Cover Filipino singer-songwriter juan karlos (Photo: courtesy of Universal Music Group Philippines)
Filipino singer-songwriter juan karlos (Photo: courtesy of Universal Music Group Philippines)
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For the artist, the most beautiful thing about music is that it’s creative and free—that’s why he can never push that aside
During the first season of the popular TV singing competition The Voice Kids Philippines, we all saw a young half-Filipino, half-German boy charm the audience and judges with ease, singing a sweet rendition of Adam Sandler’s Grow Old With You. The young man—Juan Karlos Labajo—instantly won the hearts of everyone who saw him perform, earning the approval of his coach, singer-songwriter Bamboo, renowned pop superstar Sarah Geronimo, and Tony Award-winning artist Lea Salonga. Although landing only in third place overall, Labajo, now known as juan karlos, was guaranteed a future in the industry. “I see a singer, an artist, and possibly an actor. I see someone who has the charisma to do it all,” says Bamboo then.
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Today, 22-year-old juan karlos has his claws on the music and acting scene, and he’s there to stay. He’s been breaking barriers—making history with his single ERE, the first Filipino song to debut on the global chart of music streaming platform Spotify. The song is part of his latest album, Sad Songs and Bulls**t Part 1, which the artist describes as a compilation of “all the love songs that I made for someone whom I gave so much of myself to.” The singer has always been known for his lyricism and storytelling prowess; the album was no exception. It may be his best album yet with how significant it is to him and how it broke records left and right (Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube in the country, you name it all).
Above juan karlos - ERE (Official Live Performance)
He didn’t expect any of this to happen. “I feel like success is just a fever dream,” juan karlos tells Tatler. “The songs that I made and were able to put out together with very talented people became big, but it’s a collective effort,” he adds, stressing how he doesn’t want to take credit for everything. “Success is not the goal for us. It doesn’t make me feel ecstatic.” One moment, he’ll think, “Oh, it worked”, and some days, “Oh, it didn’t. Okay, next song.”
Still, this mindset, paired with his grit, forged his path to fame, allowing him to be one of the best and most notable musicians in the Philippines today. Just last October, he garnered the attention of Danish pop band Lukas Graham. The band members even invited juan karlos to their concert in the country, a career milestone he was “happy and grateful” for.
Above juan karlos performing ‘ERE’ with Lukas Graham last October 2023 (Photo: courtesy of Midas Promotions)
juan karlos performing ‘ERE’ with Lukas Graham last October 2023 (Photo: courtesy of Midas Promotions)
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The musician was and is always open to collaborating with artists. “I’m an advocate for collaboration,” he enthuses. “It’s one of the best things we can do as part of this music industry. . .so we can help push OPM (Original Pilipino Music) and put it on a much bigger scale.” He cites crab mentality as one of the most significant diseases in their craft and art—a bane in his love for music and collaboration.
“Why compete? There is no point in that,” he ultimately says. “We’re all in the same pond. If you want to be able to make this pond bigger, then we have to work together.”
Working on his craft is sometimes, not always, sunshine and rainbows. He did not make his songs “great” with just a snap of his fingers. Unlike most of his contemporaries, juan karlos has no creative process—everything he does is done randomly. Despite this, what makes the passion and heart reflect in his works lies in his ability to enjoy what he’s doing. “There’s no routine.” He knew of its disadvantages, yet he persisted in playing from the heart.
He gets his guitar and allows his fingers to play when productivity peaks. The drive to forge melodies comes from a myriad of things: “Things that happened to me, things that happened to a friend of mine, things that happened to a family member,” he lists. “Sometimes I make up a movie in my mind and make a soundtrack for that. Sometimes I listen to other songs. Sometimes I get inspired by a mere flower.” For the singer, the world of art is about freedom. There is no perfect formula for songwriting. It’s creative to the core, and that’s what makes it beautiful. “That’s why I can never stop being an artist. I can never leave that [behind],” he confesses.
Besides being a master storyteller with tunes, juan karlos expresses himself best as an actor. He finds happiness in both mediums. “When I’m doing acting, music becomes an outlet. When I do music, acting becomes an outlet. It’s vice versa because I don’t do both simultaneously.” And it’s not just the two mediums he prides himself in, but the people he works with.
Above A portrait of juan karlos (Photo: courtesy of Universal Music Group Philippines)
A portrait of juan karlos (Photo: courtesy of Universal Music Group Philippines)
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He is all about the present. He doesn’t want to think about his plans ahead, so he sticks with the joy of “now”—his music, shows, and friends and family by his side. “Enjoy the process, not the results,” he insists. And, of course, he is no stranger to failures, which have made his journey colourful. “Bad [things] are part of the process. Bad people are part of the process. All these negative [things] are part of the process.” So, he tells young musicians that “if you love it, then you have to stick with it”, regardless of whatever the people around you throw at your path.
To each his own. “Discover why you love music and want to make it,” he says. For juan karlos, it will always be an outlet: “The guitar is my blank canvas. The words are paintbrushes. The melodies are the colours. I write on that canvas what I feel at the moment.” It doesn’t matter if the songs chart or not—what matters most is the output of his creativity and imagination: his art.
Above juan karlos - may halaga pa ba ako sa’yo?? (Official Live Performance)
In the words of his previous mentor and coach, juan karlos has the makings of a charismatic artist, and he eventually grew up to be one because he knows his purpose. “I just want to say what’s on my mind and heart. That’s it,” he concludes.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is the assistant digital editor of Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
