all the things that could go wrong: Johnny Orlando on his early start in the music industry and his upcoming album

You dropped two singles this year from the album: ‘someone will love you better’ and most recently ‘blur’. These two tracks give us a glimpse into your album, and its pensive tone, addressing topics such as unrequited love and social anxiety. What have you learned about yourself through the process of making this album? I wouldn’t say I learned a ton about myself while making it, rather the album is a product of the things I’ve learned about myself. That being said, there have definitely been times where I’m in a session dissecting something that happened so I can write about it, and I realize wow that was kind of bad of me or the other person. My music is almost always a product of how I’m feeling in that exact moment. 

 At the end of the day, what keeps you inspired and motivates you to keep creating? I honestly just love it. Everything about it. I’ve always liked making things, and I’ve always loved the feeling of getting better at something. As an artist, getting better means capturing more and more people, as well as enjoying listening to yourself. I’ve always loved music in general so it’s cool to me that if I want a certain song to exist, I can just make it. I’ve always also kinda liked attention which is basically a prerequisite to being an artist so this is my ideal job (that is a joke).

What do you hope to do next? What does Johnny Orlando in 2030 look like? I’m realizing I probably want to start a record label. Also, hopefully he’s handsome.

The definition of ‘Contrast’ is to be strikingly different. What makes you strikingly different? I think everyone is strikingly different as a rule.

There are definitely similarities between people, and you could definitely draw comparisons between myself and my inspirations in music, and you could definitely say “oh his voice kinda sounds like Bieber” but I think for two people to be without contrast they would have to have had identical nature and nurture. The difference between the most popular, most trendsetting artists in the world and everyone else is that they aren’t afraid to believe in their ideas. It sounds simple but it took me literally 4 years of being signed to my label to be able to tell them what I wanted and who I wanted to be.

I think everyone is unique and has the potential to set trends and break barriers, but we aren’t encouraged to do so in the regular flow of life. I actually really liked school, but it didn’t exactly teach me to unapologetically be myself and stand up for what I believe in. You are either that kind of person naturally, or you have to acquire that quality, and it’s not easy.

Other people telling you what your brand should be doesn’t work, and playing a role in a disingenuous manner also doesn’t work. If you aren’t a Daft Punk type character where there’s a very clear vision, or you aren’t yourself, it won’t work. Either people will find out and lose respect for you, or you’ll implode because you’ll lose your sense of identity.

Believe in your ideas and I promise you’ll be as strikingly different as the people you look up to.