Christian Bautista will never tire of serenading you
While exploration and experimentation are often seen as essential to artistic growth, it’s Christian Bautista’s clear sense of identity as a balladeer—and his commitment to it—that have served him well in his career. And it’s something he believes he owes not only to his fans but also to himself.
“Ballads are my core. I love singing love songs. I love serenading people, looking straight into their eyes. I love how that makes me feel and I love how it makes me feel,” he tells Lifestyle Inquirer.
That’s not to say, however, that he was immune to the allure of a drastically different musical path. And he would be lying if he said he never once fantasized about being a rockstar—a far cry from the image he had when he competed in the 2003 singing competition “Star in a Million,” where he drew comparisons with the classical crossover singer Josh Groban.
“Many times I thought about being in a band,” he recalls. “But I probably would have needed a disguise for that!”
After all, that would have been too jarring a change. Not everyone, he points out, can pull off a dramatic revamp like Nelly Furtado’s—from the breezy, folk pop singing of “I’m Like a Bird” to the edgy, electronic dance rock beats of “Maneater.” But though Bautista doesn’t veer too far from his roots, that doesn’t stop him from coloring around the edges, introducing elements from other genres, and adding just enough stylistic flourishes to keep his sound fresh.
A timeless message
In his latest release—a cover of the South Border hit “Rainbow” that he recorded with the Indonesian pop star Raisa—he flirts with R&B sensibilities and delivery. It’s not exactly uncharted territory; he used to sing Boyz II Men hits before he burst onto the scene. Still, he couldn’t help but do a double take at what the vocal arranger had come up with.
“After the bridge, I had to sing a run I don’t typically do as a balladeer. I was like, ‘Can I do this?’” Bautista shares. He did pull it off, thanks in no small part to karaoke sessions where he let loose with songs that he rarely gets to record or perform in earnest. “I’ve actually tried all sorts of genres when I was young. It’s just that ballads are what really stuck.”
Whenever he covers a song, the first question he asks himself is, “Can I bring something new to this?” Otherwise, it’s better to leave the song untouched. But the fact that this new take on “Rainbow” as a duet already makes it unique from the get-go.
Bautista couldn’t have asked for a better collaborator than Raisa, whom he met and grew close to during a 13-city ASEAN concert tour in Japan last year. As it turns out, Raisa grew up listening to Bautista, who enjoyed significant popularity in Indonesia in the mid-2000s after the success of his defining Philippine and Southeast Asian hit, “The Way You Look at Me.”
Just as surprising, he adds, was that “Rainbow” had also made its way to Indonesian airwaves. Raisa loved the song—only she didn’t know at first that it was by a Filipino artist.
“The song was an easy choice for us because she had already connected with it on a deep level. It’s beautiful musically and the message is timeless,” relates Bautista, who intends to promote the record in Indonesia, where he has maintained quite a steady profile through follow-up hits like his cover of “Please Be Careful with My Heart” as well as numerous shows and TV appearances.
His kind of sappy and corny
At 43, Bautista is at a point in his life and career where it’s no longer just about sustaining his name but about helping others build theirs. And this he fulfills through his judging and mentoring role on the talent search “The Clash,” and through Nyma, the talent agency for content creators he co-runs with his wife, Kat Bautista.
“Now, I want to share what I’ve learned through the years—from singing, to mentoring, to developing talents. I think it’s a natural progression,” says Bautista, who recently signed with Sony Music Philippines, which will handle his next releases while he juggles other endeavors.
But what’s even more fulfilling about this turn in his career is realizing that he learns just as much from his young wards’ digital savvy as they do from his industry wisdom and experience. Seeing the speed, ease, and creativity with which they navigate the digital space is something Bautista finds fascinating. And in turn, it has helped him reaffirm the place of his music in today’s local music scene, where ballads are no longer as dominant as they once were.
“What’s cool about this generation is that you can do whatever you want. In the digital world, there’s always a market for your song—you will just have to help people find it,” he points out.
True, some people, especially the young ones, may find love ballads—at least the traditional kind—“sappy and corny.” But it’s Bautista’s kind of sappy and corny. “Those who have experienced love know that those are beautiful feelings to have and to share,” Bautista says. “Like in films, there will always be space for romance. So as long as Filipinos love love songs—which is forever—I will keep singing them.”
