Zephanie takes the steering wheel

CEBU, Philippines — If singer-actress Zephanie would have done anything differently when she competed, and eventually won, at ABS-CBN’s “Idol Philippines” in 2019, she’d make sure to “protect her heart.”

“In this industry, we never know who is real or fake and what their intentions are,” Zephanie told The FREEMAN in an interview when she was recently in Cebu for a nationwide music caravan.

The 20-year-old emerged champion in the singing tilt months before the pandemic, and the years that ensued saw her struggling with “new challenges.”

After transferring from ABS-CBN to GMA Network through her management, Cornerstone Entertainment, she felt like she had more control over her career.

“I tend to rely on others and I didn’t know that I can do things on my own. It’s sometimes better when you can do it yourself, with support from other people,” she said.

“I would say yes most of the time even though you had that feeling that you don’t want to do something. Now, I know what I want and I am starting to know when to say no.”

One of those opportunities that she said yes to was making her acting debut in the Kapuso anthology show “Sparkle U” where she played Sue in “#Frenemies” alongside Shayne Sava and Roxie Smith.

“Acting is a new environment for me. I never imagined I would venture into it because I’m quite shy. But I developed the confidence to try something new even though it’s scary and really not my forte,” she said.

“It’s something I had to work on. I want to explore more of acting and I’m happy to have been given a chance to show my acting in ‘Sparkle U’.”

Music-wise, 2024 is looking to be a busy one for Zephanie as she plans to release her sophomore studio album under Republic Records Philippines. A concert to mark her fifth year in the industry is also being eyed.

Her latest single, “Aking Hiling”, is the Tagalog version of “This Wish” from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ latest animated feature “Wish”, released in theaters last month as part of the company’s centennial celebration.

Zephanie joins the ranks of Janella Salvador and KZ Tandingan as the latest Filipina singers to record a localized version of a from a Disney movie. Salvador had her own rendition of “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana”, while Tandingan performed “Gabay”, the Pinoy version of “Lead the Way”, originally performed by Jhené Aiko for “Raya and The Last Dragon.”

“It’s a privilege to be given this opportunity because it has always been my dream to sing a Disney song. It’s a big thing being part of this project where a lot of countries did the same and localized the song,” she said.

“It’s a dream come true because Disney was part of my life and it finally came true. It opened so many doors for me, and I can dream bigger because anything can happen.”

She recalled being emotional and “super teary-eyed” when she heard “The Wish” for the first time since she identified with the film’s protagonist Asha.

In the musical-comedy “Wish”, Asha (Ariana DeBose) lives in the magical kingdom of Rosas, a place where wishes come true. After finding out the hidden truth behind the kingdom and its ruler King Magnifico (Chris Pine), she sets out on a quest to save the kingdom.

“The part of the song where Asha started to have more courage to fight for what’s right and for what people deserve, that’s where I am in my career now. I know what I want and I want to fight for it,” she said.

“Asha and I are both young but we also want something big and you know that desire in your heart. It’s like taking a big leap of fate after being told what and what not to do because I am too young,” she shared.

“We have this same desire in our hearts that we can do this, and I want to do this for myself and the people I love.”