JesseMcCartneyVEVO

Singer-songwriter Jesse McCartney has had the kind of career that most young artists dream for themselves. Ask the New York-born artist to recall some of the highlights and he’ll tell you about performing for two U.S. presidents (Barack Obama and George W. Bush), playing to thousands of devoted fans in Tokyo (where he watched the non-English-speaking audience sing along to every word), and meeting his musical heroes Stevie Wonder and Craig David.

All that was done before the release of his 2018 single “Better With You,” his first new music since In Technicolor, his well-received 2014 album (among SPIN’s top 20 pop albums). The success thus far has helped McCartney reconnect with a feeling that he hadn’t had before with his music: the freedom to write as he wishes, everything from his perspective.

The turning point from boy band pop star to serious working artist began when McCartney co-wrote the Grammy Award- winning single “Bleeding Love” with Ryan Tedder, performed by Leona Lewis.