Ronnie Liang recalls giving up chance to be K-pop idol trainee

Ronnie Liang recently recalled a time when he almost became a K-pop idol trainee in South Korea.

At the time, Ronnie became popular in the local music industry after he joined the ABS-CBN reality contest “Pinoy Dream Academy” and due to his hit song Ngiti. This led him to getting an offer to audition for a K-pop group that was being formed in Korea. It was a big deal then because it could possibly make him famous worldwide, but it also meant facing tough challenges like living far from his family and being homesick.

Sharing the story with The STAR, he said, “Totoo (It’s true, I auditioned.) That time, it was the height of Ngiti. They wanted to bring me to Korea. Then the requirement was two to three years of training.

“They even said, ‘Are you willing (to do a) face change?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ But then three years without going home. Because that time, we were promoting ‘Ngiti.’ I just released that song. I have contracts, commitments to shows.”

He further shared that the process back then was to audition for the producers. “Yung show ang may invitation na may audition. Because there’s this trend where they will get artists from different countries and then, they will be combined together and launch them as a K-pop group.”

As a trainee, he said, he would have a place to stay, get to learn the language, experience the local culture, with his “the diet, enhancement and everything” being taken care of.

Thinking about it, Ronnie was really tempted to give it a shot. But after careful thought, he decided to stick with his singing career in the Philippines. He knew it was a big opportunity, but he also loved singing for Filipino fans and being part of the music scene here.

This happened between 2008 and 2010. He sometimes wondered what could have happened to him, had he pushed through. “Kung tumuloy ako, siguro ang putla-putla ko ngayon, iba na ang mukha ko.”

When asked if he had any regrets looking back, Ronnie admitted, “Well, nanghinayang ako, actually. I have to be very honest.”

“But that time also, my advisors told me, ‘It was suntok sa buwan (aiming for the moon). We don’t know (what will happen) because there are many of you there, you’re a group there, like a boy band. Here, you’re a solo artist, you have gigs, you have regular shows.’

“Because, I auditioned 300 times here before I got in (to the music industry), then I’ll leave to go there. Back to zero again.

Nevertheless, he said that whenever he sees a K-pop group fill up the country’s biggest venues, he couldn’t help but entertain a few what-ifs. But he believes that “all things work together for good. If that didn’t happen, maybe I wouldn’t have become a reservist or a pilot.”

Nowadays, he feels proud that his hit song has been performed by visiting foreign artists, including K-pop.

“I actually went to BamBam’s show at Araneta. That’s where we met. I feel flattered. It’s an honor when a foreigner, like K-pop artists, sings or uses my songs. Ganun na siya ka-acknowledge ng mga foreigners,” said Ronnie, who also started a foundation named Project Ngiti, which is dedicated to helping kids with cleft lip and cleft palate.

“We sing English songs, even I perform Korean songs, so they should sing ours, too. So, it’s great that they also sing OPM. It’s amazing how our fellow Filipinos know and sing along (with my song). It shows how powerful music is in uniting us, uplifting our mood, sending good vibes, and that’s why (I’m here today). It’s because of the music.

“When foreigners sing my song and Gen Z kids know (to sing it) when I perform, I remember the time I auditioned. I auditioned 300, 400 times. So many rejections! But I didn’t give up. Now, because we persevered and we were determined for our dreams back then, there’s Ronnie Liang now, there’s ‘Ngiti,’ and that’s for a lifetime, whether you like it or not.”

Ronnie recently dropped his self-produced song Para Lang Sa’yo, which is his version of the Ice Seguerra hit song in 2007. It’s distributed by Universal Records.

Ronnie Liang recently recalled a time when he almost became a K-pop idol trainee in South Korea.

At the time, Ronnie became popular in the local music industry after he joined the ABS-CBN reality contest “Pinoy Dream Academy” and due to his hit song Ngiti. This led him to getting an offer to audition for a K-pop group that was being formed in Korea. It was a big deal then because it could possibly make him famous worldwide, but it also meant facing tough challenges like living far from his family and being homesick.

Sharing the story with The STAR, he said, “Totoo (It’s true, I auditioned.) That time, it was the height of Ngiti. They wanted to bring me to Korea. Then the requirement was two to three years of training.

“They even said, ‘Are you willing (to do a) face change?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ But then three years without going home. Because that time, we were promoting ‘Ngiti.’ I just released that song. I have contracts, commitments to shows.”

He further shared that the process back then was to audition for the producers. “Yung show ang may invitation na may audition. Because there’s this trend where they will get artists from different countries and then, they will be combined together and launch them as a K-pop group.”

As a trainee, he said, he would have a place to stay, get to learn the language, experience the local culture, with his “the diet, enhancement and everything” being taken care of.

Thinking about it, Ronnie was really tempted to give it a shot. But after careful thought, he decided to stick with his singing career in the Philippines. He knew it was a big opportunity, but he also loved singing for Filipino fans and being part of the music scene here.

This happened between 2008 and 2010. He sometimes wondered what could have happened to him, had he pushed through. “Kung tumuloy ako, siguro ang putla-putla ko ngayon, iba na ang mukha ko.”

When asked if he had any regrets looking back, Ronnie admitted, “Well, nanghinayang ako, actually. I have to be very honest.”

“But that time also, my advisors told me, ‘It was suntok sa buwan (aiming for the moon). We don’t know (what will happen) because there are many of you there, you’re a group there, like a boy band. Here, you’re a solo artist, you have gigs, you have regular shows.’

“Because, I auditioned 300 times here before I got in (to the music industry), then I’ll leave to go there. Back to zero again.

Nevertheless, he said that whenever he sees a K-pop group fill up the country’s biggest venues, he couldn’t help but entertain a few what-ifs. But he believes that “all things work together for good. If that didn’t happen, maybe I wouldn’t have become a reservist or a pilot.”

Nowadays, he feels proud that his hit song has been performed by visiting foreign artists, including K-pop.

“I actually went to BamBam’s show at Araneta. That’s where we met. I feel flattered. It’s an honor when a foreigner, like K-pop artists, sings or uses my songs. Ganun na siya ka-acknowledge ng mga foreigners,” said Ronnie, who also started a foundation named Project Ngiti, which is dedicated to helping kids with cleft lip and cleft palate.

“We sing English songs, even I perform Korean songs, so they should sing ours, too. So, it’s great that they also sing OPM. It’s amazing how our fellow Filipinos know and sing along (with my song). It shows how powerful music is in uniting us, uplifting our mood, sending good vibes, and that’s why (I’m here today). It’s because of the music.

“When foreigners sing my song and Gen Z kids know (to sing it) when I perform, I remember the time I auditioned. I auditioned 300, 400 times. So many rejections! But I didn’t give up. Now, because we persevered and we were determined for our dreams back then, there’s Ronnie Liang now, there’s ‘Ngiti,’ and that’s for a lifetime, whether you like it or not.”

Ronnie recently dropped his self-produced song Para Lang Sa’yo, which is his version of the Ice Seguerra hit song in 2007. It’s distributed by Universal Records.