Words by Kristen Humphries
Maybe it’s the pearly white teeth and perfect quiff hair. Maybe it’s the synchronized dance moves and vocal riffs. More likely, it’s all the above. Call him the King of Fan Appreciation or falsetto legend — either way, you’re right. Harvey Cantwell, known by his stage name HRVY, is a 19-year-old pop singer from London. And there’s no denying the Beatlemania-type reaction: fan accounts on Twitter, selfie lines at the airport and the ability to track him down anywhere as if they were FBI agents. Not to mention Though HRVY racks up millions of views and followers across social platforms, music took a backseat for a while.
“There were things I couldn’t do because I was so young,” HRVY explains. He couldn’t drop everything and start his career, but he could put himself on the map. At 13, HRVY started uploading covers to YouTube, most notably Justin Timberlake and Trey Songz. Immediately, fans pined over the very things that brought fame to other teen heartthrobs like Justin Bieber, Austin Mahone, and Cody Simpson: singing, dancing, and a little bit of acting. Admittedly, HRVY dreams of being a triple-threat. “I still have a lot of work to do, but I’m prepared to work as hard as it takes.” And it’s that hard work that brought him to Chicago’s The Vic Theater, where Beyond the Stage got to chat with him about his music, his fans and his feelings on this newfound musical fame.
“I’m just loving life,” the English sensation gushes — and it’s written all over his face and perfectly-synced dance moves. HRVY acknowledges how his fans are the reason he’s here and how performing for them is unlike anything else. “My song ‘Holiday’ usually goes over pretty well and the same with the Bazzi cover.” Bazzi is a current favorite of HRVY’s, alongside Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, and other Top 40 names. “I’d love to do a song with Ed Sheeran,” he claims. We think his worldwide fans would appreciate that one.
Read the rest of our feature with HRVY here.
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