I'M WORKING LATE, 'CAUSE I'M A SINGER

To the unfamiliar, the title is from Sabrina Carpenter's 2024 hit, Espresso. I swear, every time my daughter hears this line, she turns up the volume and sings along. Recently, she got to sing the entire song, on stage, at a birthday party in a KTV lounge.

- RICARDO T. PAMINTUAN

At the celebration, I was happy to learn that Pinoys continue to take pride in their singing prowess. Consistent with our nature, we tend to do three things when offered a microphone: Play hard to get, start vocalizing, and queue our favorite songs in the machine.

Evidently, we're a nation of singers. Even abroad, we get asked to sing at gatherings, and we coyly but happily oblige to maintain our reputation. Stripped of any initial shyness, Pinoys will sing just about anywhere—in the shower (for best acoustics), the kitchen (joyful singing apparently makes food tastier), the car (for the feels), or the office (like Snow White's dwarfs, but with a newer playlist).

This is especially true in concerts. Given the opportunity, Filipino fans will gladly take over their idol's job. A few artists may not like it, but I think most of them are flattered when people who paid to watch them perform know their songs by heart and could sing them on key.

Taylor Swift should have dropped by Manila during her Eras tour. She could have been referring to Pinoys when she said, "When you're singing you can hear the echo of people in the audience singing every single word with you, and that was that big dream that I had for myself. It's happening."

International singing competitions are practically a Filipino hunting ground. From Jessica Sanchez placing on American Idol (and now trying her luck again in the 20th season of America's Got Talent), to Jed Madela winning the World Championships of Performing Arts, our kababayans have carved out an image as exceptional singers.