(NewsNation) — Artist and actor James Maslow says he hopes his new song will showcase the beautiful sides of Israel.
Maslow, famously known for his role in the television show and band „Big Time Rush,“ announced last week he was releasing a song, „On My Mind,“ as part of a collaboration with two Israeli singers, Shahar Saul and Maya Dadon.
The song celebrates Israel’s „diversity, the acceptance, and all the things that I know to be true about it,“ Maslow said Monday on „CUOMO.“
„I have been over there shooting the video to utilize this as hopefully a bridge to bring a bit of a better light to Israel, to Judaism, and hopefully start a conversation where people may realize, ‘Oh, wait a second, I may not have all the facts or I might be being misled right now,'“ he added.
Maslow chose Oct. 7 as release date for specific reason
Tuesday marks the second anniversary of the terror attacks by Hamas on Israel that shocked the country and the world.
Officials from Israel, Hamas and the U.S. are meeting in Egypt on Monday for indirect negotiations on a peace plan for Gaza. President Donald Trump has urged both sides to reach an agreement and quickly bring an end to the conflict.
As the war continues, Maslow acknowledged he chose Oct. 7 because of how it became a turning point for how the „country and this world have normalized a hate towards each other.“
„We have normalized antisemitism to the likes of which I never thought that I would see in my life,“ he said. „And that’s not OK. And that’s why I created this song, and that’s why I’m here today, and why I’m standing up.“
Maslow is set to travel to Washington, D.C., to join commemorations for the second anniversary of the attacks.
Maslow received recommendations for how song can resonate in Middle East
When writing the song, Maslow stated he got advice from his team on how his lyrics could resonate with the entire Middle East.
„I wrote the hook to be a little bit different, and then I actually collaborated with an amazing Israeli producer named Itai Shimoni,“ Maslow said. „And that was one of his first contributions.“
„He came in, he said, ‘Hey, if you want this to resonate in the Middle East and be more of a world music, which was the intention, change this to that.’ And it blew my mind. It made the song so much more unique and exciting for me,“ he acknowledged.
„On My Mind“ is streaming on all platforms, and the music video can be seen on YouTube.
