The COVID-19 pandemic has no way of stopping what grit, passion, and dedication has pushed rising P-Pop artist Jace Roque to become. Even his showbiz lineage took a backseat in his journey and he can proudly say that he worked his way up.

“Sabi sakin ng Tito ko, ‘Sige kung gusto mo talaga,’ kasi bawal ‘yung mga anak niya mag-showbiz, pero ako insistent ako na I want to enter showbiz so sabi niya, ‘Sige, you have to prove yourself na kaya mong mag-isa, then pag na-prove mo na saka ka namin tutulungan,” Jace recounted how he was forced to be independent and muster enough courage to enter the challenging showbiz industry alone. “Ang reasoning behind it is, ayaw nila na, ma-overshadow ako, ayaw nila masabihan ako na kaya ka lang nasa industry dahil sa’min. So parang, in a way, beneficial sa sakin kahit nahirapan ako ng first few years ng career ko. So ayun,” he defended his celebrity uncle’s decision.

Jace put in the hours for his big break. He has been diligent in studying performing arts. The list includes ABS-CBN Star Magic Workshops, Asian Academy of Television Arts, Center for Pop Music, Cornerstone Entertainment, and more. He initially appeared in commercials, films, and TV shows before entering the music scene.

To date, his most notable singles are Love, Sober, Day and Night and Forever. “Sober” was released in 2019. It gained 325,000 streams and peaked at No. 19 on Spotify’s PH Viral 50. It also made the platform’s New Music Friday Philippines, OPM Rising (the cover of which featured Jace himself), and Tatak Pinoy playlists. A few months later, Jace signed with international label AWAL (a Kobalt Music Group subsidiary, now owned by Sony Music Entertainment) and released “Love”, which gained 54k+ streams, 311,000 views on Facebook, and peaked at #25 on iTunes Philippines.

See also  Random Preview: Anne Curtis in 'A Secret Affair'


At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, he bravely released his highly anticipated bilingual single, “Forever” which gained 300,000 streams on Spotify and 1.1 million views on Facebook. It has also made the New Music Friday Philippines and OPM Workday Marathon playlists. It went to No. 20 on iTunes Philippines. The single spawned 2 remixes – Forever (Acoustic) and Forever (English Version).
In 2022, Jace signed with Philippine based international label Ditto Music Philippines.

He rebranded himself as a PPop soloist with the announcement of his highly anticipated mini album, Inferno. His Tagalog comeback single “Di Para Sayo” was released in April 22, 2022 and his English comeback single “Be Someone” was released last May 20.

In an exclusive interview, Jace told Random Republika the story behind his latest song, “Itong Be Someone kasi is about me growing up in the industry, yung unrealistic expectations ng family ko, ng friends, ng mga tao sa showbiz, na parang eto yung struggle ko to just be me.

If there’s one thing he wants people to know and remember him by, it’s his authenticity. “’Yun lang, [I want to be known] as the artist na authentic talaga. Kasi ‘yun naman yung pinaglalaban ‘ko talaga ever since is yung authenticity. Parang pag na-meet mo ‘ko on cam, same ako of cam. Na ‘pag kinausap mo ‘yung mga tao, about me, pareho yung maririnig mo, na consistent ako. So, parang mas gusto ‘ko yun na mas kilala namin siya as someone who’s truthful, who’s real, who’s authentic. Mas gusto ‘ko ‘yun yung mag marka sa kanila. Above anything else.”

See also  James Reid and Nadine Lustre Launch JaDine's Record-Breaking 'Team Real' Book

Previous

'Four Kings and a Queen' artists reveal secrets behind long-term showbiz careers

Next

FINALLY: 'Crocs' rocks at SM Mall of Asia

About Author

www.RandomRepublika.com

The Home of Pinoy Pop Culture.
The blog site for everyone who loves trends, culture and random wows!

Check Also