Don't let his boyish good looks fool you. CGG

Is Jesse McCartney the next Justin Timberlake? Like Justin, Jesse was a boy band veteran, before launching in to his solo career. Jesse was was livin' on Dream Street, and does anyone remember a little band called 'NSYNC? Jesse had his own TV show, Summertime, and Justin met his one-time girlfriend Britney while acting on the Mickey Mouse Club.

And 21-year-old Jesse has shed his long hair for a smart crew-cut and delved into a solo album “Departure,” out today, which is full of R&B and soulful grooves (Justin, anyone?), unlike anything he’s done before. With his boyish good looks and innocent personality, is Jesse ready to breach the line between teen superstar and sex-symbol? From the endless screams before he even came out at the Zootopia show Saturday night (prefaced with a photo-montage of some seriously heart-pounding images), the answer is a resounding yes, yes, and yes!

Jesse's hit single “Leavin” is about a getting a girl to leave her man for him. If Jesse is coming through your town, all we can say is boyfriends beware.

Performing his new single at Zootopia. CGG

We caught up with Jesse before his show to get to the bottom of what gets this guy going.

CGG:What are you passionate about?
JM: Well obviously music has always been a big part of my life. As a kid that was my outlet, my way of getting away from whatever it was that I needed to get away from. And thankfully I’ve made it a profession.

CGG: Tell us about some of the causes you’ve done.
JM: I’ve worked with a lot of children’s charities. I have two younger siblings and they mean the world to me. I’ve always loved kids. One day I want to have some of my own. So when I come across a child out there that unfortunately is not doing well or is sick, whatever the circumstances are, it’s fun to be around them to kind of lighten the mood and cheer them up a bit. It’s so fulfilling to me.

CGG: Was there one incident in particular that really affected you?
JM: Three weeks ago I went to a children’s hospital in Los Angeles, and there’s this little girl, she’s twelve years old, and she was diagnosed with cancer, unfortunately. And I walked into the hospital and it’s tough for me sometimes, you know, walking in there is overwhelming sometimes. But we hung out, she showed me pictures of her family and her pets. We talked about music, we talked about the Kids Choice Awards because they had just happened, and she was the sweetest girl in the world. We’re hoping she pulls through.

Nice threads, Jesse. Who are your fashion icons? CGG

CGG:How do you feel performing in front of all these kids and touching their lives?
JM: It’s great, I mean they've touched my life in a big way, I’m incredibly blessed. And when you get up on stage each day, you never really get used to that feeling, you know everyone watching you and looking up to you, and singing along, it’s a pretty great place to be in.