Maddox Batson, 15, on the Moment He Made It in Country Music (Exclusive)

At just 13 years old, Maddox Batson knew he was born to be on stage.

The rising country star was discovered by his now-manager after his covers on TikTok went viral in 2023 — and it’s been full steam ahead since. Now, 15-year-old Batson has opened for Lainey Wilson on tour, released his debut EP and made his Grand Ole Opry debut.

“It’s always been in my DNA,” Batson tells PEOPLE exclusively of his love for performing.

“I always thought I would go into music maybe at an older age. Did I ever think I’d do it at 13? Absolutely not. But, you know, I’m glad I did it younger because I have my parents that would help me… they can guide me and steer me in the right direction,” he says, adding that his family is a “huge blessing.”

Growing up in Birmingham, Ala., Batson had diverse taste in music. He listened to plenty of country music, jazz, rap and John Mayer is his “favorite artist of all time.” He also learned a thing or two about pop from his older sister.

“She’s 12 years older than me, my sister. She had a driver’s license when I was like 5. So after school, she would pick me up and I remember she had an Usher CD and she had some Justin Bieber CDs and One Direction,” he recalls.

Coincidentally, Batson has been dubbed country’s Justin Bieber — and the “Southbound” singer considers it an honor.

“He’s one of the best artists, the most accomplished artists of my generation. And this is super cool to be even in the same conversation as him,” Batson says.

Though the comparisons may have more to do with his age and the start of his career online, Batson says they do have one connection: his vocal coach.

“Her name’s Mama Jan. So if you watch the old Justin Bieber stuff, like the documentary from 2010 [Justin Bieber: Never Say Never] where he played Madison Square Garden, Mama Jan’s in there,” he says. “We’re kind of connected. Hopefully one day we can have a little sit down conversation because I have so much to learn.”

Most recently, Batson released a holiday bundle titled Home for the Holidays, with his very own rendition of Christmas staples “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Last Christmas.” Next year, he’s scheduled to perform several shows from February to May for his Greatest Party on Earth Tour, which features a recently-announced collaboration with Ringling.

When Batson isn’t in the studio working on music or on the road, he’s sleeping, golfing, playing video games and hanging out with his buddies. The young country star is conscious of how bizarre fame could be — but he’s grateful he has a good support system around him to keep him in check.

“Something that helps me balance everything out is… I have a lot of my family on tour. I take my sister, I take my dad, my mom… Either to work with me or just help me get through them things because I’m 15 and I think I know everything, but I don’t,” he says candidly.

“Having my family members around me keeps me really grounded,” he says. “I wrote a song about it called ‘2 Feet’ and that’s the entire premise of the song is having those people around you that won’t let your head get too big, you know? When your head gets big, you start to float and your feet come off the ground,” he says.

While he’s got a long way to go, Batson is enjoying every moment as they come. So far, his Grand Ole Opry debut felt like his made-it moment — and he doesn’t want to take any of it for granted.

“That was probably one of my most nervous moments to go out on stage,” he says. “I was shaking when I went out there. It was super awesome because if you think about it, how many other people stood there? I mean, Elvis Presley played the Grand Ole Opry… So it’s just like, dang.”

“Hopefully I can still be known as a good role model,” Batson says, reflecting on his future. “I’m blessed to be in this situation in the first place and I never want to take it for granted.”