Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Josh Killacky

Josh Killacky danced his way into our hearts with appearances on Good Morning America, Dancing with the Stars, and The X Factor, and you’ve likely seen several of his viral videos that have taken the internet by storm. What you may not know is that Josh is also a talented singer-songwriter who’s combining both crafts together and bringing dance performance back into the industry.

Pop Culturalist caught up with Josh to chat about this exciting moment in his career, his new single “Workin,” and how he hopes the song inspires listeners to get up and dance.

PC: There are a lot of different facets to your career. You act, sing, and dance. How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Josh: I discovered my passion for the arts from joining a local dance studio near me at the age of twelve. Prior to that, I did ten years of tae kwon do. I did travel baseball. I did soccer. I found myself getting bored of doing the same thing over and over. I wasn’t able to express myself and my personal thoughts. I always felt different from the crowd. Once I joined that local dance studio and took a dance class, from there on out, I was just moved, changed. My entire mindset and perspective of what I wanted to do with my life was turned around because this is something that I finally found that I was not getting bored of because there’s always new music and there are always new ways to move your body and whatnot.

On top of that, there is a certain degree where you can just express. I felt like I could express myself to a deeper level rather than getting kicked in the face every day and then running around the bases. I felt like I needed more. I needed to express myself even more and show my own identity through that. So finding that one dance class was the ultimate way for me to find out about the arts and get creative.

PC: When you look at your career as a whole, who or what has had the biggest influence, either personally or professionally?
Josh: The person that had the biggest influence in my life was this director, creator, choreographer by the name of David Moore. He mentored me through the start of my career, and we’ve been like a dream team dynamic duo throughout pretty much everything whenever him and I got opportunities, whether that being directing or choreographing a commercial or a movie or a show or even directing music videos. We are always working together. He really helped guide me—just knowing how to direct behind the camera and framing, angles, and coloring. He also gave me my first opportunities as an assistant choreographer on professional jobs and teaching classes.

He was with me from the start when I first started getting the “light” on me from this viral hoverboard dance video that we created when I was sixteen years old. We got flown out to perform in the middle of Times Square on Good Morning America. This was at the time when hoverboards weren’t negatively looked at, blowing up and stuff. [laughs] We were doing something that had never been done before, which was dancing on hoverboards and being innovative. David and I have always loved to push the creative boundaries.

PC: You have had a lot of success throughout the year. Is there a particular moment that kind of stands out?
Josh: I have to bring it back to performing in the middle of Times Square on Good Morning America, just because it was a live show. It was scary because you trust technology, when it can either break or shut down or who knows what. Being on live TV and praying that they worked perfectly, trusting technology. Performing in the middle of Times Square was the first time that a nonmusical act had done that.

Knowing that we were in a sense creating history to some degree felt so fulfilling. I felt like my purpose was being seen and getting that light on us and people standing around us with signs that said “BotBroz.” It was like we were this hoverboard boy band to a certain degree. That was a huge one. That is where I was like, “Wow. The impact social media has, opening opportunities.”

PC: You have grown up in the limelight, like you were just saying. What was that like? What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew as you were embarking on this journey?
Josh: That’s a good question. I never thought about that. Being in the flow of things, now that I have matured throughout the industry, I guess I would have to say don’t be afraid to say no to things. There’s a lot of times where I am just such a yes-man and we’ll sign contracts and we’ll collaborate with someone or do a project that just isn’t worth it.

Of course, it’s an experience, and at the time I wanted to do everything. I was so excited, but there are times where it’s totally okay to put my foot down and say, “I don’t really support this project or this person because of other things going on.” That’s totally okay. Nowadays, I take pride because I feel like I know myself more and I’m honoring what I believe in and my morals.

PC: Most people will know you as a dancer, but now you’re embarking on this next chapter in your career as a music artist. What was the biggest thing that you learned from dance that you’ve now been able to apply to music?
Josh: I would have to say melodies. As a dancer, I’m constantly listening to music twenty-four seven. Music is my medicine, constantly dancing to completely different styles and genres of music. So I think having an ear, and I would have to say musicality-wise. As a dancer, you know when someone is going to feel something based on constantly adding elements in the song. Dancers love having little intricate beats in the background that they can bring out to make it hit harder. So I would say being a dancer and learning musicality to the depth that I have. I tried to transition that into my music where if something is riding too long and whatnot, I’m like, “Okay. We need different elements that come and go out of it so it creates this roller coaster where you’re excited for the next thing and the next thing.”

PC: You just released a single. Tell us about “Workin” and the inspiration behind the song.
Josh: The inspiration behind “Workin” was to create something with positive energy. Right now our world is in a rough place. I wanted to motivate people to get up and get active. It’s hard to get out of your Netflix-and-chill flow of things: “I’m going to sleep until two o’clock p.m. and go with the flow.”

I really created the song to motivate people to get up and dance and do one of my challenges to it or let yourself go and refresh that mindset with positive energy and confidence. It also feels like a song for a workout. I was hoping to bring the highest energy possible into the song, especially with the time right now. I wanted to refresh people’s mindset about everything.

PC: Like you were saying earlier, you just released the dance visual video for it, which is awesome. When you’re working on new music, are you thinking about how you can incorporate the other facets of your craft—your talent—and bringing them together?
Josh: Yeah. We have like ten to fifteen songs stacked in a folder getting to release and whatnot, but I’m always thinking about ways to involve creative ideas, creative dance concepts with my music. Sometimes I will come up with—it’s funny—I will come up with a dance concept and then make a song about that concept or vice versa. I will hear my song and I will be like, “Whoa. That matches cool with this idea and this has never been done before.” They always go hand in hand.

That’s the most important thing. That is my priority to bring dance and dance performance back into the music industry. Back in the way when Usher, Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake had these full-on dance performances. I feel like our music industry sometimes shies away from that. I’m trying to fill that gap and bring that performance level back into it.

PC: You’re going to be releasing a couple of more singles throughout the year leading into a larger body of work. What can fans expect? What do you hope to say as an artist?
Josh: Be ready! The coolest part about my music is I feel like I don’t stick in one lane. The next song is not as high energy as the first one, and then the song that we’re getting ready to release even after that is more like an acoustic guitar feel, more singing. I feel like my music can go from a high-energy workout feel to then the next song being an acoustic guitar feel. You start thinking about your ex-lover. I want to connect my music on all levels.

So whether that be motivating you, whether that be getting you through a tough time or relationship, a struggle in life, a bump in the road, I want my music to be there for everyone else like how it was there for me. That’s why I don’t want to stick to just hype energy. I want to have a guitar and be able to sing about my life and hope it connects to someone else.

PC: If you had to pick one song that you’re about to release in the next year that best encompasses who you are as an artist, what would it be and why?
Josh: I would have to say “Love Better,” which is the acoustic song that my fans and supporters will get in maybe a month—maybe not. “Love Better” is the acoustic guitar feel. It’s about just one of my exes and being appreciative of what we had in order for me to grow and be a better person for someone else. I know a lot of people getting out of a relationship say, “Okay. F- that person. I’m going to block them.” You just have this negative feel about it. I accepted it more maturely. You learn from every relationship you get in. I just translated that in more of a positive manner and what I took from it. Now it’s like, “Hey, thanks to you, I can love better.” But love better for this person. [laughs]

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Josh: Kid LAROI. He’s more in the hip-hop field. Maybe Jack Harlow as well. Jack Harlow and Kid LAROI are some of my favorite hip-hop artists right now.

PC: First album you bought or streamed?
Josh: It was probably Eminem. I grew up listening to Eminem and 50 Cent’s music. This is back when I would buy CDs. But Eminem was my first music artist I really connected to. I think it was because growing up, I looked like a little Eminem. I would have really, really blond hair, shaved head, a little white boy that I would try to dress like Eminem as well. So people would always be like, “You look like Eminem.” Then from there, I would listen to his music. I was like, “Oh, okay. Okay.”

PC: First concert you attended?
Josh: First concert I ever attended was, to be honest, a couple of years ago, or maybe two: Post Malone. Post Malone is a huge influence in my music, but we were at the Hollywood Bowl, which is an outdoor concert feel. The way it is set up, it is like stack, stack, stack, stack, stack. So you can see everything, and you have your own section and whatnot, and hearing his voice live just inspired me so much. He was crying and singing to a song, being so vulnerable on stage like that. I just took it all in. I was like, “One day—one day I want to sell out this Hollywood Bowl and do this exact same thing.”

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Josh: Stoney by Post Malone. First, it got me through a relationship. I’m going to just say that. Second of all, the fact that he has those guitar feels where he’s more so singing on it, then having an upbeat congratulations song and high-energy stuff. That is the idea I want to put on my album. Be almost, like, equivalent to that feel. I just love his voice. I love his raspiness and his rock star hip-hop feel he has in his voice.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Josh: Madison Square Garden.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Josh: When I am on the road, must-have would probably be an Xbox. I think having Xbox on the road. I know rides are going to be long, so having my boys with me and playing some Fortnite or Call of Duty is going to kill some time.

To keep up with Josh, follow him on Instagram and Spotify. Pick up or stream “Workin” today.