Jayda is not afraid to get real and vulnerable through her music

MANILA, Philippines – OPM singer Jayda has been drawn to music from a very young age. Her earliest stint dates back to when she performed live for a sizable crowd at just nine years old to celebrate her birthday. 

But it was only in 2018 when the artist began releasing her music for everyone else to enjoy. That year, she finally made her debut with the single “Text,” and dropped her EP In My Room just a few months later.

More than anything, Jayda has a penchant for using music as an outlet for authenticity. In fact, she isn’t afraid to get vulnerable. When she runs into just about any experience worth reflecting on, her thoughts come out best with the help of her singing and playing different instruments. 

“Instead of writing from pre-made instrumentals, I like to create from the ground up and kind of build it around what I feel like the song should sound like,” Jayda shared. 

Now 20 years old, Jayda has just released her latest single A.M., which she says is one of her most personal songs to date. Impressively, she was involved in all aspects of its culmination – from writing the lyrics, producing the song, and even co-directing its music video. 

Behind ‘A.M.’

Creating A.M.’s storyline was a no-brainer for the young artist. Before the song’s inception, she had been trying to move on from a painful breakup. So, it only made sense that she channel those strong emotions into a heart-wrenching pop ballad her listeners could also find solace in. 

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“It’s really about wanting to go back to the brighter and better days of that relationship, like the morning. The morning is like a new start, it’s fresh. It’s about wanting to go back to that feeling, experiencing love like that again for the first time,” Jayda said. 

With how close A.M.’s backstory is to Jayda’s heart, she had also set the stage for the music video, which was shot all the way in Los Angeles. It took a lot of back and forth communication from the Philippines to Los Angeles for her visions to come to fruition. Clearly, it all paid off. 

Interestingly, A.M. isn’t Jayda’s first stint at co-directing. She had also co-directed the music video for the song’s predecessor, IDILY, which similarly touches on her romantic woes. The music video is primarily set at a party, where the singer is shown drinking her heart out to forget about the pain of the relationship. 

Marking a new era

Even with all these skills under her belt, coupled with her ability to effortlessly belt out high notes, Jayda admits that nervousness is still a common feeling she gets when she performs on stage. 

The catch, however, is that nerves aren’t a bad thing for Jayda. In fact, she sees it as one of the most important parts of performing live. 

“I feel like people always look at [nerves] in such a negative way but when you’re able to harness it, it’s actually a good thing because usually, when [you’re] nervous, it’s because you care. You care about giving a good performance, you care about making people happy or entertaining people, and that’s really where it stems from,” she explained. 

There’s no doubt that Jayda continues to entertain audiences with her music and stage presence. She opened for the Manila leg of Niall Horan’s Flicker World Tour back in 2018, and Niall himself even listened to her music and promoted it! 

Just recently, in October, she also opened for Zack Tabudlo’s Episode album’s second anniversary concert – where she treated fans to a performance showcasing her extensive vocal range. 

By 2024, fans and casual listeners alike can expect to catch Jayda in even more live shows. The singer also told Rappler that she’s working toward releasing another EP or album. 

“I guess this current era of my music, I’m really excited for it because I feel like I’ve known myself a lot better than I used to, and being able to have this creative freedom to express myself and connect with the audience,” Jayda shared. – Rappler.com