Like Beyonce before him, Yanni Burton is “dangerously in love” in his new single and music video, “Worth It,” a song he wrote with Nate Campany (Dua Lipa, Carly Rae Jepsen, Adam Lambert, Christina Aguleria and Tove Lo) about the intoxicating and sometimes overwhelming sensation of an exciting new passion. The song was inspired as he states, “by the time I was performing a classical music festival inside a European castle in the middle of nowhere”. As it sometimes does happen Burton met a boy, “went crazy” and the predictable romantic entaglements followed.
“Worth It” was produced by Lars Soderberg (Lauv, Adam Rickfors, Black Eyed Peas’ Printz Board), and is Yanni Burton’s fourth independent single release this year. The video tells the beautiful story of a playful charming fling between boys and explores what happens when it transforms into a toxic situation, where sometimes pushing the boundaries of fun and games suddenly changes into a truly life altering moment.
Directed by Tiger Darrow, the video captures a late seventies European summer vibe, depicting Yanni as fledgling gay being seduced by a charming, edgy bad boy (played by Kevin William Reed) and leads into breaking into a Connecticut mansion. The boys frolic around the gardens in their underwear, make-out in the massive swimming pool and have sex all over the house. “The idea is that relationships can be one sided and dangerously blind,” says Yanni. “The price can be high and you have to wonder, is it worth it?”
Burton says “Where I certainly wouldn’t want to go to jail from a fling, I can see how allowing a guy to take control and lead me down a risky path I would never normally take, can be exciting. The experience of that energy, lust and passion from being dangerously in love will last a life time and so yeah, maybe for me, it is worth it.”
Burton grew up in Adelaide, Australia. the small town down under that also birthed the dynamic pop singer Sia. The young man with Priscialla Queen of the Desert fashion sensibilities (complete with gold sneakers, booty shorts, and tank top) eventually ended up attending the prestigious Juilliard School in Manhattan where he studied the double bass. He now holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in orchestral performance and is Producer and General Manager of the Salome Chamber Orchestra, where he has performed alongside a long list of celebrated artists, everyone from John Legend, Michelle Williams, Natasha Beddingfield and Rufus Wainwright. Coincidentally, John Legend and Rufus Wainwright were instrumental in helping Yanni to obtain an artist green card. Both of these legendary artists wrote letters of support for his US residency.
Yanni describes life today as a “gay thirty-something in New York City” where he religiously attends Barry’s Bootcamp, pays too much rent and complains about it every second he can. He has also found love. He and fiancé were engaged last fall and plan to walk down the aisle this spring.
Yanni Burton’s “Worth It” is available on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms. Visit https://www.yanniburton.com
Photo Credits: Dusty St. Amand