MANILA, Philippines – Sarah Geronimo is back on The Voice Philippines!

After a season’s break from the show, the pop star was once again seated on one of the judges’ revolving chairs on Friday, March 24 – the second day of filming for the blind auditions.

Sarah announced in April 2016 that she wouldn’t be back for The Voice Kids Philippines season 3, explaining that she wanted to grow more as an artist and that being a coach felt like “role-playing.” (READ: Sarah Geronimo leaving ‘The Voice Kids PH’)

“Kasi I feel na bilang coach, parang lagi ko nga pong sinasabi na role-playing talaga ‘yung pagiging coach,” she said back then. “Yung para bang alam ko lahat, kapag nagbibigay ako ng opinion, para bang ang galing-galing ko. Medyo naghe-hesitate pa rin po ako doon.”

(I feel that as a coach – it’s like what I always say, that being a coach is like role-playing. It’s as if I know everything when I give an opinion – as if I’m that great. I’m kind of hesitant about that.)

Sarah spoke to the press during a break from filming on Friday, and spoke about her return and her experience working with teens so far.

“Halo-halong emosyon po. Masaya na I’m finally back dito sa [The Voice Philippines],” said Sarah, adding that she can’t promise that she would be back in the coming seasons. She added: “I’m doing this for the aspiring singers, mga teenagers na talagang talented, nakita niyo naman po kanina.”

(I have mixed emotions. I’m happy that I’m finally back here [on The Voice Philippines]… I’m doing this for the aspiring singers, the teenagers who are truly talented, you saw them earlier.)

Her hesitation to coach still lingers, said Sarah, but she’s using this season’s experience to learn too: “Very challenging pa rin siya po sa ‘kin kasi hindi pa rin ako sanay magbenta ng sarili ko, hindi ako magaling magsalita. So parang challenge na rin siya sa ‘kin at parang training ground na rin para magpractice din na magsalita ako, maging outspoken.”

(It’s still very challenging to me because I’m still not used to selling myself, I’m not good at speaking. So it’s like a challenge to me and a training ground for me to practice how I speak, and to be outspoken.)

She added later that another reason she returned was because of the opportunity to work with her fellow coaches, Bamboo, Lea Salonga, and Sharon Cuneta. 

“Hindi naman everyday or every opportunity na ibinigay sa ‘yo is makatrabaho yung mga icons ng music industry [na] pinagsama-sama mong lahat. So treat na rin to kumbaga sa akin, halo-halong emosyon,” said Sarah. 

(It’s not everyday or not every opportunity you’re given is to work with icons of the music industry put together. So this is like a treat for me too. I have mixed emotions about being back.)

Team Sarah

As a coach on The Voice Teens Philippines, Sarah’s background could be her edge: her own career kicked off in her teens, after she won the singing competition Star For A Night in the early 2000s.

But Sarah said that it hasn’t been easy to woo those who have auditioned so far over to her team: “Kasi hindi mo mabasa kung sino ang gusto ng mga… teenagers. Minsan nakatingin yung bata, yung artist kay coach Lea [Salonga], tapos biglang si coach Sharon [Cuneta] yung pipiliin. Unpredictable eh. Hindi pwedeng sabihin na dahil mas malapit yung edad ko sa kanila [na mas madali], hindi.”

(Because you can’t read who the teenagers want. Sometimes, the kid, the artist is looking at coach Lea [Salonga], then they’ll suddenly choose coach Sharon [Cuneta]. It’s unpredictable. You can’t say that just because my age is closer to theirs [it’s easier], no.)

The teens nowadays seem to have a lot more fun, though, she said. During the media’s studio visit, the contestants sang The Chainsmokers covers, shared about their teenage romances, and played along with the coaches’ and guest artists’ surprises.

“[Ang] nakaktuwa sa mga teenagers ngayon, talagang ano eh, mas may halong fun din sa kanila on their part kasi hindi gaanong – hindi masyadong competition mode,” said Sarah. “Kasi po nung kami nung lumalaban kami talagang – well, siguro dahil blind auditions palang ngayon – nung lumalaban kasi kami mga piyesa namin birit-birit talaga.”

(What’s great about the teenagers today is that they’re really, there’s more fun mixed in on their part, because they’re not as – they’re not so much on competition mode. Because a lot of those who are competing – well, I guess because it’s still the blind auditions – when we competed before, the songs would really be songs you would belt out.)

The Voice Teens Philippines’ air date has not yet been announced. – Rappler.com