Conor Maynard, the 19-year-old singer from Brighton, has been dubbed the UK's answer to Justin Bieber after being discovered via YouTube cover videos. However, Maynard insists the similarities end there, claiming he initially uploaded tracks simply for friends to hear him sing.
“I didn't have a strategy of how I was going to get loads of views,” he said. “I was just posting random songs I liked for my friends to see.” His first viral hit was a cover of Usher's OMG, which garnered 100,000 views, leading him to think, “I'm famous. I made it. Obviously that wasn't the case.”
Serious interest came after his cover of Ne-Yo's Beautiful Monster reached a million views. This led to a personal call from Ne-Yo at 1am, inviting Maynard to America. “I was sitting on Skype with Ne-Yo trying to be really quiet because it was so late and I didn't want to wake my mum,” he recalled.
Now signed to Parlophone, Maynard has worked with Ne-Yo and producer Pharrell Williams on his debut album. His first single, Can't Say No, was released this week.
