Prepare to See a Totally New Side of Jacob Whitesides

It seems crazy that a few years ago, Jacob Whitesides was just a normal teenager watching football and bowling with friends back home in Tennessee. Even though he never wanted to be a singer, his passion found him anyway. He posted a few guitar-playing videos to YouTube, one of which was a One Direction cover so good Liam Payne himself tweeted about it. Now, two years later, the spotlight is shining down on him brighter than ever before.

At only 17 years old, the musician is just a couple days away from releasing his debut EP A Piece of Me (yes, on Valentine's Day—good timing, right?) on his own label, JW Records. And right after his own headlining tour, he's hitting the road with Fifth Harmony for their Reflection tour. With new music and millions of fans following his every move, this guy's life is only going to get crazier.

When we sat down with the Knoxville native during his first-ever press day in New York City, it was clear that even with a huge following, the fame hasn't gotten to his head. "It's been a gradual change, so it hasn't been overwhelming yet," he says. He admits he's been so busy lately that his family hasn't even celebrated the holidays yet, and the presents are still at home waiting patiently under the tree. Although some time down South is much overdue, the star doesn't seem to mind the hustle and bustle of his new lifestyle for a second.

Part of the reason his busy schedule doesn't bother him is all the support he's found in every corner of the globe. "My fans have been really cool," he tells us. "Now some of them would rather talk and hug instead of taking pictures." That's something he wants more of: the special experience of actually having a conversation with the people who listen to his music. But if his Whitesiders can't resist snapping a picture with one of Instagram's best selfie-takers, we can't really blame them.

If you're wondering what to expect from Jacob's six-song EP, you can get a hint from his iPod. "The sound is a mixture of all the different artists I have on my playlist, like John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Passenger, and Mumford & Sons. It's folksy, bluesy, pop, indie-type stuff," he says. "It turned out incredible, so I'm really happy with it. I wanted it to be music I could listen to and not be annoyed with. A lot of people don't like their own music, and that bothers me. I want to be able to enjoy my music, because how can you be passionate about something that you don't like?"