After getting his start as a YouTube sensation, 16-year-old Dylan Hyde is now branching into making his own music. He recently took a break from recording his first album to sit down with J-14 to tell us about his dreams and what makes him stand out as a solo artist.
J-14: Tell us about your new album!
Dylan Hyde: My album will sound like my version of all my inspirations. I try to throw some 90s influence into it -- like Boyz II Men -- but still keep it contemporary. It will be coming out early this year.
J-14: Where do you get inspiration for your songs?
Dylan: I just listen to music and search for new songs. I listen to classical music too.
J-14: How did you get your start in music?
Dylan: It started small, I did karaoke at a really young age, then I started doing theater. Songwriting became one of my hobbies and that's when I figured out that being an artist is what I want to do with my life. Things started falling into place, one after another and it made me realize this is my dream -- and here I am!
J-14: When did you first know you wanted to be a singer?
Dylan: I was two. My cousins all went up to sing karaoke and they got all the attention. I remember thinking that wasn't very cool, so I went on stage and sang "All Star" by Smash Mouth and I thought it was the coolest song in the world!
J-14: What makes you different from other up-and-coming male artists, like Austin Mahone?
Dylan: My sound is different than what you're hearing right now. You hear the same things all the time and you need a change.
Are you excited to hear Dylan's music?