REGINE Velasquez, hailed as Asia’s Songbird, is among the Filipino music icons that many young artists look up to this day, with a career spanning almost 40 years.
But as she reflected on her decades-long musical journey, the 54-year-old Original Pinoy Music (OPM) icon acknowledged that it is now the young generation’s turn to take the limelight.
Velasquez reiterated this to her fans after they raised their concerns over a MYX Music Awards promo material, where her photo was smaller and placed last among other young artists.
The singer explained in a TikTok video why she said it was “no longer [her] time,” a statement that made some of her fans upset.
“Don’t panic, don’t get upset, it’s not a bad thing. I’m just being realistic because it’s true,” she said. “It’s no longer my time, that means I can no longer compete with the young ones.”
Velasquez reflected on her almost four decades of musical journey, which started from the singing competitions she participated in when she was young. She climbed her way up to the show business ladder, gaining recognition not only for her vocal prowess that earned her Asia’s Songbird title but also for her acting chops that placed back-to-back small and big-screen projects under her belt.
Velasquez remains popular among the young generation as one of the most influential OPM singers.
At this point, the singer said she just wants to enjoy her life and the respect she gets from her peers.
“Even if I still can compete, I really don’t want to anymore. Galing akong singing contests and half of my career, feeling ko kailangan kong mag-compete kas ine-establish ko yung sarili ko. I don’t want to do that anymore,” she explained.
“I love that I inspire other artists. Really, I consider myself a mentor now. I love mentoring young artists that is why ‘pag tinatanong nila ako kung pwede akong mag-guest sa concert nila, I’m there,” she added.
Velasquez, who recently performed at P-pop girl group BINI’s “Grand BINIverse” concert, highlighted that she does not want the lessons she learned from her decades-long career to be put to waste, which is why she gladly shares them with the young generation. She also reminded them to enjoy the moment and be grateful for all the blessings they receive.
“In-enjoy ko itong career kong ito, and I’m still enjoying it. I just don’t want to fool myself na nasa prime pa ako because I think that would be very, very painful for me,” the singer said. “Okay na yung aware ako where I am in the industry.”
Despite her realization of her career status, Velasquez emphasized that this does not mean that she can no longer perform on the stage. She mentioned that she still gets to do the things she loves the most, including releasing a new album and holding a concert in February.
She concluded the clip thanking her fans for their support and reminding them to be kind.
Billing issue
The now-deleted promo material showcased several biggest and rising artists in the entertainment industry.
Velasquez’s photo was found on the second row of the promo material, along with Elijah Canlas, Gloc-9, Chloe San Jose, Alexa Ilacad, and KD Estrada. Above them were larger photos of BINI members Jhoanna and Maloi, James Reid, and Fyang Smith.
This earned the ire of many netizens, who claimed that it was “disrespectful” for Velasquez to be put last.
The ABS-CBN Digital Team apologized to Velasquez, stressing they have “deep respect and admiration” for her craft and “remarkable contribution” to the music industry.
“We will stive to do better moving forward. Maraming salamat po sa inyong pag-unawa,” they continued.
While she appreciated their gesture, Velasquez said such an apology was not necessary.
