Claudia Barretto said that being part of the Barretto showbiz clan is a blessing as she continues to pursue — more confidently this time — a music career.
From when she signed up with Viva early this year, to the moment she shared with the press the latest development in her life, the 21-year-old did “a lot of preparation” that contributed to her newfound confidence as an artist.
“I did a lot of voice lessons, I did my dance lessons, just a lot with different things to build my confidence. And on top of all of that, I’ve had the freedom to work on new music the past few months. So, I actually have a lot of songs that I will be rolling out in the next couple of months because that’s what I’ve been working on,” Claudia said during a virtual presscon on Tuesday.
First taste of her new music is via Nothing To Do, which is dropping today (June 18) on all music platforms. The “beats and initial instrumentation” were courtesy of her brother-in-law, producer Xavi Panlilio, but it was Claudia who wrote the song with rapper Mito Fabie, also known as Curtis Smith. It is her first digital single release under Viva Records and accompanied by a music video also premiering today via Viva Records’ YouTube channel.
“Actually, I think now that I’m signed with Viva, I feel like my vigor and my passion for music have changed because of how much I’ve grown and how much I’ve learned from the past projects that I’ve worked on,” said Claudia, who first ventured into recording under a different music label in 2017.
“I think now, I’m just more comfortable experimenting and writing whatever it is that I want to write, and being honest with my lyrics and working with other people. That’s something that I also wasn’t so receptive to before. So, I think, my music now is just more free. It’s not as structured but I feel more myself with the way that I’ve been doing music.”
Claudia stressed she’s not doing music just to set herself apart from family members (especially older sister Julia) who are into acting. In fact, she’s now open to exploring that field. However, she has been naturally drawn to music for self-expression as far back as she can remember. Growing up, the psychology senior at Ateneo De Manila was always writing, journaling and listening to singer-songwriters such as Taylor Swift.
Here are more excerpts from our interview with Claudia:
On becoming a singer and not an actress like family members:
“It was a very personal decision. Because as a kid, I was unusually shy when it came to singing. It was like a secret dream of mine that I didn’t really want to tell anybody because I didn’t have the confidence to sing in front of anybody. So, that dream of mine, that desire of mine to be a singer was always just a secret till I was about 15.
“But ever since I expressed my desire to pursue music, I’ve always been, you know, encouraged naturally. Before it was a very personal thing for me. It was just really my dream to be a singer. And as my dream progressed and developed, my family and everyone else around me encouraged me.”
On overcoming her doubts and insecurities about her music:
“It was really just a matter of breaking out of my shell. I wasn’t prepared to be as honest as I am now in my music. And I also felt like the time that passed was also necessary for me to realize that this is how I want to do it. Like, I want to be proud of the work that I do. And I want to make the people who worked with me and the people who helped me to also be proud of the work that I do. So I kind of detached... I stopped isolating myself in that situation and thinking, ‘I’m doing this.’
“I started thinking that this is a team effort. Like, there are so many other people involved in the things that I’m doing. And I owe it to these people to do a good job. And I owe it to myself to do a good job because I want to go to sleep and feel proud of myself. So, I had to grow up. Like, I needed the time. And I needed the experience. And I needed to feel insecure. I honestly feel like that was necessary for me to be where I am now.”
On her music’s biggest fan and critic:
“Oh my goodness, my youngest brother Leon is my biggest fan! He listens to all my songs on repeat and shares all my songs with his friends. He’s my biggest fan and that’s nice.
“Actually, my mom is (my biggest critic) because she has her own tastes, she listens to different music. My music isn’t necessarily the music she’ll listen to. But I think she has a very good ear for what is good or not good. But I value it. I think that’s important. I understand that everyone has different music tastes anyway. So, it doesn’t really offend me. If anything, I really value criticism because well, now that I feel like I’m more receptive to people’s constructive criticism, like I’m very open to it, and I’m willing to hear it so that I can improve. So, actually, I think, my biggest critic would be my mom, which is good because she’s constructive.”
On whether being a Barretto is a blessing or a source of pressure for as she takes on showbiz:
“I always get that question. And every single time I feel like it’s progressing — the way that I answer it. Because for me, I think it could be something that I could use to make me feel small and insecure, and feel like I have to prove something. Or, I could use it as my inspiration.
“To know that I have all these family members that have gone (in the industry) before me who have done a good job, and try to use them as an inspiration and as a motivation to potentially do the same. So, for me, I like to learn from them. I like to listen to them. And I think it’s a blessing that I have these people around me and that they care about me, and they want me to succeed. So there’s no reason to make me not want to be great — or do well.”