MANILA, Philippines - It was a tiring day at A Space Greenbelt. Before facilitating a roundtable interview in the afternoon with the girls, I had to wear my producer’s hat in the morning to make sure that the photo shoot for the promo follows the creative direction as planned. It was the first time Aia de Leon, Barbie Almalbis and Kitchie Nadal would be working together for a major concert at the Music Museum called Secrets, which on full disclosure, is a project that I’ve been a part of since its incubation stage.
For those living under a rock: Aia, Barbie, and Kitchie are no longer strangers to the Filipino household. People have found relief and refuge in their songs; in the romantic desperation of Akap, and the reassuring embrace of Sundo; in the heartbreaking pleas of Huwag Na Huwag Mong Sasabihin, and the spiritual yearnings of Same Ground; in friendships found in Tabing Ilog, and loved ones lost in Belinda Bye Bye. We’ve rejoiced with these alt-rock deities as they conquered radio and MTV airplay one hit after another, headline music shows as solo artists or with their previous bands, and grace the cover of magazines in their prime. We’ve also witnessed them shy away from the spotlight to focus on other priorities: Barbie and Kitchie are now happily married while Aia is setting her sights on other career opportunities like hosting and events organizing.
Upcoming Concert
But music — the fire that fuels their very soul — is something that keeps them holding on to dear life. There was no hesitation on their part when I pitched the concert project to them a few months ago, seeing this opportunity to reunite.
“I’m excited to work with them again,” an excited Kitchie Nadal told Supreme. “It’s a chance to catch up with friends whom I admire and respect.” Aia expressed the same enthusiasm as Kitchie, but has a different take on how the show should be packaged outside of the “reunion” tag. “I’m not a fan of nostalgia,” the acclaimed singer-songwriter confesses. “As much as I’m happy to be working with my friends, I’d like people to see this concert as a celebration of our staying power and a start of better things to come.”
Despite echoing a sentiment that feels familiar to most legacy artists, Aia is right. This concert is a continuation of a music journey, a platform that shows their willingness to embrace a new chapter in their respective careers. Barbie shares the same opinion: “I’m hoping that they would see something new. As artists, we can’t stay stuck.” This is not to say that they’ll be ignoring their canonical contributions to the Filipino songbook as they chase the next phase.
Aia, Barbie, and Kitchie will still be singing the classics that we’ve grown to love, but they’re also keen on playing the new and untested ones, expanding the scope of their creative lens to show us where they are now as artists and individuals. “That’s one of my frustrations in the industry,” Kitchie shares candidly, but still brimming with a smile. “People expect me to wear the same clothes, to make the same music. But everything that doesn’t grow is dead. I’m a different person now and my art is no longer the same.”
New Songs, New Projects
Taking their current state into consideration, both Barbie and Kitchie, have found light in making music about the intricacies of married life and being spiritually enlightened. Kitchie has recently teased fans with the release of her new single under Warner Music Philippines called Wandering Stars — a lush, meticulously crafted electro-pop tune that pulls off her most experimental side yet. “I’m also working on my fifth album, hopefully to be released next year,” says Kitchie. Barbie Almalbis, on the other hand, is taking things slowly but surely. The Dahilan singer is writing new material for her soon-to-be-released album while fulfilling her duties as a rockstar mom and wife.
Treading a different path is Aia de Leon who, after surviving a personal crisis, has gotten more introspective as a musician. Reaching for the smart phone in her pocket, she lets me listen to the demo of her first solo single to be released early next year, and boy does it bring me back to the vintage Aia that I know: a confident woman at the top of her game, addressing heartbreak with anthemic precision and unmatched emotional pull. “My songs before were stories lifted from other people’s experiences,” she points out. “It’s the first time that I’ve gotten more personal, and confessional to an extent. I’m excited to share this with everyone.”
Sisterhood
With the girls finding their mojo back again after years of quietude, it’s difficult not to compare them individually as artists, but doing so will only make one a showbiz gossipmonger trying to squeeze bad blood out of a solid friendship built on mutual respect. “We’ve been friends for such a long time,” Barbie told Supreme. “We’ve always been proactive in supporting each other. Yung competition, corny yun.”
Listening to these ladies update each other about their lives, trade silly jokes like the old times, and talk about makeup and music reminds me of those happy, carefree days when catching up with an old dear friend meant nonstop chats that would go on until the wee hours of the morning. Somehow it feels real and sincere. “Walang echosan,” as how pop culture parlance puts it. Post-interview, their sisterhood goes beyond sharing the same stage together. “We’ve been through a lot,” Aia says of her friendship with Barbie and Kitchie. “There were some seasons in our lives when they saw me cry, when they saw me at my lowest. We can be candid with each other.”
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Photos by Justin Villanueva. Special thanks to Florian Beatrice Trinidad for wardrobe and styling, Kate dela Cruz for hair and makeup, and A Space Greenbelt for the venue.