William Shakespeare once remarked in a sonnet how “much more doth beauty beauteous seem / By that sweet ornament which truth doth give.” In a similar fashion (and with country-pop instead of iambic pentameter), On The Outside encourages all – especially women conditioned to doubt their self-worth and value by a patriarchal society – to embrace their own “truth” and strength in the new music video for their song, “How Beautiful.” The visual, released on International Women’s Day (March 8), sees the band — Andrew Bloom, Dawson Huckabee, Devin Hayes, Jon Klaasen, and Sam Jenkins — serenade a group of women staring into mirrors, ultimately recognizing just “how beautiful” they really are.
“Is beauty strictly defined by physical attributes someone possesses? We don’t believe so. We want to encourage others to find what makes them beautiful both inside and outside,” OTO tells HollywoodLife. “Unfortunately, we often lose the plot of what makes us uniquely beautiful. Sometimes we all need a reminder, and ‘How Beautiful’ sets out to do just that.”
In addition to the launch of the new song, the band is launching the #HowBeautiful challenge. “Taking a cue from the song’s pre-chorus that states ‘I want you to see what I see,’ OTO’s the #HowBeautifulChallenge seeks to do just that,” the band tells HollywoodLife. Helping the band with the #howbeautifulchallenge and social media campaign is the JED Foundation, a nonprofit that works to protect the emotional health of America’s teens and young adults, working with high schools and colleges to strengthen their suicide prevention programs, mental health, and substance abuse systems.
“We are inspired by On The Outside’s message of inclusivity with the #howbeautiful challenge and their steps to make a difference in the world of comparison culture,” Adee Sharpen of the JED Foundation shared in a statement. “This challenge will hopefully reach young people who are hurting and realize they are not alone and that there is help standing by.”
@ontheoutside Just thought you should know… 🥰😘 (NEW SONG LINK IN BIO) #ontheoutside #boyband #funny #perspective #pov #fyp #howbeautiful
Quickly developing a massive following online after their formation in 2019, OTO has often been described in the press as “if One Direction had a love child with Dan + Shay.” While that’s a fair description of a band that has recognized the fluidity between pop and country in these modern years, OTO is clearly carving out their own path in the music world. With a handful of powerful singles under their belt – “How Did You Know,” “Why Me,” “Just Keep Driving,” to name a few – and a massive fanbase on TikTok (4.2 million and counting), it won’t be long before bands are being compared to OTO.
