Who is Sophie Beem? Beyonce protege has caught the eye of Fetty Wap and Charlie Puth

Beyonce popped up at Charlie Puth's tour show in Los Angeles – but her appearance was certainly not random. Taking a leaf out of her husband Jay Z's book, Beyonce has signed teen pop star Sophie Beem to her record label and the Formation singer attended the concert as a show of support for her new artist.

Beem, 16, is performing as the support act for Puth on the North American leg of his Nine Track Mind tour and graced the stage at Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on 6 March. Much to the delight of the audience, Beyonce, 34, and Jay Z, 45, made a surprise appearance at the gig and posed for photos with fans. Alongside a photo of her with Queen Bey, Beem wrote on Instagram: "Thanks to the boss @Beyonce for supporting me tonight at my first show in LA! Such a special night!"

The teen is one of three YouTube sensations Beyonce has signed to her Parkwood Entertainment record label in 2015. Reports at the time claim sisters Chloe, 17, and Halle Bailey, 15, were snapped up to Parkwood for $1m, while Beem is allegedly under a $560,000 contract.

As Beem garners mainstream attention, IBTimes UK rounds up all there is to know about the teen who caught the eye of one of music's biggest pop stars...

• Beem may look familiar to some as she rose to prominence in 2012 when she auditioned for X Factor US at the age of 13. However, her dreams of superstardom faded when she failed to make into the top 40.
• The teen was born and raised in New York's Upper East Side and began writing as a form of escapism from her family troubles.
• Not only does Beem boast a strong vocal range but she is also a self-taught guitar and piano player
• Beem released her five-track EP via iTunes on 4 March 2016, featuring the songs: Girls Will Be Girls, I Got It, Skyline, Nail Polish, Sleepless/City Kid

Listen to Sophie Beem's I Got It:

• The singer already has a star-studded collaboration under her belt with Trap Queen hitmaker Fetty Wap featuring on I Got It
• She has the utmost respect for her mentor Beyonce, once telling Tidal: "I have the most talented female artist in the music industry as my mentor and teacher, like, it could not get any better than that. I still pinch myself everyday! One thing she taught me is her best-kept secret to performing: To run and sing on a treadmill daily. It builds your stamina so you can sing and dance at the same time."
• Beem's biggest dream is to one day sell out New York's Madison Square Garden