Who is Austin Mahone? Austin Mahone is a 17-year-old teen pop star nominated for Artist to Watch at the 2013 MTV VMAs. Discovered on YouTube and touted as the next Justin Bieber, Austin Mahone is known for the singles “11:11,” “Say Somethin’” and “What About Love.” The latter is due to appear on Austin Mahone’s debut album, “Junior Year,” due out Oct. 8 on Chase/Universal Records.

Ask, “Who is Austin Mahone?” and legions of the San Antonio native’s super fans, known as “Mahomies,” will tell you the singer is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Austin Mahone has appeared on TV shows like “Live! With Kelly & Michael” and “Access Hollywood” and toured with Taylor Swift, and as he tells UsMagazine.com, he considers the country-pop superstar a friend. “People probably don’t know how real and extremely down to earth she is,” Austin Mahone said of Taylor Swfit. “She’s one of the sweetest girls I’ve ever met.”

Who is Austin Mahone, other than a talented young guy and 2013 MTV VMAs nominee? He’s his own artist—not a Justin Bieber wannabe. “I want people to give me a chance to show that I’m different,” Mahone, a singer-songwriter who got his start by covering Jesse McCartney’s “Beautiful Soul” on YouTube, told the Huffington Post. “My music is different and I’m just trying to do my own thing.”

The number of people asking, “Who is Austin Mahone?” could skyrocket after the 2013 MTV VMAs, when the up-and-comer goes up against Twenty One Pilots, Zedd, Iggy Azalea and The Weeknd for the Artist to Watch Moonman.