Juan Karlos revisits journey prior to becoming a “Pinoy Idol”

Chart-topping hits. Jam-packed gigs. Remarkable teleseryes.

With these achievements under his belt, there’s definitely no doubt that Juan Karlos, a.k.a. JK Labajo, is one of the brightest and biggest stars of his generation. And aside from giving us LSS-inducing and highly relatable tracks in recent years, he has also impressed us with his acting performances in the Kapamilya teleseryes that he has starred in, with High Street, the sequel to the well-loved teen drama Senior High, being his latest stint.

From being that 12-year-old lad who swooned us with his irresistible cuteness and amazing singing prowess when he joined the inaugural edition of The Voice Kids Philippines in 2014, we can say that he has already gone a long way. He might have fallen short in his bid to become the grand winner of their batch, which made him think that it was already the end of chasing his dream of making it to the local entertainment scene that he shared with his late mom, but he was so blessed with a slew of opportunities after that.

Despite having a promising acting career, Juan Karlos told ABS-CBN News reporter Jeff Canoy in this episode of Tao Po that he still decided to take a step back as he realized that he was treading away from the path that he really liked – music. Thus, he strayed away from his clean and innocent image and entered his “rebelde phase,” or period of self-discovery.

And just when many assumed that his career was already in twilight, we saw him ascend again and shine as a musician when he released his song “Buwan” in 2018 which became a huge hit. He continued making music in the succeeding years and was able to produce another massive hit in 2023, entitled “Ere,” through which he was able to create his mark in the music scene as a new breed of “Pinoy Idol.”

“I didn’t have the privilege of failing at all, so that was a risky thing. But good thing, things turned out okay and that’s something I’m definitely grateful for because I was given that opportunity to have a creative freedom over the kind of stuff that I wanna do in terms of music, in terms of artistry in general because it’s so hard to become an artist,” he related.

But amidst all the successes that he’s been relishing at present both in his music and acting career, he still doesn’t forget the person who inspired him to take the first step in fulfilling the dream that they used to share – his mom, who succumbed to cancer a few days prior to his The Voice Kids Blind Auditions in 2014.

“Every time I go on stage, I always say a little prayer with my Mama in there, and also my lola and my Papa. And that’s something that never left me,” he imparted and went on to share how a recent gig in Bohol made him think about how he’s able to arrive where he is at present.

While others probably feel regretful that his mom wasn’t able to witness his rise to becoming a rockstar, he always reminds himself that everything happens for a reason – just like what she ingrained in him when she was still alive. He believes that she’s just somewhere in the crowd every time he performs.

Catch him on High Street as he reprises his role as Gino Acosta, weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, and TV5.