Thomas Orlina Is Back With Exciting New Visuals For “I Want It Right Now”

Thomas Orlina is a multi-dimensional force in the entertainment world. He wears many hats as an accomplished singer and songwriter and shines as a host and producer.

Of Filipino-American heritage, he's passionate about mental health advocacy and is well-known in the industry. He has established a significant following on social media and is dedicated to utilizing his platform for social good. He seeks to raise awareness on societal issues such as diversity, mental health, and the Stop Asian Hate movement, amongst many others. Orlina's impactful activism for the LGBTQ+ community has earned him multiple features by GLAAD, a leading LGBTQ+ rights organization.

From his docu-series on YouTube, "Your Time With Thomas," reaching over 100k views, to being featured by Forbes for his music, Orlina has established himself as a versatile artist. Thomas is celebrating Pride month by releasing his fourth song, "I Want It Right Now," on June 8th. He added to the excitement by unveiling an accompanying music video to be released on June 23rd.

"I Want It Right Now" is more than an everyday pop song. It holds a powerful message celebrating the beauty of self-confidence and embracing your individuality. The song's message is conveyed in the music video, directed by Sophie Peineke and edited by Charles Gray. The video opens with Orlina surrounded by dancers, sipping wine, bathed in ambient light flashes. As the song accelerates, the visuals become even more mesmerizing.

The dancers synchronization is accompanied by a few solo performances, adding layers of complexity. The footage symbolizes unity and individuality, mirroring the song's lyrical themes. The celebratory atmosphere is not only a nod to Pride month but a reflection of Orlina's ongoing advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and unapologetic expression.

Welcome back to BuzzMusic, Thomas Orlina, to discuss your new music video for your latest hit, “I Want It Right Now.” Your music has a distinct culmination of electronic dance music with an early 2000s flair. Which artists or songs have played a key role in shaping your musical style?

Thank you, BuzzMusic, for having me! Much of my sound was inspired by the early 2000s because that era was a big part of my life. Social media was limited; it was about waiting for the music to release on MTV or hearing it on the radio. In my music, we’ve pulled references from Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and more. I think Max Martin is a music genius, so I try to make my sound as close to his music as possible.

“I Want It Right Now” is an auditory celebration accompanied by visuals that flawlessly reflect the song's energy. What inspired the concept for your latest music video?

The song is vibrant, celebrating confidence and embracing who we are as people. So for the visual, I wanted to embody that. For this music video, I wanted a visual that had heavy choreography and gave my fans something they’d never seen before. You’ll also see an arrangement of colors representing the LGBTQ flag, which was important to me as an artist with a mission to spread inclusivity and diversity.

The visuals for “I Want It Right Now” are lit with many bright colors, ranging from vivid pink to cool blue. How do the colors use in the footage reflect the theme or message of the song?

We wanted to have this project ready for summer and Pride month. The colors reflect being free and celebrating who we are as people. It’s such a freeing song, so I think the video does a good job of representing having a great time, partying the night away, and feeling sexy.

As an experienced musician and producer, you have developed an impressive portfolio of songs and music videos. Your visuals uniquely capture the various facets of your values as a Human Rights advocate. How does “I Want It Right Now” differentiate itself from your previous music videos?

Every project I’ve worked on has a direct message I’m trying to convey. My team and I take a lot of time pairing the lyrics with the visuals. In “Brush It Off,” I wanted to highlight the Black Lives Matter movement and speak on empowerment. “Journey” was about romance, a nod to my partner, and sharing my love of travel. For “This Time,” my most personal song yet, I talked about the importance of mental health awareness. The difference between “I Want It Right Now” is that this project is about feeling good in your skin. From the choreography to the interaction with my dancers, it’s a celebration of life and being more assertive. I think the video reflects that.

As a notable figure and activist in the LGBTQ+ community, what is the significance of releasing your music video during Pride month? What do you hope listeners take away from this project?

A: Growing up, I never really saw any examples of public figures that looked like me that inspired me to go after my dreams in music. There was rarely any Filipino-American gay artist who I looked up to. Now you have people like global superstar Bretman Rock on the cover of Vogue Philippines and Grammy-winning artist Olivia Rodrigo on the scene; I think it’s great for the Filipino community to see more mainstream artists. I hope whoever watches this music video, especially during Pride month, realizes that anything can happen with the right mindset and team. My journey hasn’t been easy, but I never gave up on myself, and to this day, I am doing more with my career than ever before. I want people to feel more confident with themselves and the decisions they make in the future.

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