Ricky Dillon gushes about his musical idol, Demi Lovato

Every musician has an idol they look towards for inspiration. And for Ricky Dillon, one of the most popular YouTubers of this generation, that figure is none other than Demi Lovato. Over the years, Dillon has expressed his love for the incredible vocalist, even creating his own viral covers of her top-charting songs. But his love doesn't just focus on her music. Dillon is quick to note that the message Lovato spreads is similar to the exact same one he delivers to his over 2.9 million YouTube followers every single day.

It the simplest terms, Dillon is "all about positivity," and making sure that his fans not only have a smile on their faces while watching everything from his musical performances to YouTube comedy collaborations. But more importantly, Dillon's mission is to let his fans know that first and foremost, he's their friend. Between taking the time out to virtually interact with his followers to connecting with them IRL at meet and greets to even helping fans through their more emotional moments like coming out, Dillon makes sure that everything he does in life spreads a healthy message.

On the heels of his book launch for "Follow Me," we spoke exclusively to Ricky Dillon to talk about how Demi Lovato has affected his career, when he first fell in love with music, and the most memorable fan moment he's ever had.

YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, including more Ricky Dillon features, click here.

When did you first fall in love with music?
It really has been with me my whole life. I was in band in middle and high school and college I played trumpet. That's different from singing, but I was always performing and I loved the art of music.

Where do you hope to see your music progress in the next few years?
Hopefully I'll still be making the same kind of music that I'm making now, which is really upbeat, positive pop music because that's what I like to listen to.

You mentioned that Demi Lovato is a huge influence for you. Can you talk to me a little bit about why she's influenced you so much?
I love her music which is a given, but I also love her confidence and the things she stands for. She's overcome a lot and is very open and supportive. She also isn't afraid to speak her mind. I look up to her a lot.

She seems to spread the same message you do.
Yes! Recently her album was all about self-confidence and self empowerment, which is something I like to focus on as well.

Talk to me about what you describe your relationship between you and your fans as.
Our relationship is very personal. They know so much about me and I recognize a lot of them from Twitter, so it's more like a real friendship.

What was it like meeting your fans in person?
It's really humbling. You can watch a video and see the comments, but when you meet them in person it hits you more. It's a real person saying they like you. It's a more intimate and humbling experience than just reading a comment.

I'm curious to know if there's ever been a fan moment that's stuck out to you.
On this book tour, I helped a fan come out to her mom over the phone.

Wow! What was that like?
I was taken aback, but I was really happy for her. She just came up to me and asked me to help her, and I got really emotional.

So what's it like to know that your fans have that really personal bond with you that they feel so comfortable letting you into their lives that way?
It feels really good. I never thought six years ago that I'd be able to connect with people that much and help them in any way so it's just humbling. It makes me feel good.

If you could go back in time, what's the one piece of advice you wish you received before you started your social media career?
I got bullied a lot in high school, which really got to me back then. So I would probably say to not worry so much about that and that everything will end up okay.

What's been your take on being a voice for a lot of people that might not necessarily have one?
I'm all about positivity, so what I'm good at is to help people get their minds off stuff. I'm just good at giving them something to smile about.

What's the one piece of advice you'd like to give to aspiring social media stars?
Consistency! Some people think that you can just upload one video and instantly have an audience. You have to be consistent with it. Be creative and have fun!

YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, including more Ricky Dillon features, click here.