, he posted them on the popular video-based social media channel YouTube.
He proceeded to gain a massive following in 2017 when he started posting clips of himself singing on YouTube and Instagram.
At the young age of 13, he wrote his first independent single, “Used to Be,” which was released in 2017 and got well over 60 million streams.
It is rare to find an artist with multiple skills.
The multiple skills possessed by AJ, like writing songs, composing music, and singing them on his own without taking any help from other artists, made him incredibly special among his fans and followers.
Moreover, his charming looks and pleasing personality make him very popular among his female fans.
He signed his first major record deal in February 2018. Since then, he has had nothing but phenomenal success.
"When I was younger, I didn't have the confidence to think I wanted to be an artist, and that's why I said it. I used to be so nervous about performing my own songs. As soon as I got older, I started performing a lot more. Huge thanks to my parents for pushing me to perform my songs," Mitchell said.
His first full cover that was posted on YouTube brought him quick popularity.
After that most of his videos got a good recognition on YouTube.
Some of his own songs are "Used to Be," "Stop," and ‘"Lovers On The Moon."
Later, AJ started posting even shorter videos on another social media app popular among the younger generation: Vine.
His videos proved to be equally attention-grabbing on Vine, and he had around 85,000 followers as of October 2016.
Those apps are crucial for a young aspiring artist in today's music industry. Having the power of social media is important when branding yourself as an artist.
It is a massive help with promoting music and getting your name out there. Many outlets allow artists to share their music with everyone.
At the ripe age of 18, Mitchell had already had a sharp trajectory. Since he was a kid, he's been writing songs and penned his biggest streaming hit, "Used To Be," when he was just 14.
Now, he's maturing into a potent pop writer delivering crisp cuts like "Slow Dance" and "Down In Flames."
In his 18 years, AJ Mitchell has accomplished things most musicians can only dream of.
Playing sold-out arena shows, making his debut on Billboard's Top 40 chart and putting out his first debut album.
Collaborations
In 2018, Mitchell released his first EP titled Hopeful, which included the single “Girls,” which charted at 39 on the US Mediabase Pop Radio chart.
Following that release, he released his second EP, Slow Dance. The title track “Slow Dance” featured past Beyond the Stage cover star, Ava Max and did amazing on the charts.
It landed at number 28 on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 chart. In 2019, he was also named one of Billboard's and Vevo's Artists to Watch.
Inspired by artists like Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, and Lil Wayne, Mitchell has no limits in the type of music he likes to create.
"I've had the privilege of collaborating with so many talented artists, writers, producers, photographers, and directors around the world. Those collaborations and experiences have sculpted who I am today," he said. "I dove into this industry at 15 years old, only knowing two things: I wanted to write songs and sing them as my career."
Within the next five years, his success can only go up.
Since emerging in 2018, AJ Mitchell has consistently asserted himself as pop's most dynamic new leading man.
Averaging over 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, he impressively leaped past the 1-billion stream mark within three years.
In addition to being named a Vevo LIFT artist and MTV Push artist, Variety championed him on its “Young Hollywood” 2020 list.
Beyond acclaim from Billboard, Idolator, Highsnobiety, and Seventeen, he delivered show-stopping performances at the MTV VMAs, The Today Show, and Good Day New York.
The Illinois-born, Los Angeles-based artist prepped for a big 2020, which was supposed to include his debut album SKYVIEW, which led to his single "Spring Break."
“Spring Break” came just days before most of the globe was placed on lockdown. It was meant to signal the start of spring, delivered with a sun-soaked video.
Moving To Los Angeles
To grow his career as an artist, AJ decided to move to a place that is more conducive to a young artist's growth.
At the beginning of 2016, he moved to Los Angeles. The proximity to Hollywood in particular and the entertainment, in general, will improve the future fortunes of AJ.
"I definitely took a hit initially when I moved to LA. I lived with people my age, and then I moved in with my manager," Mitchell said in an Interns interview.
Since heading west, the sky's been the limit (seemingly reflected in the title of his debut album, SKYVIEW). AJ released a handful of songs, including the Slow Dance EP, in 2019.
The title track is a Top 40 Pop Radio hit, and the rest of AJ's growing discography has resonated with fans who recognize this superstar in the making.
“In the beginning, it was very helpful to, you know, to have my parents there to help push me to go do that. Once I came to LA, I had a great team around me," said Mitchell.
That team was AJ's management team, family, his attorneys, CAA, and Epic Records.
Despite the growing fame, AJ has kept it humble.
“Every time I get up on stage, it's the best feeling in the world to perform songs that I wrote, to know that it's meant a lot to those people, and for them to sing it back to me,” he says. “It's just an amazing feeling.”
Releasing SKYVIEW
AJ Mitchell finally released his debut album! The 20-year-old singer made the big announcement on Instagram last year.
"THE WAIT IS OVER. SKYVIEW IS COMING SEPT. 10," he excitedly shared along with the album cover.
“The album is called SKYVIEW, which is named after the drive-in movie theater in my hometown. My parents and even grandparents went there, so it has always had a close place in my heart. There wasn't much to do in our small town, so Skyview was an escape for me and helped me realize there was more out there," Mitchell said.
AJ Mitchell has been in the music game for quite a while.
From his hit songs from "Slow Dance," to "Used To Be," and "Cameras On," he has finally released his debut album, SKYVIEW.
"SKYVIEW is the summary of my artist journey up until now. As a kid, the Skyview Drive-In theater was a place in my small town of Belleville, Illinois, that had the power to transport me into a world of endless possibilities," Mitchell said in a PM Studio interview.
Mitchell shared with BTS that he does have a favorite off the album and was able to tell them a little about it.
“The intro to the album, called “Never with You,” is a really personal song I wrote a long time ago, and I've always wanted to release it, so I'd say it's my favorite right now," Mitchell said.
When it came to the entire process of making the album, Mitchell shared that some of the songs were going to be unlike any of his previously released music.
It's been a long-time coming; from the album set to be released in 2019, and then being delayed to 2020, this beautiful album is finally out to the world.
While Mitchell's life at home with his parents was solid, educational, and inspirational, his hometown wasn't always the same.
Mitchell is glad for the varied, diverse group of friends he grew up with there. He carries with him local pride.
But he also learned a lot from seeing the downside of the poor community, which included gangs, drugs, and other dangers.
"I want to make a difference. I want to put Belleville on the map, and I'm doing that with my album, SKYVIEW. I named it after a drive-in movie theater in my hometown," said Mitchell in an American Songwriter interview.
In addition, AJ also announced the upcoming SKYVIEW Tour, which kicked off three days after the album was released.
Mitchell displayed the signature singing ability and pop draw on his new record, making him a talked-about artist. But he also demonstrates a reflective side.
For example, on the track, “Miss You,” Mitchell speaks openly about death, specifically, the idea of his parents passing away.
“It's weird to think about, my parents are still here, but I miss them. That as a concept— I really just wanted to talk about that. It came out of being very vulnerable and emotional." Mitchell said.
What’s Next?
As the young singer looks ahead, he has big goals. He wants to be an impactful, respectable artist, perhaps staying near the top of the charts.
And Mitchell may achieve that — and sooner than some may think.
But as he reaches for those gold rings, he says he will keep music—especially music composition— at the front of his mind.
“When I write my music,” he says. “I really just want to speak from the heart.”
Thank you for reading my latest blog. You can follow AJ Mitchell on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
You can also view my 2021 interview with Mitchell detailing his origins.
Sources: American Songwriter, Beyond The Stage Magazine, The Famous People, Fandom, Out Now Magazine, Sony Music, Interns, Music Talkers, Hollywood Life, Just Jared Jr., PM Studio, Facebook, Instagram, Ball State Daily News
Featured Image: Out Now Magazine
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