JayR reveals new single ‘Blessed’ is about wife Mica Javier
“Okay naman, thank you. Kakabalik lang namin a week ago pero finally nakakaadjust na kami sa time,” JayR, tagged as the country’s R&B King, happily shared as we started the interview last August 30 at Pandan Asian Cafe. His wife, singer-actress Mica Javier, added, “Medyo jet-lagged kami for a few days pero we’re so happy to be home. There’s no place like home dito sa Pilipinas!” JayR let out a resounding “Yes!” in agreement. “Kahit ‘yung traffic, ‘Wow, traffic!’,” he laughingly added, expressing how much they missed the Philippines.
The celebrity couple, now based in Los Angeles, California, is back in the Philippines for a few projects. JayR, for one, had a successful concert last Saturday, September 2, with fellow Cornerstone artist and the Philippines’ Queen of R&B Kyla. His other project is the first single from his 20th anniversary album, dropped last September 1, a day before the concert. “It’s called Blessed,” JayR announced.
Asked to explain what the song he co-wrote with Filipino-Canadians Andrew Briol and Zev Troxler, Po Lun, and Adam Josh, the R&B King smilingly replied, “It’s about my wife na I’m so blessed to have a partner na ganito.” With Mica smiling right beside him, JayR continued, “After 20 years in the industry, you sing about real-life stories and not just about having fun and partying. Ito talaga, I’m singing about stuff that I really care about and that’s meaningful so I figured why not talk about how I feel so much blessed with my partner in life.”
JayR and Mica have been married for three years now, with their wedding taking place right before the worldwide COVID-19 lockdown. “We got married a week or so before the whole world shut down. Hindi namin alam na ‘yun ang mangyayari. Natuloy ‘yung wedding namin, luckily, muntik na rin siyang macancel,” Mica recalled. “‘Yung honeymoon namin, naging isang taon at kalahati sa loob ng bahay.”
“Kakaiba rin ‘yun,” Mica continued, “Kasi imbes na travel-travel, we got to know each other in the comfort of our home. Na-expedite din ‘yung pag-adjust namin from just dating to living together and being married. So, I think, blessing in disguise na rin ‘yun. After one year and a half, we had to fly to the US on an emergency trip for JayR’s dad. That’s the real reason kung bakit kami umalis.”
While a lot of couples parted ways at the height of the pandemic, we asked JayR and Mica what they think makes their relationship work. “We just gel!,” JayR immediately replied. “‘Yung mga lacking ko sa personality ko, she makes up for it. Just like, ako, I’m always getting lost. I need Waze. Kung walang Waze, nawawala na ‘ko. Si Mica, she’s so good with directions like she gets around and she helps me. Ako, nakakalimutan ko mga birthdays, mga pangalan minsan, siya natatandaan niya lahat so she’s able to remind me. Ang dami!” The smiling wife, who seemed to be in agreement with what JayR said, confessed, “Baliktad, ako naman, makalat ako, siya naman sobrang linis.” While JayR laughed at his wife’s answer, Mica reenacted with hand gestures how her husband would remind her to put her clothes back in the closet. “Those little things, we balance each other out and we learn from that too. We improve together and we improve individually.”
Mica also shared an observation her sister pointed out about their relationship, “When they see us, ‘yung relationship namin, playful. We’re very playful and youthful in how we see life, how we see responsibilities, kahit pa maglilinis lang ‘yun o ‘yung mga admin stuff or performance, I think both of us have a very adventurous spirit so that’s why nag-gegel talaga kami. Kahit anong ganap, we just have fun.”
JayR, who lovingly looked at his wife whenever she answered, was quick to add, “Meron pa! Ako, I’m bad at spelling, I can’t spell pero ang galing niya. Siya naman, hindi masyado magaling sa math pero ako, okay sa math so we really complete each other.”
The couple is a picture of pure love for each other that happiness radiates as they speak. It is no wonder their careers continue to flourish as they have each other’s back. Like JayR, Mica also just released a single after focusing on acting for quite a while. This happened after serendipitously bumping into her very first producer who showed interest in working with her again. “I decided to start recording again and writing again. I’m excited because now I can work on another EP that will probably show my evolution as a person, my growth as an artist, and even my singing style,” Mica shared. Hopeful and optimistic, she also aims to represent full-blooded Filipinos in Hollywood one day. With impressive stints here in the Philippines and in the US, there is no doubt she will find her way.
