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Conor Maynard: Pharrell Williams-Approved British Pop Star Talks YouTube Fame at MMVAs

Posted on Jun 22nd 2012 2:35PM by Sarah Kurchak

Stuart Wilson, Getty

Rising UK pop star Conor Maynard was only 20 minutes into his first MuchMusic Video Awards experience when he spoke to AOL Music on the MMVA Red Carpet, but he was already excited, and maybe a bit overwhelmed.

"This is my first time, and it's definitely been an amazing experience so far," the 19 year old "Can't Say No" singer managed to shout above the deafening "Conor!" chants coming from the teen girls on the other side of the carpet.

But the burgeoning heartthrob is used to being a little pleasantly overwhelmed these days. It wasn't that long ago that superstar producer Pharrell Williams shocked him by declaring that he was going to change the future of pop music.

"I did get quite a little quote from Pharrell Williams," the singer says with a smile. "I was in the studio with him in Miami. It was the most amazing experience and yeah, he sat me down and said that's how he felt. It was really, really cool."

Maynard was somewhat less enthused by the Justin Bieber comparisons that he had to field on the red carpet, but does understand why people see some similarities between the two teen idols. Much like Bieber, the Brit was discovered thanks to videos that he posted on YouTube.

He also thinks that people will start to hear a lot more stories like theirs as YouTube becomes a legitimate way for aspiring young artists to start their career.

"It's a massive platform and it's a really amazing way for people to get noticed," he says. "And I'm definitely a product of that."

View the 2012 MuchMusic Video Awards Red Carpet Gallery