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How Instagram Inspired R5’s If

How Instagram Inspired R5’s If

4:23·By Gemma G
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About this video

R5 stops by the YH Studio to treat us to a live acoustic version of their single "If" and then reveal to us the ultra-modern inspiration for the song! Ross, Riker, Rocky, Rydel, and Ellington also talk about their immense popularity in Japan, plus they reveal what happened when they went on a Tinder double-date!

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Young Hollywood

Oh my days run together like whiskey and coke. Oh my nights last forever like the Rolling Stones. All up in your timeline, double tapping on like, like, hoping that you don't mind, mind, that was four weeks old. All up in your eyes, eyes, we've been talking online, line. Chasing on lies, lies that you've heard before. This is R5. And I'm going to try and get everybody's name correct here. I think I can do it. Ellington, Rydel, Riker, Ross. Oh no! Rocky. Ross. I always I don't even know why, I've hung out with you guys the longest. I know. It's just you know what it is? It's just a tongue twister. Tongue twister. Yeah it's Rocky. And Ross. Tell me if you could love me, make me somebody. If you could love me do. Yeah. Can you take on my feelings, angels and demons. If you could love me do. I could be with you. Yeah. You guys are when you were writing if, did that come out of a jam session, maybe?

Ross

The inspiration for the song was actually like Instagram. I mean you can interpret it any way you want, but to me it's about, sorry it's about seeing someone you've never met before and wondering what you could be like together. Kind of thing.

Young Hollywood

So slide in into the DM.

Ross

Yeah.

Riker

This is the first time. We should we should have put Kind of like a blind date. We should we should have fit that like slide in your DM's into the song and when we play it live, we'll sing it now.

Rydel

It's like a digital world today, everybody is digital dating. It's like a modern it's like a modern romance.

Young Hollywood

Have you guys digital dated yet before?

Riker

That's what I was kind of on I was kind of on Tinder for a second, but

Young Hollywood

Tinder? You was on Tinder?

Riker

I gotta be honest with you guys. It it it was never a good thing.

Rydel

I did I went on a couple double dates with him. like from Tinder. So I wasn't on Tinder, but he would be like, hey, you know, come on like we would go out we would go meet two friends. And they're like, is your friend cute?

Young Hollywood

You can do the double date thing on Tinder so you guys can team up and get two other people on there. Are you on Tinder?

Riker

I'm on them all. I'm on them all.

Young Hollywood

Oh. Oh.

Riker

I am an inf I am a walking inf right here. Walking inf right here. I don't think I've been on a real date with a real person like eight months.

Young Hollywood

Tell me if you could love me, make me somebody. If you could love me, do. Can you take on my feelings, angels and demons. If you could love me, do. I could be with you. You guys have also toured the world, which is phenomenal.

Riker

Twice.

Ross

Twice.

Young Hollywood

We were just talking before when the cameras were off. These guys are huge in Japan. Huge in Japan, right?

Riker

We did pretty well, yeah.

Young Hollywood

Tell me what were we telling earlier about Japan?

Ross

Well, it's well, obviously like the fans there are amazing. Um and we always have a great time and we always play amazing shows. Actually last time we went we played Summer Sonic with like Radiohead and Weezer and like who are some others?

Riker

Panic! At The Disco.

Ross

Panic! At The Disco.

Young Hollywood

So when you guys get off the plane though, is it just like chaos right away, fans already ready?

Riker

The first time it was.

Young Hollywood

What was that experience like?

Riker

It was well, that time it was really unexpected.

Young Hollywood

Really?

Riker

Yeah cuz nobody

Young Hollywood

Did it scare you?

Riker

Not really. It's heavy. Yeah, it was heavy heavy. First time over so it was just like we just had no clue what to expect. And I think that was like, all right, this is their first time here. That's what the fans are thinking. So they all came out for that like first arrival to Japan. No, it was it was honestly, it was insane and because the whole time we're going to Japan everyone's like, okay, it's going to take a second to like get these people interested in your music and everything like that and we showed up in the airport and we're like, what? And and like our van had all of our faces on it like like big like and it was like, all right, that's going to be awesome.

Young Hollywood

World tour that sounds so like intense intense in a great way. Young Hollywood, we are out. This is R5.

Timestamps are approximate — click one to jump the player.

PEOPLE MENTIONED

  • Ellington

    Member of R5

  • Rydel

    Member of R5

  • Riker

    Member of R5

  • Ross

    Member of R5

  • Rocky

    Member of R5

  • Radiohead

    Band R5 played Summer Sonic with

  • Weezer

    Band R5 played Summer Sonic with

  • Panic! At The Disco

    Band R5 played Summer Sonic with

FAQ

What is the inspiration behind R5's song "If"?+
R5 revealed that Instagram was the inspiration for their song "If," describing it as being about seeing someone you've never met and wondering what could be between you.
Have members of R5 used dating apps?+
One member of R5 admitted to being on Tinder for a second, and another joined him on a couple of double-dates arranged through the app.
How popular is R5 in Japan?+
R5 is very popular in Japan, having played at Summer Sonic with bands like Radiohead and Weezer, and experienced overwhelming fan reception upon their first arrival.
What was R5's first experience arriving in Japan like?+
Their first arrival in Japan was unexpected and chaotic, with many fans gathered at the airport, which surprised the band given their previous expectations.
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