JACKSONVILLE, Fla — It took Taylor Fagins just thirty minutes to write 'We Need More'.
It’s a song he wrote to express his feelings about the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, all killed within three months of each other in 2020.
“Every single lyric meant something to me,” Fagins said. “I was writing about Ahmaud Arbery, but when I said little black boys don't go outside or walk the streets alone at night, I was thinking about my little brother.”
It’s a song that caught the attention of American Idol producers who he says invited him to audition. His performance aired during the Season 20 premiere epidsode last Sunday.
“I auditioned, showed up to L.A. and walked in the room and did my thing. I was very, very nervous,” Fagins said. “I decided to perform for the first time ever my original song on the piano. I've also never played the piano and sang at the same time for other people.”
The American Idol judges were moved by his song. He earned a golden ticket to Hollywood. He hopes his words resonate with everyone who hears them.
“I want them to first understand what it's like to see someone like you die on camera. I want them to understand the fear that that causes. But I also want them to understand how important it is to see the humanity in other people who don't look like you,” Fagins said. “That's what I want them to take away that there is there's something we have to fight for. And the thing we have to fight for is love. The thing we have to fight for is humanity.”