AJ Mitchell is the new pop prince of the internet

YouTube has birthed quite a few famous figures, with the likes of Troye Sivan and Justin Bieber honing their sound on the video-sharing platform. Most recently, attention has turned to a new kid on the block, 18-year-old AJ Mitchell. 

Born and raised in Belleville, Illinois, AJ started piano lessons at the age of four. He spent his school years juggling football and choir, before eventually moving to Los Angeles to fully pursue a career in the music biz. His first independent single, 2017’s “Used to Be” clocked up some 60 million streams – an impressive feat for a new artist. 

Two acclaimed EPs later and he’s ready to release his debut album, Skyview, which will drop later this year. As he gears up for his release, we caught up with AJ to see what he’s up to in the interim. 

I’ve been having an embarrassing amount of fun making TikTok videos lately! There’s so much hilarious and creative stuff on there. I’ve been spending a lot of time on the piano too, writing new music. Other than that I’ve been trying to help the community any way I can. The other day I played a few of my songs for Twitch’s Stream Aid in support of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO and yesterday I did a livestream performance to raise money for MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund. Both of which were a ton of fun and for a good cause. The more we work together, the sooner we’ll all be able to slowly get back to normal.

Yes I feel like it was needed for me actually. I’ve been on the road so much lately, that I’ve now had time to chill out for a bit. It’s also made me realize how much fun social media can actually be and how it can allow all of us to connect and come together in so many different ways whether it’s for charity or just for a needed laugh.

Sometimes it can be pretty tough with all the traveling and not seeing the people in my life who mean the most to me. I think over the last few years as things have gotten busier I’ve been able to realise what’s truly important to me. It’s funny how you have to go away to find that out.

One surreal moment was when I got to sing at the VMA’s. I was surrounded by artists I’ve always looked up to. Being able to perform on the same platform that they were on, it was a crazy experience. 

I would say my sound could be described as Pop and R&B, but I’m inspired by all kinds of music so I like to pull elements from different genres as much as I can. I like to challenge myself, because that’s the only way you can grow as an artist. I try not to stick to just one sound.

I’m feeling all the emotions! I’m anxious, excited, and a tad nervous but I’m more excited to release it than anything.