PopCrush Presents: Parson James

Every week at PopCrush, we’re putting the spotlight on one up-and-coming act you need to know about. Why? So you can get on board early before everyone else and their mother jumps on the bandwagon…and so you can be that one friend in the group who’s always like, "Um, actually, I prefer their earlier work."

Meet Parson James.

You might not know his name quite yet, but if you've been listening to the radio lately, you almost certainly know his voice.

The 21-year-old South Carolina-bred talent grew up singing hymns in church. But with a passion and a talent too strong to keep him tied down to his hometown, the young singer-songwriter uprooted and headed to New York City.

At the beginning of the year, Parson inked a deal with RCA Records and kicked off his major label career with "Stole The Show," a soulful pairing between Parson's soulful vocal skills and the slamming EDM beats of Norwegian producer, Kygo. The song has since utterly skyrocketed ever since its debut, accumulating 50 million streams (and counting) on Spotify, and notching Top 10 spots all across the world.

And that's only the beginning: He's now carving out his own solo sound for his upcoming debut, drawing on experiences from his past and his struggle for acceptance while growing up in the South with his young mother, where his mixed race background was "the talk of the town."

While we wait to hear what Parson's cooking up in the studio, listen to his smash hit of a first serving — "Stole The Show" with Kygo — below.

Who would you like to see featured in PopCrush Presents next? Tweet us at @popcrush with your recommendations using #PopCrushPresents!