Actually, I've been thinking quite the opposite. Compare him to any of the other artists in his genre and the difference is staggering. He is far more talented than the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and the vast majority of other artists in that genre from today and yesterday.

The main difference between him and the rest of those artists is that he is not a product pre-fabricated by a marketing team and chosen for his looks. He has a passion for what he does and nurtured his own following for years online before finally being picked up by a label (I'm not sure where you get this "too popular too soon" idea. It simply doesn't match the trajectory of his career).

I think it's a very positive change in the music industry. I don't particularly enjoy this style of music, but I think this concept is going to spread to all kinds of music and I think it's a great thing. Let artists prove themselves first. Let them build a following online and hone their skills before a big studio comes in, snatches them up, and polishes them.

In the old days, an artist would have to build a following locally. That's not much of a challenge if the local market isn't very competitive. You have to be much better than that to build a global following, which is what the internet now requires.