Dennis LeupoldRising singer Johann Vera is ready to take on the music world and he's going to do it in two languages.
The 20-year-old isn't new to the scene, for many, he became a household name after being featured on Simon Cowell's La Banda, but he's now focusing on singing solo. Today, he's premiering his single "Pretty Girl (This One's for You)," which he first debuted in Spanish.
For the star, the song and its message hit home. "It was really funny for me when we were writing and translating because the first thing that I would think of was obviously my first love. So every time I am performing the song or thinking about the song, I think about that first love," he said exclusively to E! News. "I wanted to send the message that if you find someone special, do anything that is within your reach not to lose it."
But for the Latino singer, it was imperative to have the song in the two languages that he speaks. "I decided to do this song in English because for me as a millennial that lives in the United States, I feel that English is part of who we are, obviously Spanish is really important but English is just part of who we are," he said. "I also wanted to start opening my audience, to start showing I am not only a Latin artist, I can also be a global artist and I can also do English music."
When it comes to inspiration, Johann looks at artists like Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull and Shakira. "I really want to follow those types of models of what they have done and create my own style, create music and give a great message to the world," he said.
Interestingly enough, when it comes to celebrity crushes, the singer's already got his eye on one special lady. "It's Camila Cabello from Fifth Harmony. I think she's beautiful and a Latina with so much attitude," he said. "She is just a great performer and a great artist, so she is my crush."