Johnny Ruffo

With a working background as a concreter, 24 year-old Johnny Ruffo has successfully managed to switch trades over the last year to now cement a solid foundation as one of Australia's brightest and charismatic new pop sensations. From Balcatta in Western Australia, the talented young performer quickly emerged to become a finalist on the X-Factor, winning audiences with his pop/R&B style, smooth dance moves, good-looks, and magnetic performances. He's performed onstage with international hip hop superstars Salt 'N Pepa, Guy Sebastian and Reece Mastin, and was even hand-selected to support global pop sensations One Direction on their record-breaking tour down under, as well as touring with US pop icons Backstreet Boys and NKOTB. Adding to an already incredible 2012, Johnny also appeared as a serious contender on the Dancing With The Stars TV series, further solidifying his reputation as a captivating performer, as well as being chosen as a Cleo Bachelor Of The Year. Bringing the focus back around to the particular talent that initially brought him to Australia's attention - music - Johnny Ruffo is now ready to serve up the first taste of his own studio recordings with his debut single "On Top", released through Sony Music Australia. A self-taught singer and musician since his early teens, Johnny has been working day and night since his successful debut on the X-Factor, throwing himself into the industry with equal parts hard-work, talent, dedication and focus. “Being on a show like X-Factor is just a platform and an opportunity, and after that you’ve really got to work your ass off to create more opportunities because it’s just the beginning. If you go quiet for a couple of months, people will forget about you in a heartbeat; you really need to stay on top of it and work and work and work. I really don’t mind it though; I really want to show people that I’m here for the long haul and that I want to make a serious mark in the music industry. A naturally-gifted showman, Johnny Ruffo takes his cues from some of the world’s best performers. “I’m a fan of any entertainer that brings a lot to the table. Look at Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, and Chris Brown, and they all just bring so much to the music and their stage shows; it’s not just about singing and dancing for them, it’s also about personality and stage presence. That’s what I wanna show too.” It’s certainly all about personality and presence on Johnny Ruffo’s debut single “On Top” - a tongue-in-cheek club/pop romp that’s sure to have tongues wagging for its provocative and infectious lyrics. “I co-wrote the track with producers DNA [Guy Sebastian, Stan Walker, Timomatic], who I’ve been working with on my upcoming album. I was actually playing around and singing in the studio when I came up with the line “I’ll be on top of the world, when I’m top of you girl”, and the guys just looked at me and said, ‘Are you sure about that?’. They weren’t really sure about it at first, but like I said to them, it’s just catchy and fun. “For me, I love to push boundaries, and I love to push the envelope. I’m a pretty cheeky person and I love to have a bit of fun, so I like to push things to see how far I can go before I get into trouble. The song is cheeky and fun, but it’s not disrespectful in any way - hopefully people see the lighter side of it.” And what does Johnny’s mum think of the playful single? “Mum’s heard the track and she thinks it’s great. I could do anything on a CD and she’d love it... that’s what mums are for though,” he chuckles. “I just want to have fun with my music and for it to represent the fun side of my personality. I want to create music that’s a little bit sexy, and people can have fun to. This is my first single and I really want to make a mark with it and get people talking... I just wanna bring some sexy back.” Continuing to work on new songs, and with strong support from a loyal fan-base and international music commentators like Perez Hilton, Johnny Ruffo is on his way to the top of the charts. His likable lad-next-door appeal and musical talent fuse together to provide a clear combination for star potential. “On Top” is a sure-fire hit, and an impressive introduction to this year’s standout homegrown pop sensation. “I think “On Top” a great representation of the direction I’m going in with my music. It’s got that kinda soulful dance sound that’s big in pop right now, but it’s also pushing the boundaries and taking a few risks, both musically and lyrically, so that’s what I think makes it stand out even more. I really want my music to show off an edge and a specific identity, and I think we’ve really achieved that with “On Top”. http://www.johnnyruffoofficial.com http://smarturl.it/SheGotThatO.IT https://twitter.com/johnnyruffo http://instagram.com/johnny_ruffo