Arnel Pineda. Image: Facebook/Arnel Pineda
A week after Arnel Pineda shocked fans with his offer to quit the American rock band Journey, Pineda clarified that his statement was an option he didn’t take lightly, and he’s aware of its possible consequences.
On Facebook on Saturday, Sept. 21, Pineda gave fans a chance to vote him out of Journey after he struggled to reach the high notes of their hit song “Don’t Stop Believin” at the Rock in Rio music festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This led to the musician clarifying the intention behind his post on Instagram on Thursday, Sept. 26, saying it was a “risk” where he expected the “backlashes it will cause.”
“I took the risk of asking the fans and friends something that I know only few could ever understand — the GO or the STAY,” he said. “Believe me or not, I didn’t take it lightly when I decided to say it. Plus, I have my very valid reasons why and I have expected the backlashes/negativities/confusions it will cause and generate.”
Pineda also thanked his fans for the “very heartening words of support” while noting that he still has respect for his “haters [and] supporters.”
“From my heart and from my soul, I know what I feel and see. We are where we are [supposed] to be… It all boils down to one thing. One day, the band will just throw in the towels but the [legacy] that the original members has created will live on [forever]. That’s the takeaway right there,” he explained.
In follow-up posts on Instagram, the musician reiterated his gratitude to his fans.
Pineda did not directly indicate in his posts if he would decide to remain a member of the band or leave for good.
Following his controversial offer earlier this month, Pineda received support from his bandmates Deen Castronovo and Jonathan Cain.
The Filipino singer was introduced as the lead singer of Journey in February 2008 at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Viña del Mar, Chile.
He replaced the band’s original vocalist Steve Perry.