The Clash boys release debut singles

MANILA, Philippines — At the launch of their debut singles, The Clash graduates Jong Madaliday, Garrett Bolden and Anthony Rosaldo shared their thoughts on what it is like to be mainstays on GMA 7’s Sunday night variety show Studio 7, where they are given the stage to shine and showcase their talents alongside Kapuso big stars.

Anthony said being part of Studio 7 has helped him give importance to fellow performers and not just to himself. “It’s not a competition anymore. In show business, you have to learn how to work harmoniously with others, especially when it comes to a performance. You should work as a team para mapaganda yung show. Hindi lang yung sarili mo lang yung iniisip mo, but the whole team of Studio 7,” he told The STAR.

As for Jong, who admitted that he struggled in the first few weeks because of nerves and shyness, he is now confident performing in front of the audience, thanks to the words of encouragement and pieces of advice given by fellow mainstays like Julie Anne San Jose and Christian Bautista.

“They always tell me, ‘You can do it, just focus and don’t entertain negative thoughts,’” said Jong in the vernacular.

Garrett, on the other hand, agreed that it was initially a dilemma for them since Studio 7 is their first-ever stint on TV after competing in the singing search The Clash.

“Maybe one of my goals when we became regulars on the show is (to be) reliable. It should always be one of the things we have to consider every time we are given a task or a production number. Parang we should do our best all the time para ’di sila mangangamba sa amin.”

Anthony, Jong and Garrett have more reasons to be thankful because after signing up with GMA Music, they are now promoting their debut singles.

Jong described his upbeat pop single, Ano Na — one of the most wanted songs of the week on Barangay LS 97.1’s The Big Ten — as an opportunity of a lifetime. He recalled that he used to only sing songs heard on the radio. Last Feb. 16, Ano Na hit the second spot of the weekly countdown and its music video is available on YouTube.

“Sobrang sarap sa feeling and I’m so happy every time I hear my voice on the radio,” said Jong. “It still feels like a dream na as in meron na ako nito, na pangarap lang po ito dati but now it’s happening already.”

Lilipad Na by Garrett was at No. 43 of the iTunes PH chart and its music video, which is directed by Phillip Lazaro and showcasing the works of abstract artist and Garrett’s leading lady Nadine Ibay, premiered on GMA Music’s YouTube channel yesterday. Feeling overwhelmed by the opportunities he has been getting, Garrett said, “I am more inspired to write original songs because they (fans) appreciate my song.”

Meanwhile, Anthony’s debut single Larawan Mo released last Feb. 6 has made it to the Twitter-trending topics and soared to iTunes PH’s top spot for three consecutive days. It has also landed in the Top 7 of the Top 30 Singles Chart of Top 30 Asia Philippines.

According to Anthony, listeners can easily relate to Larawan Mo. Its music video, featuring Kris Bernal, tells the story of someone who falls in love with a person who is already taken because “your heart can’t choose who to fall in love with. Pinaparating nito na some love stories may not be bound to have a happy ending, but you always have an option to choose the right thing to do,” added Anthony, who feels humbled by the opportunity “to show what I can do po. Actually, I consider this as a privilege because not all singers are given the chance to release a single, so this is a good start.

“And, for us who started in the competition, our next goal is to be like our idols na merong sariling mga kanta na iidolohin naman ng next generations so we’re very happy. We are super happy that we are given this chance by GMA Music to really pick the song that would suit us.”

(Ano Na, Lilipad Na and Larawan Mo are available for download and streaming via Apple Music, Spotify, iTunes and other digital stores worldwide.)