Hi J-14ers!
Last year, I was lucky enough to mentor the cast of Majors & Minors and show them how to do their very first magazine interview. Every single contestant on the show was so unique and so talented that it was impossible to pick one over the other. But the moment then-15-year-old Josh Metzler from Gilbert, AZ, sat down for our interview, I just knew that I was talking to a superstar in the making.
WATCH IT: J-14 Magazine Mentors the Majors & Minors Cast
Josh was already a YouTube star, with tons of covers ranging from Plain White T's to Katy Perry on his YouTube channel azsinger62. Yet he was so modest and eager to learn from all the mentors on Majors & Minors -- from Avril Lavigne to Jordin Sparks!
So when I was sitting at home watching The X Factor a few weeks ago and saw them pan past a familiar face, I wasn't surprised that Josh had found his way in front of superstar judges Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato, Britney Spears, and L.A. Reid. In fact, the next day in the office, I said to the other J-14ers, "Simon should put him in a group along with Austin Corini and a few other guys, the same way he did with One Direction on The X Factor in the U.K."
Needless to say, my jaw dropped when that's exactly what happened last night on The X Factor.
Josh and Austin were indeed put in a group with Brandon Hassan, Johnny Maxwell, and Owen Stuart -- and soon boy band Playback was born!
In case you missed it, check out Playback's debut performance on The X Factor last night:
The boys have been hard at work getting to know each other and develop their sound. They've already filmed videos for Neon Trees' "Everybody Talks," Jason Mraz's "I Won't Give Up," and Justin Bieber's "As Long As You Love Me," -- and are preparing to take on The X Factor's next round!
Congrats again to Josh for being handpicked by Simon Cowell for Playback -- and we're rooting for you guys!
What did you guys think of Playback on The X Factor?
Can't wait to hear from you!
Rachel Chang
J-14 Editor-in-chief