Joshua Henry Releases Cover of 'Stand Up' by The O'Jays

Joshua Henry has shared "Stand Up," a cover of The O'Jays' 2019 song that calls for love, unity and to "stand up." It feels more relevant than ever. The track is the second single from his upcoming debut EP Guarantee (S-Curve Records/BMG), produced by close collaborator Theron "Neff-U" Feemster (Michael Jackson, Dr. Dre, Justin Bieber, Doja Cat). Guarantee showcases Joshua's immaculately powerful voice and his intelligent storytelling background, brilliantly pairing themes of vulnerability, love, and hope born out of the pandemic. Hear "Stand Up" here and look for Guarantee this spring: http://joshuahenry.lnk.to/standup.

In line with the spirit and lyrics of "Stand Up" and the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr holiday -- a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities -- a portion of the proceeds from "Stand Up" will benefit DoSomething.org, the largest organization exclusively for young people and social change, activating over 5 million young people (and counting!) to make positive change, online and off, in every US area code and in over 131 countries. Henry will also participate in DoSomething's new 'Strength Through Service' program, which offers a curated group of volunteer and advocacy campaigns across different causes (COVID-19, racial inequality, more) for young people nationwide to show up for their communities. Running now through February 28, 2021, Strength Through Service also offers young people the chance to earn verified volunteer credit hours by participating in the program. DoSomething aims to help young people reach a collective 25,000 hours of community volunteerism. Those interested in joining Joshua Henry in the Strength Through Service program can sign up at DoSomething.org/JoshuaHenry.

Of the song and his relationship with DoSomething, Joshua notes:

"The sentiment of 'Stand Up' is what I try to keep in the front of my mind: love, service, trying to make a change for good. As an organization, DoSomething.org genuinely embodies that spirit.

DoSomething continues to mobilize millions of young people across the globe to volunteer to feed the hungry, register people to vote, disrupt racism, and so much more. In 2016, I wrote a song called 'Do Something' for their annual gala in New York City, and I've been searching for a way to continue to collaborate with them ever since.

I'm so grateful for this partnership and song to debut around Martin Luther King Day, a national day of service. This is my way of trying to inspire everyone (especially young people) to Stand Up, use your voice, and find your lane to serve. 2020 taught me, we can't sit back waiting for the world to change."

The upcoming Guarantee EP is Henry's latest artistic endeavor, following his success as an actor including his three Tony-nominated turns on Broadway (Scottsboro Boys, Violet and Carousel), performing as Aaron Burr in the first touring company of Hamilton, and his upcoming performance in Lin Manuel Miranda's highly anticipated directorial film debut Tick Tick... Boom! featuring Vanessa Hudgens, Andrew Garfield, Judith Light and others. Joshua's passion for music was rooted in childhood though and, as he progressed through Broadway, TV and film roles, Henry's heart beat out rhythms, his voice ringing with clarion emotion. But the entire time, he longed for an outlet to express his own story.

"This EP is full of my heart, but I also want people to jump and groove to it, to feel it cerebrally, spiritually, and bodily," Henry notes. "There was a blank canvas that took me back to when I was seven years old, just writing from my heart, with nothing to lose."

In addition to "Stand Up," Guarantee features Joshua's debut single "Hold Me." The exploration of balancing the relentless pursuit of a dream while needing to ask for love and support pairs Henry's regal falsetto with a rippling and kinetic neo-soul production. "Hold Me" was playlisted at DSPs including Spotify's "New Music Friday" (US, Canada, World) and Amazon's "The New Black," and you can watch the track's gorgeous video, filmed in his beloved NYC, here.

Hear Henry's cover of "Stand Up" here: