Johnny Orlando is in an enviable position. An artist who shot into the starlight at just 12 years old, a decade on and he’s somehow only just arriving at the most exciting moment in his career.
That’s what is clear to see as the 22-year-old treats an intimate The Garage crowd to an-hour-and-a-half of material old, new and unreleased. Orlando has a swagger about him and a huge grin on his face when talking about his upcoming releases.
There’s only a few of those new tracks on the setlist on Sunday night but they are the reason Orlando has put on a handful of smaller-venue shows. He tells The Garage as much, confessing that if they don’t vibe with a song, it’ll get binned.
There’s no risk of that, though. ‘That’s My Baby’ comes first and boasts a trademark Johnny Orlando sound. It’s a flick that the singer delivers with ease. Elsewhere, ‘Her Way’ is a groovier number that’s full of character and borders on sultry at times.
The two new highlights come in ‘Home’ and ‘Oh’. The former is a heartfelt ode to Canada, prompted after meeting a compatriot in his new home of LA. “This is the second saddest song I’ve written,” he chuckles – the first being ‘coping (1621), which the star chokes up over when introducing. Meanwhile, ‘Oh’ packs one hell of a punch with its rocky-influenced production.
There’s plenty of time for fan favourites too. ‘Vegas’ only came out last year but gets better with time and comes at the end of a relentless opening trio following ‘Temptation’ and ‘you’re just drunk’. Viral hit ‘What If (I Told You I Like You)’ is still rallied back despite its acoustic rework and ‘See You’ is a piece of brilliantly catchy pop.
Orlando also nods to some of his favourite artists in two covers. The first a curveball choice of Arctic Monkeys track ‘505’ and the second an easy win with Chappell Roan hit ‘Red Wine Supernova’. Johnny Orlando has the personality to make anything work and it’s a joy seeing him so excited by having his best music still to come.
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