Music video review: "If You Really Want To" by Ryan Whitman
By Mary Perez
Pop artist Ryan Whitman is an up-and-coming singer from Manhattan whose passion for music sprouted at a young age. From the age of 5, he began playing piano and discovering his love of R&B music. His music encourages individuality, hope, and empowerment.
Whitman’s music video for “If You Really Want To” is filled with nothing but representation. The video, paired with the upbeat, dance-worthy music, is extremely positive and really does highlight the diversity in the world. From different body shapes to a variety of tastes in fashion, Whitman showcases how universal his song’s message can be. “In this video, I wanted to showcase some of the wonderful people in my life, friends from different ages, backgrounds, cultures, etc. all coming together, some meeting each other for the first time, to embrace the message of joy and acceptance in ’“If You Really Want To,’” Whitman said. His intention was most definitely not lost during the filming; the video has people of all sizes, ages, colors, and styles, all dancing along to Whitman’s empowering song. Whitman’s genuine confidence really shines through the wide smile he has while dancing his way through the song. I love how each person’s uniqueness is shown through their actions. Some people feel more comfortable with their own choreography, some are singing along with huge smiles, some are being free and dancing without a care of what anyone else might think.
The song itself is easy to listen to and understand. The message, with its emphasis on living a life that you love in order to truly find yourself, is anthemic and a strong first song for Whitman to debut.
For fans of Troye Sivan and Years & Years, Ryan Whitman is bound to be your next favorite artist. His debut EP, Body Heat, is set to come out on June 22.
LISTEN TO "IF YOU REALLY WANT TO" BELOW: