One couldn’t help but notice the flood of teenage girls rushing through the lobby of the Straz Center for the Performing Arts last Friday, following an unseen heartthrob lost somewhere in the ocean of cameras and Cody Simpson t-shirts.

As they came closer, the object of their affection became clear, in the form of an inconspicuous, normal teenage boy about 17 years old, dressed casually in a yellow and blue polo as he weaved through the crowd led by security guards.

“Oh my gosh, that’s Ryan Beatty!” A surprised onlooker realized.

Beatty, the opening act on Cody Simpson’s Paradise Tour, waved at his admirers and fixes his stage-ready quiff.

Exactly one hour later, the boy-next-door was impressing the crowd of screaming fans with his voice, with songs like the popular “Hey L.A.,” cleverly adapted to fit the venue – with every “hey Tampa” came a round of cheers from the audience.

Beatty especially wowed the crowd with his spotless rendition of Ed Sheeran’s “Lego House,” combining his style, a mixture of elements of Cody Simpson and Andy Grammer, with the signature tones of Sheeran’s original song.

After his last song, with girls still screaming, chanting and dancing, Ryan Beatty, the up-and-coming teen superstar casually strolled backstage.

Where he stayed to watch his best friend perform the second show on his headlining Paradise Tour. No big deal.