Alex Aiono

Before reaching the age of 20, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor Alex Aiono built a substantial following online, with his YouTube channel accumulating tens of millions of views. He spent his early years in Phoenix, Arizona, before his family relocated to California during his high school period. Already skilled on guitar, piano, and drums, he took to performing on the streets of Santa Monica around the same period he launched his YouTube channel in 2012. The platform drew viewers through a combination of vlog segments that showcased his natural on-camera presence and acoustic-guitar renditions of tracks by Drake and Katy Perry. Within that space he also introduced original material in the vein of R&B-tinged teen pop, including the 2013 releases “Alphabet Song” and “Doesn’t Get Better.” Those songs attracted notice from fellow artists, leading to an invitation that same year for a two-month tour across the United States and Canada backing teen pop band R5. Mere days after that run concluded, he unveiled “Young & Foolish,” a track co-written by John Legend. Additional songwriting opportunities followed with Babyface, and at age 17 he secured a publishing deal with BMG.

While maintaining his music output and regular video uploads, Aiono also explored acting, taking a lead role in the web series Royal Crush that premiered in 2014. Among his widely viewed covers from this era were versions of the Weeknd’s “The Hills” and Shawn Mendes’ “Stitches,” both posted in 2015, the same year he appeared in the web series Guidance. His most viewed online clip to date arrived in spring 2016 with a mashup of Drake’s “One Dance” and Nicky Jam’s “Hasta el Amanecer.” The following year brought three singles—“Work the Middle,” “Question,” and “Hot2Touch”—the last of which found chart traction across Europe. Closing 2017, he released the EP Does It Feel Like Falling along with the T-Pain collaboration “One at a Time.” Early 2018 saw the arrival of “Thinking About You,” followed later that year by the singles “Young Love,” “Big Mistake,” and “No Drama.”