Reyma Deveza

Gary Valenciano and RJ dela Fuente.  Photo by Josh Mercado

Article (news)

Josh Mercado

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1750731966522image3.jpeg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"/><span class="fr-inner">Gary Valenciano with RJ dela Fuente. <em>Josh Mercado</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- In the past, singers would go to radio stations, sell physical CDs, attend local events, sign autographs, and do everything the labels asked in order to have a hit song.</p><p>Some of the hit songs that have become part of Filipino life were &quot;&#x27;Di Bale Na Lang,&quot; &quot;&#x27;Di Na Natuto,&quot; and &quot;Hataw Na&quot; by Gary Valenciano, who agreed that times had changed in terms of making hit music.</p><p>“Nowadays, hindi na [mahirap]. Dati kasi may [formula] eh. Dapat katunog ng ganito. Dapat katunog niya, ganyan. ...I mean, back in the day, after ‘’Di Bale Na Lang’ came out, where&#x27;s your next ‘’Di Bale Na Lang?’ Dapat ‘yung tunog niya, ganoon. Hindi na ganoon ngayon,” he told ABS-CBN News. </p><p>The OPM legend also noted that the general public is now more open to new and upcoming musicians who do not fit the stereotype.</p><p>Kasi, I think today, the minds of the public, it&#x27;s opened up so big that you don&#x27;t have to look good. You just have to sound great. And you will build up a community and you will build up a following,” he said.</p><p>Mr. Pure Energy believes that, while there is no longer a formula, being truthful is what gets artists to the places they have always desired.</p><p>“There&#x27;s really no formula now. I think the best formula would be, you be true to your craft. You be true to it if this is what you want to put out. I&#x27;ve spoken to some movie people and they say some of the movies could also follow soon. Yeah, that would be great,” he emphasized. </p><p>Valenciano, who established his own genre and pulled off some of the most iconic concerts in Philippine music history, also said that he will take a hiatus in January to recharge and reconnect with what truly counts.</p><p>When asked if new and rising musicians may take mental breaks as well, given how short the attention span of the audience is and how easily an artist can be forgotten, he still ecommended them to do so.</p><p>“They do need it. It&#x27;s hard lang kasi as compared to our time. I was ‘’Di Na Natuto’ and I was holding my right lung. Because the doctor said, ‘It has nothing to do with your diabetes. You&#x27;re just over-fatigued. Take some time off.’ That was 1985. That&#x27;s my first year in the industry. And I was rising to fame, but I didn&#x27;t really get it. So I would advise, in order to recharge, do that. The people are not going to go anywhere. They&#x27;ll be waiting for you to come up with something new. So stop. Retreat. And then reassess. Strategize. Come up with your team. You don&#x27;t work alone. Always work with your team,” he told ABS-CBN News. </p><p>Stressing the importance of creating with intent, he added, “If you don&#x27;t come up with anything, then people may forget you. But if you keep coming up with something good or collaborating with others, I don&#x27;t think people will forget you. But again, you have to check why you are in the industry that you&#x27;re in. Is it to be number one or is it simply because you just want to share your music and come up with one after the other? Because once you start trying to be number one, then your whole intention is all different. So with the young artists, they have to always check, why are you in the industry? Who are you doing it for? If you&#x27;re in it just to ride the wave, it could be one wave and that&#x27;s the end of it. But if you&#x27;re okay with that, then don&#x27;t complain.“</p><p>With 41 years in the music industry, the iconic singer encourages new musicians to appreciate what they have, describing his journey as one full of wins and heartbreaks that have tested him, but it has all been worthwhile in the end.</p><div><strong>&#x27;Blessings&#x27;</strong></div><p>Valenciano just released his new inspirational song &quot;Blessings&quot; with Manila Genesis artist RJ dela Fuente, who is also a cast member in the musical &quot;Joseph The Dreamer,&quot; which runs July 11-13 and July 18-20.</p><p>They told showbiz journalists that the song is timely given the current political climate and differences in the world, and that it provides healing.</p><p>Talking about the song, Valenciano shared, “What might seem to be really bad may actually be a blessing in disguise... What if our blessings come through raindrops? What if our healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights and what it takes to know you&#x27;re near? Those statements carry a lot of what people are really crying for within. And I must say, with the name of the song being ‘Blessings,’ I&#x27;m really blessed that I&#x27;ve been given a chance to do this song. Like what happened with ‘Warriors’ or something.”</p><p>Praising dela Fuente, he added, “RJ is someone I truly believe in as an artist and as a person. He&#x27;s down to earth. And his father is also very close to us.“</p><p>&quot;Blessings&quot; is available on Spotify and other digital music platforms, with a music video on YouTube.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B7azgcx7WE4?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EboTWBmT9oA?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c6wfDDwPm4w?&amp;pp=0gcJCdAJAYcqIYzvautoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Gary Valenciano noted that the general public is now open to new and upcoming musicians who do not fit the stereotype.</p>

Gary Valenciano noted that the general public is now open to new and upcoming musicians who do not fit the stereotype.

Gary V on making hits: ‘There's really no formula now'

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Gary V on making hits: ‘There's really no formula now'

Josh Mercado

Published Jun 24, 2025 11:49 AM PHT

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Gary Valenciano

RJ dela Fuente

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