Prince Royce took center stage of the Democratic National Convention on its third night (Aug. 19), performing his 2010 bachata anthem “Stand By Me.”
“We felt that ‘Stand By Me’ would go perfectly with the convention’s message of unity and singing in both Spanish and English was important,” Prince Royce tells Billboard.
As the only Latin artist to perform during the four-day virtual event where Joe Biden was officially nominated as the Democratic candidate for the upcoming 2020 presidential election, Royce says he was motivated to be part of convention and represent Latinos.
“Of course I said yes,” he says. “All eyes are on the convention which for the first time is virtual and I was happy to be a part of it and represent the Latino community.”
At the end of his performance, Royce sent out a message of unity and issued a call to action. “Mi gente, let’s stand by each other and don’t forget to vote this November,” he said. “Together we can make a change.”
A record 32 million Latinos are projected to be eligible to vote in the 2020 presidential elections, according to the Pew Research Center, making Latinos now the largest minority group in the electorate. “There is no excuse for not voting,” Royce says. “The future is in our hands.”
Below, Prince Royce shares exclusively with Billboard what motivated him to perform at the DNC and what he expects from the next president of the United States.
Billboard: What motivated you to be part of the DNC this year?
Prince Royce: They reached out to invite me to perform and of course I said yes. All eyes are on the convention which for the first time is virtual and I was happy to be a part of it and represent the Latino community.
Why did you decide on the song you chose to sing?
We felt that “Stand By Me” would go perfectly with the convention’s message of unity and singing in both Spanish and English was important; it represents who I am and my community.
What do you expect from the next president of the United States?
What I expect of any future president of our nation is to be a true leader, to have integrity and dedication, to care about all Americans putting our country above politics and to be a unifying force in our diverse nation. We need the kind of leader that represents our country’s values and is able to properly deal with the pandemic that has been disproportionately affecting our country.
What’s your message to that young Latino who is still undecided on whether they’ll be casting a vote in the 2020 elections?
There is no excuse for not voting. It is our responsibility as citizens, and I mean that for whoever your favorite candidate may be. We must truly study the platforms of each candidate and vote for who we think is best to lead our country. The future is in our hands.
As a young Latino voter, what are some issues that are near and dear to your heart?
What’s important to me as a voter is unity and non-racism, education, immigration reform, the environment, our economy and dealing with the pandemic crisis in our country which is disproportionately affecting Latinos and continues to cripple our economy with each passing month.
