Russell Horning was just an ordinary everyday kid doing his thing without fame in mind. The saying that a man’s gift will help him stand before kings and not common men could not be truer in the case of this gifted child. He managed to turn his ineptitude into an impressive online following with several celebrity followers.
He knows how to dance and makes wonderful movements that defy comprehension. It comes effortlessly to him and he never thought it would make him famous, at least not of the kind he currently loves. The bedroom was his stage like most of us have the bathroom as our stage where we have thousands of onlookers in our heads, listening to the songs we sing – hoarse voices you might want to add.
Rihanna posted a hilarious video of him on her Instagram page for her reaction after being nominated for eight Grammys in December 2016. The little girl celebrated the event and the video went super viral as many other pages posted it. Thanks to this, he had 55,000 followers in two days.
The following year, in May 2017, he danced Saturday Night Live with Katy Perry, an experience he described as truly special and unique.
Who is Russell Horning?
Russell Horning is the backpack kid who is known for his interesting and fun dance moves. He started posting the videos on Instagram after performing in front of an audience at a church camp in 2014. Russell was right in thinking that if he had such acceptance outside the network, he could earn even more with the community. in line. And he certainly had more and gained fame that he never even imagined.
The backpack kid was born on December 19, 2001, in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He has a younger sister named Jill and her mother, Anita Redd, who leads her into the celebrity category like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, who have mothers who have their backs at home and on the court.
After his meteoric rise to stardom, he scored a host of commercials for a number of brands. He shot a promotional video for the Georgia Swarm Lacrosse team at Ronald Reagan Park and even took part in their game on June 4, 2017. He also did a commercial for Checkers to promote their $1 Fries campaign. There is also a movement to design backpacks and other clothing such as hoodies, socks, caps, t-shirts based on him.
What did he do to become famous?
While many received the ticket to fame for appearing in a movie or TV series or even a reality show, others for living out their passions, be it music, fashion or even infamous acts, Russell got his for doing what he claimed was not dancing well – and that for a comedic kind of purpose.
Russell Horning is simply famous for his dance moves. Her signature dance moves called The Russell which fans also named Flossing is her claim to fame. In the dance move, he quickly swings his arms around his body while flailing his hips and maintaining a stone-black gaze, with his backpack of course. This is what also allowed him to have a place in the performance of Katy Perry within his new single, SNL. Swish Swish
He thinks the secret to his success is simple, he was just being himself and being original. While everyone was trying to dance in good form to become famous, Russell Horning invented a new kind of dance and that’s what blew it up.
The kid’s backpack has been on the internet since 2014 with his Instagram account originally registered as Majestic Cat Lover. In January 2015, with just over 400,000 followers, he got his first big win when an Instagram user with 700,000 followers tagged him in a video. His supporters exploded by thousands more. He will later change his account name to i_got_barzz.
It seemed that with every name change on his account, there is a major uplift and prominence. In January 2016, one of her dance videos went viral, earning her a spot on the avenue of fame. His current account name, however, is thebackpackkid, which has over 1.7 million followers. There he documents his dance moves.
How could he dance with Katy?
This is the case of time and chance that happen to everything or better, preparation for an opportunity meeting. It happened that the pop singer saw his account on her recommendation page in May 2017 and, seeing that he likes doing what he does, what she likes about him, she invited Russell to perform with her .
What’s like every kid’s dream, appearing on national TV even if it’s not with a famous personality has come true for this kid.
On Saturday Night Live, he showcased his stardom and moved all over the United States with the same movement. He also starred in Katy’s video for the song. The music video has been viewed over 300 million times on YouTube. Collaboration with the singer led to an exponential increase in the number of his followers.
What’s with the backpack?
The starlet had no intention of being famousall things like a backpack kid. But things like that just happen. Who would have told the Selfiekid, 13-year-old Ryan McKenna at Justin Timberlake’s 2018 Super Bowl halftime show in Minneapolis that he would be recognized as such?
According to Russel, his friend was carrying a pod bag, and it seemed cool to him. He loved it and wanted it too. The two friends decided to trade and they did after which he started dancing with it. However, before the internet dubbed him The Backpack Kid, he was already a social media sensation on Instagram.
What’s in the bag?
He carries a water bottle (to add weight to the body so he doesn’t bounce around while he dances and quenches his thirst), a charger and spinners, a goat case (to stick his phone against a wall when he needs to film a video), his portfolio, among other things this occasion may require.
Russell Horning Other Interesting Facts
He released two original songs; Flossin’ and 2Litt and have a plan to join the music industry as a rapper one day.
Despite his celebrity status, he still has a normal lifestyle and does what other kids his age enjoy playing Xbox One and going swimming with friends, sleeping at people’s houses.
His description of the Instagram page bears the phrase,end racism. The legend arose after facing backlash online for dancing with black people. However, he thinks he makes the world a better place to dance with different races. At least he has a social conscience even though he may not be an activist.
For his education, he uses a mixture of traditions and online school to manage his net stardom. Normal school is to stay in tune with his social environment while the online part allows it so he can travel for his videos.
His dance moves reached incredible heights in the fall of 2017, when a few NFL players such as Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Mack Hollins adopted his move to celebrate touchdowns.
He danced at Rae Sremmurd’s Swang in summer 2017.
Russell has appeared in music videos by affiliate dance duo Usher, Ayo & Teo and Blac Youngsta.