It’s easy for any artist to call themselves authentic, but it’s truly one of the first things you’ll notice about Justin. Beyond his musical prowess, he isn’t afraid to get candid about his experiences.
When music becomes the air you breathe as a child, it almost seems natural to go on to carve your own path as an artist as you grow up. This is what singer-songwriter Justin Vasquez’s beginnings were like.
In the room where the young Justin’s mother and two uncles — who were in a band — were rehearsing one day, there were three instruments: a guitar, a set of drums, and a keyboard. He tried his hand at everything. But there was nothing quite like his connection with the keys, which became the first-ever instrument he would learn to play.
Eventually, he’d muster the courage to get behind the mic, too, crediting his current sound to Filipino R&B acts like Bruno Mars, Gabe Bondoc, Kyla, South Border, Jay R, and Michael Pangilinan.
“My fingers weren’t quite strong enough to play the guitar and I had trouble staying in rhythm with the drums. Once I picked up playing the keys, the singing kind of just followed. It was a natural process,” Justin shared.
It’s taken a lot to get Justin to where he is now, constantly going back and forth from the two countries he’s called home: the Philippines and Australia. But it’s clear the one thing that’s gotten him through it all is his authenticity.
It’s easy for any artist to call themselves authentic, but it’s truly one of the first things you’ll notice about Justin. Beyond his musical prowess, he isn’t afraid to get candid about his experiences, and perhaps it’s one of the reasons why he’s in this year’s Spotify RADAR program.
The real Justin Vasquez
One of Justin’s first-ever public appearances was in 2014 on X Factor Australia. 15 years old then, he saw the music survival show as a way to determine if music really was the right path for him.
On the surface, it was glamorous. You got to be on television, and you were getting mentored by a world-class panel of judges. But as with any survival show, there were grueling moments that only the contestants themselves saw behind the scenes.
“The experience was wild and we did countless interviews every day. [It was] almost traumatic. There were hundreds of contestants and the waiting time was exhausting. Overall, it was an amazing experience. I met great people but I personally wouldn’t go through that again,” he admitted.
A year or two later, that young teen on The X Factor Australia would start posting his covers on YouTube, and even start sharing some of his original songs on Spotify. And it was all because he wanted to be heard by anyone who was willing to listen.
“I wasn’t so much into making music to set myself up financially, I’ve always been passionate about making music, period. Making money along the way was a bonus. Being acknowledged by people for my work was all I really wanted,” he told Rappler.
Justin’s resolve to pursue music had really only strengthened from there, so much so that in 2019, he decided to enter another competition to brush up on his songwriting: Himig Handog. It was at this Filipino competition where Justin was able to deepen his understanding of the basics of music — equipping him not just with the right amount of passion to sing his way through it all, but the technical skills he needed to mold himself into a better musician.
It’s safe to say, then, that the Philippines was truly where he got to explore the heights he could reach as a rising artist.
“The opportunities are endless here and everyone has a chance to make it in the music industry. Filipinos love music. Australia doesn’t appreciate the art of music as much as us Filipinos appreciate music,” Justin said. “It wasn’t such a huge transition because I never really felt known or appreciated for my work when I was in Australia. In a nutshell, the Philippines made my dreams come true.”
Some artists transform into a different persona when they’re on stage. For Justin, though, what you see when he’s performing is what you’ll get when he takes his artist cap off. Watch a few of his live performance videos, and you’ll understand what we’re talking about.
@justinvasquez__ serenading a fan, again… watch until the end 😂 #fyp ♬ original sound – Justin Vasquez
This, he says, is what he wants people to see more of in time.
“Makulit ako. Sobra (I’m really playful). I just never really got the chance to show it because [the] majority of my performances is me sitting down with a guitar. I really want to show people my persona. I’m a fun dude, and I’m very very playful and malambing (loving). I’ve been performing a lot lately with a live band, and I know it’s another step closer to showing the people who I really am,” he shared.
Reviving old R&B
Now, Justin is well on his way to becoming one of the local music scene’s R&B artists to look out for. The one thing he hopes to put out there is his knack for creating original music — and he’s got his eyes set on several long-term goals in his career.
“I pray and I’m really hoping for a hit song. I want to be known and established as a singer-songwriter and not just a cover song artist anymore. Respectfully, I will always appreciate my cover songs that blew up, but [through] Spotify RADAR, I really want to show the people that there’s more to me than just cover songs. I’m hoping for one of my songs to become top 10 most listened songs of the year,” he shared, adding that he wants to bring back the ‘90s and early 2000s R&B sound.
Justin’s latest single “What U Need” might just be his ticket to achieving all these and more.
But more than anything, Justin just wants to enjoy the process behind it all, and it looks like he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“The process is the best part. You get so creative and it’s an open book. There’s no limits when it comes to music. The best part about writing a song is the satisfaction of completing one. The best part about releasing songs is the love, acknowledgment and support that I receive. Overall, the best part is mainly performing. You get to soak in all the love, all the screams and all the support from the fans,” he mused. – Rappler.com
Check out the Spotify RADAR playlist here.
Content shared from www.rappler.com.