SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines – Being a Barretto has its perks. Born in a family that has definitely made its mark in the entertainment industry, Claudia Baretto has been destined to be a star since the day she was born.
The newcomer, however, is determined to prove that she’s more than just another pretty face – or a Barretto, for that matter.
During the launch of her self-titled EP, Claudia admitted that being the daughter of Dennis Padilla and Marjorie Barretto definitely has its advantages. Even before releasing her debut single “Stay” in 2017, the 18-year-old already had a following on social media, mostly because of her last name.
“[Being a Barretto,] I don’t think it’s an issue or it ever was an issue. If anything, it actually helped me get to where I am much faster. I mean, I had supporters even before I started singing, even before people knew I could sing, or before they knew I wanted to make music. These people are already looking up to me and I feel like I’ve always seen it that way—that it’s an advantage for me. That I had that these people that really love my family [and] that they saw that an opportunity to support me too.”
Claudia has always wanted to become a singer. But she grew up shy and never really sang in front of family and friends. It was only 5 years ago, after hearing “Alive” by Kehlani, that Claudia decided to finally follow her dream.
“When I told her [Marjorie], she was very supportive. I think she knew that I really wanted it. So, we worked our ways towards meeting people in the business. She helped me a lot,” Claudia recalled.
Contrary to what people may think, Claudia explained that while it did make the process faster, by no means was it easy. She said in the beginning, she didn’t exactly have an abundance of self-confidence.
Unlike her older sister Julia, who’s a natural in front a crowd, Claudia said she’s much more reserved and would often keep to herself.
“My sister Julia does better in the industry than I do, but she’s less shy than I am. She’s more able to express herself it took a while for me to even get to this point before.”
“We’re very different. When it comes to doing things like this, she’s more confident than me. What’s really helped me more than anything is really experience.”
On her music career
For Claudia, it’s all about being authentic, creating music that’s distinct and original. While gaining a following is important, the singer believes that remaining true to yourself as an artist should always come first. ([WATCH] Rappler Live Jam: Claudia Barretto)
“People gravitate towards people who are different. I think those people who are different, they don’t try to be different—they’re just themselves. They’re naturally different. They’re set apart from everyone else just because they’re being themselves and I think that is so important,” she shared.
“I want to be like Jess Connely, Quest, all these people. They’re so distinct and so true to themselves through and through. You cannot compare and I wanna be able to do that. I wanna be able to achieve that distinct sound.”
When asked about her creative process, Claudia can only describe it as “both terrifying and exciting.” In a couple of months, Claudia will be flying to Los Angeles to learn more about music production. She knows that she had a lot to learn, from the basics of songwriting to discovering the type of artist she wants to become.
“I knew I wanted to be a singer. I wanted to make music but I didn’t know what I was fit for or what kind of music I wanted to do or what kind of sound I wanted to portray. I had no idea and I didn’t know how to speak the language of music,” she said.
Claudia has just released her first 5-track debut EP. It features her earlier singles, “Stay,” “You,” and “Finally Found It” along with unreleased tracks, “Poison” and “Finally Found It – Remix.”
You can listen to it on iTunes, Apple Music, Deezer. Amazon, and Spotify. – Rappler.com
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