As you step up on stage, strobe lights blind your eyes, a crowd cheers you on, and concert speakers blare music right into your ears. You falter exponentially with a thought you’ve put away since fame: Is this what you signed up for?
The local music industry is a hotbed of opportunities for artists springing from different musical backgrounds, ultimately giving diversity to the local music scene. Many artists—of which many are vocalists—are discovered through the web, with their music either having achieved instant attention or having become sleeper hits that slowly went from unknown to wildly successful. Then there are those singers who joined variety shows and from there, successfully jumpstarted their careers.
Filipinos are fond of singing competitions, as seen in the success of shows such as Pinoy Dream Academy, The Voice of the Philippines, The Voice Kids, X Factor Philippines, and To The Top. Variety shows like Eat Bulaga! and the like also provide short talent search segments. All too often, the contestants provide many stories of what led them to the stage, whether it be on a whim, for their dreams, or out of hardship. Filipinos resonate with the singers’ inspirational tales and from their struggles in life.
Being a showcase of talent, with structured formats and relatable contestants, these shows enamor the masses of people watching on TV with their appeal and ability to entertain and impress. But with more attention being given to the rising expectations of those running the industry, the singers’ pursuit for distinction and success may be hindered by what those in charge behind the scenes want and expect them to present.
All for show
Although there are quite a number of talent shows on local television, not many can claim to be as popular as The Voice of the Philippines. While it has only aired for two years, it has already gained a massive following in the Philippines, with certain performances reaching millions of views on YouTube.
This show, along with many others like it, claims to search for local artists with genuine talent and provide them with deals, record labels, and backing should they win the competition. However, the question remains about whether or not this really is the turnout for many of these aspiring artists.
“Very rarely do you get in these competitions with original work. Most of the time, people only get in with covers. There is no encouragement on your side to create something entirely new,” says Rocky Deleste, former head for the Miscellaneous Instruments pool in the Ateneo Musicians’ Pool.
So far, The Voice Philippines has only produced two winners: Mitoy Yonting and Jason Dy. Both won without ever performing original songs, rather, only doing covers. Now, after winning the show and releasing their albums, they still have not succeeded as major artists or singers.
Lately, they have been delegated to minor and supporting roles in local telenovelas and variety shows with Yonting in Home Sweetie Home and Dy in Be My Lady. “The sad truth that my director told [us] is that the first thing they look [for] in a person is their looks. So first it is looks, then personality, then talent,” shares Mico Cruz, who himself competed in To The Top, a boy band reality show from GMA Network.
As with Cruz’s experiences, many aspiring artists have also felt that these talent shows seem to lack in prioritizing actual talent. “I have this one friend who auditioned for [the Voice Philippines] and she had a great voice but they didn’t accept her. What they said [was this]: “You have a great voice but your story… We can’t work with your story,” recounts Deleste. It seems local talent is being snubbed for spectacle, exhibiting how talent shows focus on being shows first and foremost over showing talent—and as Cruz recites from memory, “show business is still business.”
Never going out of style
It seems to be a never-ending trend for these contestants to consistently choose high-pitched songs such as those by Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston as a show of a high—but not necessarily wide—vocal range. These types of melodies appeal to the crowd: High notes screamed into the microphone, which are then reciprocated with screams from awestruck viewers.
Another perpetual trend appears to be ballads, which have always seemed to appeal to the Filipino masses. Versatile and considered banal by some, they are often found in teleserye soundtracks. The redundant use of ballads and a knack for foreign music within the spectrum of singing talent create a showcase of music that isn’t particularly memorable.
This lack of innovation towards different styles can be linked to simple market demand. If the people just want a voice-centered formula and not something a little more experimental, changes in style with not occur.
“I think that [recording labels and shows] think that singing can bring them to a wider market. Everyone sings in the karaoke. [Their] notion is that singing can penetrate a larger market as compared to instrumentalists,” explains Cruz.
People love ballads and pitch-intense songs because they feel that they too can sing them in the same way—at least during karaoke. Unlike the more exclusive realm of instrumentals, almost everyone can sing or at least hold a tune. Cruz says, “Singing is the cheapest way [to make] music. Everyone has a voice box but not everyone has a piano or guitar.”
This market demand to stick to a particular style because it seems reproducible even by amateurs stifles the creation and popularization of different styles that might not be so easily imitated. It limits our ability to be able to create a more unique musical identity.
“We don’t really have our own identity as Filipinos. We just follow. In terms of music, musical arrangement, [and] lyrics—we try to copy [foreign styles],” says Cruz. “Everyone below just follows what’s on top. Majority of the masses like it.”
Refined, like sugar
Boy bands such as that of Cruz’s have begun embedding themselves in the Filipino music scene, alongside groups like Chicser, 1:43, Filharmonic, and Take Off. The local industry heavily influences what they’re required to do, training all members to achieve a certain image. A process of directed refinement through workshops, practiced routines, controlled fashion, and the like, are what these artists must go through.
A great example of how far this can go is in the way the K-Pop industry produces its starlets. Girl and boy groups are contracted for up to 13 years and then consistently trained all throughout. Clear-cut and very identifiable personalities and images are conceptualized for each artist. Their managers and backers then begin making sure every single star has equal exposure for the public, maximizing all that they can from the appeal of their artists.
The question that remains is whether all these talent searches, manipulative support, and focus on making a good show are actually making a significant contribution to the development of local music and artists. It appears that innovation, originality, and the focus on musical talent could be overlooked in favor of what may already be tried and tested, what can be controlled and formulated, and what seem to be repetitive interests amongst the masses.
In the end, it seems like talent shows and the local industry have direct objectives when it comes to the artists and boy bands that they choose to win or to support. And all too often, once these artists find the success they’ve been looking for, it becomes a restrictive environment for them, with imposed expectations on what they should do, what their public image should be, and what they should play rather than what they could play.
