Jan Angelo Batongbakal

Denise Julia signs with global talent agency after US label deal

Article (news)

Push Team

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780572357125d67d1ad3-23c3-4bde-b05f-2d99c7515a9f.jpg" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Denise Julia is officially stepping onto the global stage.</p><p>The Filipina R&amp;B singer-songwriter and producer has signed with one of the most powerful talent agencies in the entertainment industry. </p><div>United Talent Agency, also known as UTA, is one of the leading talent and entertainment companies in the world, representing artists, athletes, authors, and creatives across industries.<br/><br/><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780572441572e8f414c6-b85b-4f09-8574-d4e352dd4c3d.jpg" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><br/></div><p>The move comes on the heels of her partnership with EMPIRE, a San Francisco-based independent record label and distributor with a strong lineup of R&amp;B and hip-hop acts, and her recent relocation from the Philippines to New York.</p><p>EMPIRE is an independent record label and music distributor founded in San Francisco in 2010.</p><p>Her latest single, &quot;Changes,&quot; released via 2nd Floor Entertainment and EMPIRE, is already out on streaming platforms.</p><p>For Filipino music fans who have been following her rise, the UTA signing feels like a natural next step. But to understand just how significant this moment is, it helps to go back to where it all began.</p><p>In May, Denise announced her EMPIRE deal on Instagram. She was candid about what the milestone meant to her – and where she came from.</p><p>&quot;All those years of writing songs in my bedroom, recording until sunrise, believing in what I heard in my heart long before the world fully listened… it all led me here!! I&#x27;ve officially signed to a US label. Thank you, @empire,&quot; she wrote.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2026/5/13/denise-julia-officially-signs-under-us-record-label-empire-0944" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>READ: Denise Julia officially signs under US record label EMPIRE: &#x27;Filipino artistry deserves space on the global stage&#x27;</strong></a><br/><br/></p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178057251035550f21a45-0ca7-4708-a61a-bbf82660f8d5.jpg" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><br/></div><p>She then reflected on her roots, tracing her journey back to Tondo, Manila.</p><p>&quot;Coming from Tondo, Philippines, I never imagined the little girl making music out of instinct and pure love would one day find herself here. No shortcuts, no easy path… no nepotism (lol) 😂 just years of choosing to create through every high and low,&quot; she said.</p><p>Denise also addressed the doubts and challenges she faced along the way. </p><p>&quot;There were moments where being misunderstood could&#x27;ve made me less sure of myself. But when you dedicate your life to the work, eventually the music speaks louder than the noise around it.&quot;</p><p>And for Denise, the achievement carries a meaning that goes beyond her own career. </p><p>&quot;Being one of the first and few homegrown Filipino artists signed to a major US label is proof that Filipino artistry deserves space on the global stage exactly as we are,&quot; she said.</p><div>The numbers back up that conviction. Her breakout single &quot;NVMD&quot; surpassed 200 million streams on Spotify and reached the Top 20 of the platform&#x27;s Global Viral chart.<br/><br/><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178057255449535d0cea9-4c5b-448f-bc43-b89be1ce5988.jpg" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p><br/>Her music draws from the warmth of late-&#x27;90s and early-2000s R&amp;B while staying firmly planted in contemporary production, a sound that has found listeners well beyond Philippine shores. </p><p>She joins a growing wave of Filipino acts, including SB19 and BINI, who are carving out space for OPM on the world stage.</p><div> <em>—By Paolo Lim</em></div>