Johnny Manuel finds himself reliving the same day over again in his “Out of Time” video.
The black-and-white visual was inspired by the 1993 classic film, Groundhog Day, which Manuel says was “the brainchild” of his creative team.
“They came up with the idea of depicting a sense of feeling trapped in a never-ending cycle, which resonated with my own feelings about time. I have a love/hate relationship with time, so it felt like a fitting concept for the video,” explains Manuel.
The video shows Manuel’s morning routine: brushing his teeth, drinking his tea and getting dressed. Although he doesn’t go anywhere, it doesn’t stop him from getting out of bed each day to embrace another chance at conquering his dreams. The video sends a powerful reminder to focus on the journey, not the destination.
“We wanted the video to convey a sense of hope and positivity,” says Manuel. “It might seem like we’re running out of time, but in reality, everything happens exactly when it should, I think it’s important to learn to loosen the chokehold we have on time and work with it instead, because we don’t want to hold on so tightly that we suffocate it. I’m in the process of learning to do that myself, and I hope that’s the takeaway from this for others as well.”
“Out of Time” is lifted from Manuel’s latest EP, Younger Skin, which he independently released in October 2022. It’s the third song from the EP, following “The Others” and “Again,” that has received video treatment.
Younger Skin was inspired by Manuel’s early experience navigating the music industry. Manuel, formerly known as Lil’ Johnny, was signed to Warner Bros. Records as a teen. The Flint, Michigan, native released a sampler for his debut album, I Got You, in 2001, which featured production by Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox and Tricky Stewart, to name a few.
“I had to confront my archaic past and the hold it still had on me. There was a healing that needed to take place if I wanted to move forward in music, and this EP is that,” Manuel tells Rated R&B. “Delving into my storied history was complicated but it was imperative. It helped me emotionally rectify the disservice that was done to me by people I trusted and looked up to in the industry.”
Manuel adds, “Younger Skin is me mending old wounds and stepping into the artist I’ve always wanted to be. It’s the musical journey of me freeing myself.”
Part of Manuel’s musical journey includes competing in various shows to share his beautiful gift of voice. In 2017, competed in season 12 of America’s Got Talent, where he reached the semi-finals.
The following year, he joined the group Equinox to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest. Most recently, in 2020, Manuel contended in The Voice Australia, where he became a finalist.
Watch Rated R&B’s premiere of Johnny Manuel’s “Out of Time” video below, plus stream his Younger Skin EP.
