Johnny Orlando is speaking out about his privilege and how he can help.
The 17-year-old singer and YouTuber shared a message about the Black Lives Matter movement, and how he doesn’t want artists and influencers to waste their platform by not speaking up.
“i am privileged. i will never understand the struggles that so many people in the world face on an everyday basis simply because of the colour of their skin, but i am trying to. i am lucky to have a platform. i have always tried to spread positivity & keep things light on here but that is simply not enough,” Johnny wrote on Instagram. “by ignoring these issues or staying silent, you are contributing to the issue that is so prevalent in our world. when i first saw the video of george floyd i was appalled. it made me sick, and then it made me angry. growing up in canada where i did, this is not something i have ever witnessed first hand. for that i am privileged, and i wish i had acknowledged that within myself sooner.”
“i have taken these last few days to educate myself, listen to others, sign any petition i see, and donate. i want to be part of the solution, not the problem. in order to move forward we must stand together,” he continued. “our generation needs to be vocal & be the change we wish to see in the world. to my fellow artists / influencers, a platform is a horrible thing to waste & if you are not speaking up right now you don’t deserve to have one.”
“to my black fans, i am here for you, i am here with you, i love you all so much. i am going to continue educating myself on how i can personally help offline. ‘there is no freedom until we are all equal’. #BlackLivesMatter,” Johnny concluded.
“The song basically breaks down the whole process of spending everyday with someone, growing apart and moving on, and then somehow being brought back together,” Johnny toldBillboardabout the track. “We definitely didn’t plan to release this song while physically distancing, but it has kind of given the song a double meaning. Like everyone, I really miss my friends and just being able to see people in person every day.”
“Throughout this time I’ve really been utilizing social media and video calling to connect with my friends and fans…the whole premise of the video is basically just me spending a day in quarantine, trying to connect with my friends because I just want to see them!” he added.
The hidden camera show features celebrities who are transformed by a team of special effects artists to go undercover as substitute teachers, surprising classes of unsuspecting students.
“This was wild,” Johnny captioned the teaser video below on Instagram on Friday (March 6). “Don’t miss me as The Substitute, saturday at 9/8c on @Nickelodeon! #NickSubstitute 😂.”
“Sorry for the technical issues but the #PHOBIASVIDEO is out now everywhere!!” Jacob wrote on Instagram. “This ones really special. come watch with me, i’ll be answering questions in the comments all weekend long lets go!!❤️ @emilyskinner.”
After the release,Johnny took to his Instagram to thank fans for their support so far.
“#Phobias is out now everywhere! this song means so much to me & i’m so happy it’s finally out in the world. this one’s different. go stream it!!🖤🖤,” Johnny wrote.
“Phobias” is available on all digital retailers or can be streamed below…
Click inside to read the lyrics to “Phobias”…More Here! »
“welcome to #TheLiveSessions! episode 1 of my new cover series is out now. first guest is @kenzie for “if the world was ending.” who should i bring on next?:)” Johnny wrote on his Instagram.
For their duet, Johnny and Kenzie covered “If The World Was Ending” by JP Saxe and Julia Michaels.
At the end of the video, text flashed on the screen saying that there is an announcement coming February 15th. We can’t wait to see what he has planned!
