Singer-songwriter Juan Karlos Labajo stressed he has no plans to make a comeback in the showbiz industry since he enjoys staying out of the limelight, Monday, November 15.
“Actually, no. I mean I’m just enjoying my time. I mean I’m not really… I don’t know. I guess marami lang iba’t-ibang bagay—there are so many things going on internally that have to be taken care of especially when it comes to paper and everything like that, like contracts and whatnot,” he said during the virtual media conference of Janine Berdin’s latest single Pagod Na Ako of which he was the song’s arranger and producer.
The 20-year-old singer-songwriter also clarified that his collaboration with Berdin was not his way of making a comeback.
“I mean I’m just enjoying my time really. I don’t have a specific, ‘Oh! Comeback!’ ganito ganiyan, ‘JK is back!’ No. Walang planong ganoon.”
Meanwhile, Labajo was considered as one of the OPM greats, however, he did not liken the idea of being aligned to other legends.
“It’s nice. It feels as nice but at the same time, I don’t like it.
“Kasi parang if you’re trying to compare me to all the actual legends in the OPM industry, I made nothing but a dot in this big a*s circle. So it’s nice [but] I guess I’m not really into this for the whole accolades, and the names,” he explained.
Labajo said he was not into recognition and even admitted he rejected several awards.
“I wasn’t making music for the purpose of being called Asia’s next singing bird or whatever. I’m not after any of those things eh.
“It’s really all about being able to execute the ideas that I have and being able to put out the thing that I want to put out and share it with the people.
“Once I release something, once I put out a song in public, that’s not my song anymore, that’s the people’s song.”
He also did not understand the essence of competing with other singers in the music industry.
“Are you still gonna compete ‘pag nasa kabaong ka na? No. I mean once you’re in the last moments of your life I guess the moments that you’re going to look back are the friendships that you’ve made along the way, and the relationships that you’ve built, and all the things that you did with other people,” he pointed.
Labajo, who has collaborated with Berdin in Pagod Na Ako, noted the perks of collaboration, especially with other musicians, even urging them to work together.
“That’s why everyone should be collaborating, all of these musicians should be collaborating. Dapat wala yung payabangan na kesyo padamihan nang numbers. It’s not a healthy thing, kailangan magtulungan tayo eh.”
He then believed that OPM artists exist because of making OPM known worldwide, emphasizing it would not materialize if they would not unite.
“Kasi our main goal is to really make OPM big in the international scene and make people from the outside realize the talent of the Filipino people. So we’re only able to do that if we all work together, and come together, to help each other.”
