WEB EXCLUSIVE: James Reid bares his love for music
A wonderful surprise that working in showbiz brought James Reid is the discovery of his love for singing. In fact, despite his numerous films and TV appearances, he considers himself more of a singer than an actor. “But I’ve been singing for only six years,” he qualifies. “Most great singers start when they’re kids. I’m not that great at it but I love it. I’m really passionate about it.”
He is set to release an album of songs he himself wrote, produced, and performed — his dream come true. “It was definitely easier to do everything myself than have other people try to collaborate with me, because my vision for my music is completely different from those of other people,” Reid admits, perhaps the rare instance when the steel beneath his quiet exterior shows. “That’s why the album took a lot longer to finish. I may not have had the usual resources to record it, but it’s going to be good,” he promises. “When people hear my name, they always think of the whole love team thing, but I have a lot more to offer than romantic music. [My sound is] upbeat R&B — kind of hard to explain. But it’s going to be good, and it’s going to make waves.”
Being a celebrity can be a double-edged sword, but for Reid, the good things outweigh everything else. “The best thing is that I’m able to help my family. We haven’t lived together in the same house for maybe 10 years. We were all separated, living in different parts of the world even, and now, I’ve brought everyone together. There’s also the sense of fulfillment, of just the feeling that I’ve achieved so much.”
His gruelling work schedule and the nearly constant demand from the fans for a piece of his time, tidbits about his personal life, could have reinforced Reid’s inherent self-protective shyness, but from somewhere inside him, he has found the drive to live up to what the world expects from him. He may have started out with different intentions, but now, he’s definitely in for the long haul. “I mean, if you want something enough, then you’ll endure whatever it takes to achieve it.”
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Text by Yvette Tan. Photographs by BJ Pascual. Style director: Edlene Cabral. Style associate: Jerico Villamonte. Style assistant: Yzza Hablado. Grooming by Mac Igarta. Videographer: Silver Belen.
