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Latin pop star Johann Vera just released a new song about coming out, and a certain hunky music icon had some encouraging words for him!
Ricky Martin is showing love and support to another Latin pop star who just recently came out!
Johann Vera, who first appeared on The X Factor in Colombia as a preteen and later was a contestant on Ricky Martin and Simon Cowell's Spanish-language music competition show La Banda, has released a new song opening up about his sexuality.
Vera, 28, is known for songs like "Donde Naci," "Vuelo a Paris," and "Astronauta," and has also appeared in several TV shows.
With his new song "Closet," he is opening up about his sexuality for the first time.
After releasing the song, Vera was surprised on the Univision morning show Despierta América with a special video message from the King of Latin Pop, Ricky Martin.
"From the first moment we saw you in La Banda, we knew that you had a lot of talent and you were very special. A lot of success, a lot of focus, a lot of light, and a lot of peace above all. I think it is extremely important that you are mentally well in your heart to be able to achieve many things," he said (translated from Spanish). "I think you are on the right path, just surround yourself with positive people. A lot of light for you, a lot of success, a lot of strength, a lot of blessings, and a lot of success in everything you strive for. Lots of love, always lots of light, lots of strength moving forward, brother. All the best, hugs."
Vera revealed that he wrote the song two years ago after his psychologist asked him to write a letter to his younger self.
"I always thought these things didn't need to be discussed publicly. Now that I look back, I was afraid to accept myself and put forward what was known, but I hid," he wrote.
"We started writing a love song, and the three straight writers started giving me ideas of "that girl, that woman" and I just said 'yes' to everything even though I wasn't connecting with it inside. Although I love women too, at that time I was in love with a man."
He explained that he just couldn't take it anymore and walked out. When he came back, he opened up about his feelings, and said that the song was written in just minutes.
"It ended up being the least difficult song to write because it's the one I had to think about the least," he added. "After that I changed things and re-recorded it like 3 times lol but that's only because it was so important to me that I wanted it to be beautiful."
Thank you to my whole circle of people who love and support me around me," he added, saying that the message of the song "goes beyond your sexual preference, it's about living lives that aren't yours to make others happy."
Listen below.
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
