​AJ Lehrman may be only 17, but he's already making waves in the music industry

AJ Lehrman may be only 17, but he's already making waves in the music industry. The pop singer has captured close to a million followers on social media. This is all thanks to his mature sound, which blends pop music, electronic beats, and traditional elements of R&B. His latest single "Tongue" encapsulates Lehrman's finesse as a performer, flexing his skill as a singer/songwriter while also showcasing his powerful vocals in an exciting chorus.

It's a sound that seasoned musicians hope to attain. And while music was always a passion of Lehrman's, it wasn't necessarily always on the forefront of his priorities. Growing up, he had to juggle his love of tennis with his love of performing. But quickly Lehrman realized his passion for singing trumped his burgeoning career as an athlete. As he notes, "... seeing the reactions I was getting with people coming up to me after my performances and saying 'You inspired me' or that I helped them in some way was so much greater than anything tennis could provide me with." It was probably the best career move the young singer/songwriter ever made.

Since then, Lehrman has toured alongside the music industry's biggest names, including the Pentatnoix and S Club 7, while at the same time captivating almost a million fans on social media. He also has become a voice for organizations such as DoSomething.Org, making sure to give back to communities all around the world. Between all his project, it's clear that AJ isn't letting his age get the best of him.

YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, click here. And head over to AOL.com at 12 p.m. ET for more exclusives on AJ Lehrman!

When did you first fall in love with music?
I've been doing music my whole life, practically since I was born. I got my first gig singing the ABCs at my aunt's wedding when I was one, and a I tried my best to do that. Since then, I've been doing school shows and camp shows. Around three years ago was when I really started focusing on music. I was actually a tennis player so it's been a weird transition for me. I've been touring as a tennis player for my whole life. At the age of 11 I was partnered with Nike going across the world playing tennis. So tour life has always been a part of my system. As I said, I was always doing school or camp shows on the side. And tennis was amazing; I love the competition, but the feeling I got on stage had no comparison. So when I was 14 years old I began to put on my own gigs and performances to see how that felt. Just seeing the reactions I was getting with people coming up to me after my performances and saying "You inspired me" or that I helped them in some way was so much greater than anything tennis could provide me with. I'd say around 14 years old is when I decided to take my passion of music to a career.

You recently got off a tour with the Pentatonix. What was that like for you?
I can't imagine a better tour. They're amazing people and their music is incredible. And their fans are such music lovers. Being a new artist is hard, especially since I'm an opening act. When I got to concerts, as much as I want to enjoy the opening act, I'm only thinking of the main event. I think Pentatonix's fanbase is so incredible because they really enjoy music and they were open to me being an opening act on my tour.

What was your biggest takeaway from going on tour with them?
I think people who like good music, like good music. It's hard for someone like me, who only grew up in New York, who has only been accustomed to certain music styles like pop or R&B to understand other sounds. But along the tour, I realized that music lovers at the end of the day are music lovers in general. So being able to go around the country and listen to different genres of music is great for me since I can see how different styles work together.

What's it like for you getting the chance to meet your fans in person?
Right after the show, I had a set up where fans could meet me and hang out. It was cool because the first night; about 100 people at most came to see me. At that point, I was still getting my name out there. But towards the end of the tour, there were lines of like 700 people coming to meet me. It was crazy to see the difference between the first show and the last show, especially since the tour was only about a month long.

What as it like developing your new music from start to finish?
My major influences in general are R&B and singer/songwriter. I've been trying to find my sound over the past few years and I've experimented with everything from dance music to bubblegum pop music to folk music. I wanted to find a way to incorporate my main two influences. I've been trying to come up with stuff that has these urban sounds that are in R&B and soul music and fuse it with the more acoustic elements of the singer/songwriter genre. So putting those two together have really been the goal for me. It's why I'm so proud about my new single "Tongue."

Where do you see the progression of music going in the next few years?
I hope to be pushing that idea of blending genres even further and seeing how weird and interesting my sound can be. But at the same time, I will be sticking to my core sound.

YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, click here. And head over to AOL.com at 12 p.m. ET for more exclusives on AJ Lehrman!

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