Prince Fox knew he wanted to play guitar long before he was big enough to hold one on his own. Once the Manhattan-born singer-songwriter was able to pick one up, however, he never put the instrument down.

And it's a good thing, too: Today, Prince Fox (née Sam Lassner) is one of the music industry's fastest rising stars. Currently based in Los Angeles, the 25-year-old musician, DJ and producer has already collaborated with Bella Thorne ("Just Call"), Hailee Steinfeld ("Fragile") and provided official remixes for artists like Hey Violet, Beyonce and Sam Smith.

Now, with a new single ("Positive" featuring WRENN), the acoustic-turned-electronic artist is ready for the next stage of his career. Below, Prince Fox opens up about his earliest music memories, his favorite thing about hanging out with Bella Thorne and why acoustic and electro music go hand in hand.

What's your first memory involving music?
My first musical memory is when my dad's friend had electric guitars, and I couldn’t touch [them] because I was too little. I got sad and remembered how cool they looked and [how much I] wanted one.

You started out playing the guitar but now produce more electronic music. What inspired the transition?
I wouldn’t really call it a transition as much as I would a natural progression. I’ve been singing and playing the guitar since I was really young. In high school, someone really close to me passed away, and I played guitar at her funeral. I kind of put that down for a while and focused on production in college, but a lot of the stuff I put out this past year and will be putting out in 2018 has me playing the guitar again.

What is "Positive" about?
"Positive" is about being positive in spite of someone negative trying to bring you down.

How did your collaborations with Bella Thorne and Hailee Steinfeld come together?
Hailee and I were signed to the same label at the time. I had written "Fragile" with Lil Aaron, and really dug Hailee’s voice. I was really stoked when she agreed to sing on it. She absolutely nailed it in the vocal session. As for Bella, we met at a party. She told me she liked my outfit, and I had no idea who she was at the time. We kept running into each other around LA, and then it finally clicked. I sent her "Just Call" after I had written it with Tony Ferrari, and she cut it right away. Part of her ad libs are actually recorded in a karaoke bar bathroom. We’ve actually become really close friends. Her kitten, Jimbo, is probably my favorite living thing on the planet.

What makes the perfect song?
I think the perfect song is really based on the songwriting. There isn’t one thing, but any song that really makes you feel something is what I think sticks with people.

What track do you wish you wrote?
Definitely "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran, but also "High Without Your Love" by Loote. They’re killing it right now.

What's next for you in 2018?
We're about to announce a spring tour with a really great new visual aesthetic. I'm also going to put out my first real body of work in the first half of 2018. It will be a real return to guitar and those singer-songwriter vibes for me.

Pop's New Class of 2017:

More From 1073 Popcrush