Billy When He Sizzles

Hello, Billy?

No, you’re not listening to that popular PLDT commercial where Mama’s Boy Billy (played by Carlo Muñoz who’s now in the States) is talking to his over-protective mother.

I’m on the phone and talking to Billy, all right, but this Billy happens to be Billy Crawford (now minus the "Joe"), the Pinoy pop superstar in Europe.

Billy is in Paris and I’m in Manila, with an eight-hour time difference between us.

This is for the record: Billy Crawford is the only documented (yes, authentic) Filipino singer who has made it as a recording artist abroad. The others? Never mind.

In 2001, Billy was catapulted to the top of the French charts when his debut single Trackin’ sold more than 500,000 copies (certified platinum), hitting No. 5 in the sales charts and No. 1 in the club charts. Here’s more: The same single was No. 1 in Holland, No. 2 in Belgium, No. 3 in Switzerland and No. 20 in Germany.

In April 2002, Billy came back with his sophomore album Ride which was certified "gold" (100,000 copies sold) both in France and Switzerland within just a few weeks, later turning "platinum" in France (300,000 copies sold), so far selling more than 450,000 copies.

In 2003, Billy came up with two versions of a previously unreleased track, the English version of Someone Like You and a special Franco-English version of Me Passer de Toi for the French market. You guessed it: They, too, were big hits.

That same year, Billy was declared International Male Artist of the Year by the NRJ Music Awards, edging out such formidable names as Will Smith, Eminem and Robbie Williams.

Billy has just released a new album entitled Big City, tracks of which were produced in London and the US (Miami, Atlanta and New York), with different producers who included Redzone (also behind Beyonce Knowles, Chaka Khan and TLC), newcomer Kovas Myvett, Desmond Child (Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Ricky Martin, etc.), J. Que (Usher, etc.) and Darren Hill.

In the following "real exclusive" long-distance Conversation, Billy talks not just about Big City but other interesting topics, including the controversial Exorcist: The Beginning, the prequel which would have been his one-way ticket to Hollywood.

How’s Paris?

"It’s autumn here."

Sizzling even in autumn?

"I think so. It’s kind of cold; malamig ng konti."

You’re based in Paris, aren’t you?

"Yeah. Right now I am. But I’m actually moving back to New York."

Oh, yeah? Why?

"I have a production company there which just opened. I’m actually working with a lot of other artists... I’m writing songs and producing with other people."

So you’re shuttling between Paris and New York.

"Yeah. I have to come back (to Paris) soon because I’m going to start my (concert) tour here in March next year. I have to be back here most of the time. I’ll start my album promo around the world sometime in January next year."

Why did you put up a production company in New York instead of in Europe where you are very popular – a superstar?

"My producer, a partner of mine, has worked with a lot of American artists and he kind of put me onto the game, you know."

Is your partner a Filipino?

"No, he’s American."

Billy, of course, you know that KC Concepcion (once romantically linked to Billy) is in Paris, studying.

"Yeah, of course! I’ve seen her a couple of times."

Friendly dates?

"Yeah. She has some friends and I have some friends and we kind of hang around a bit. I’ve been busy a lot, so I haven’t really had a chance to see her more often, or anybody for that matter. It’s a little hard for the moment because I’m going back and forth between Paris and New York."

So there’s nothing romantic between you and KC, huh?

"No, nothing romantic. No, no, no, no, no!"

How’s your love life? You’re so busy that I doubt if you ever have a love life.

"It’s a little hard. Right now, I’m concentrating on work. But, you know, I’m dating somebody."

That popular French popstar (Lori)?

"No. Somebody else."

What happened to the French popstar you were rumored to be marrying?

"Oh, we broke up. Get married? No way. Are you crazy? My mom would kill me. It was just a rumor – you know, just like showbiz in Manila. Tsismis lang."

Mandy Moore was in Manila last year for a concert and she confirmed in interviews that you two went steady for a while.

"Yeah, I know. I talked to her two weeks ago and she told me that she went to Manila."

How long did you go steady with Mandy?

"About eight or nine months. Just for a very short period."

How did you hook up?

"We were on tour together actually with N’SYNC."

In Europe?

"No. In America."

That’s how you got close...

"...we were both front acts and, you know, we hung out. We hooked up and that’s it..."

Why did you break up?

"Career, you know. It was hard. I was moving around and so was she. It was hard to see each other. We were both young anyway, so..."

So it was a choice between love and career.

"Yeah."

We’ll talk about your album, Big City. The literature said that you’ve ceased being a "Mama’s Boy." What does it mean?

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! It’s just because it’s a complete change from what I’ve been doing; it’s very different from my previous albums. Big City shows a more mature Billy Crawford. I wrote more of the songs, I produced more of the songs...I used to do more pop and commercial songs but this time, the songs are more mature. I’ve never been so involved in my projects. Big City is like my little baby. I worked a year and a half on this album, working with the producer of Usher and Whitney Houston."

Why did you call it Big City?

"Well, the whole album is about my relationship with the big city. You know, I grew up in the Philippines, Paris, New York, Texas, Atlanta and a lot of other cities I’ve hung up in my whole life."

How old are you now, Billy?

"I’m 22."

And living alone?

"Yes, I am."

How does it feel living alone after having been under your mama’s wings all these years?

"It’s cool, you know. You’re independent. But you don’t really realize that you’re alone but most of your friends are out here. I do my laundry, I cook, I do all the households chores. I like it! I feel comfortable doing everything myself. And, I guess, I make my parents proud that I can survive being alone."

How nice. By the way, I saw The Exorcist: The Beginning and I didn’t find you in it. What happened?

"Actually, my version of the movie is coming out in Europe starting on the 17th of November. But I wasn’t in the version that came out in America (and the Philippines). Actually, what happened was that they fired the first director and they fired pretty much everyone. But you know, we finished the movie. And then all of a sudden, the new director – I forgot his name – kept our movie for the DVD."

You were supposed to play the possessed boy in the movie.

"Yeah, I did. I do! In the new version, the nurse gets possessed or something like that. It’s a completely different movie from the one I did."

You won that role over hundreds of other aspirants, didn’t you?

"Yeah, there were lots of aspirants. There was an audition in England, another audition in L.A. and several others somewhere else. It was some kind of a blessing that I got the role."

Any new movie coming up soon?

"Yeah, actually there is. But I can’t talk about it yet because it’s still under negotiation."

How is it being a superstar in Europe?

"Well, I never consider myself a superstar. But it feels great to be supported in doing what I love the most, which is work, and to be recognized for my talent around the world. It feels great when I come home and I see that big smile on my father’s and my mother’s face, telling me that I’m doing a great job, you know. It makes me very happy."

Is the European market more competitive than the Philippine market?

"Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah! You have the local acts first of all to deal with. And then you have the European acts and the international acts to deal with. Yeah, it’s very difficult, you know. It didn’t take overnight for me; it took more than three years for me to take off, to really have a name."

What were some of the challenges that you have to hurdle along the way?

"Many. First of all, being away from my family was the hardest challenge for me. Second is the work itself – it’s crazy! So many radio promos, so many TV interviews, so many magazine pictorials. Figuring out who to trust and who to be with was another hurdle. When I had a relationship and we had to break up while I was trying hard to make a name...That was very hard."

It’s a good thing your being a Filipino, being Asian, didn’t get in the way...

"...Of course, of course! You know, I guess I’m just really blessed that God has given me the talent."

By the way, belated congratulations. Last year, you won as International Male Artist of the Year in last year’s NRJ Music Awards, beating such worthies as Will Smith, Eminem and Robbie Williams.

"It took a while for me to realize that I won. It was a strange thing, you know, because, to be honest with you, it was good enough to be nominated. Going there and perfoming was the only thing I was looking forward to, but not winning. You know what I mean? And then, all of a sudden they called my name and, wow, it was unbelievable!"

Are you bringing your trophy with you when you come to Manila first week of December?

"No. I don’t really bring the trophy around. I gave it to Mom for her to keep. She’s in New York and I’m in Paris right now."

How long are you staying in Manila?

"Oh, maybe just about seven days, just for the promo. I wish I could stay longer."

The last time you were here was...three years ago?

"That seems to be a long time. I could hardly wait to be back home."

Your fans will be happy to see a more mature Billy Crawford and to hear a new Billy Crawford on the Big City album. The blurb says that it features a "new sound." What does it mean?

"Well, it features exactly the style that I’ve been wanting to do since the beginning. But I was too young to do it then. Besides, I didn’t really have a say on my previous albums. In Big City, you listen carefully and you will hear the new maturity that I’m talking about."

Which song on the album speaks a lot about Bill Crawford today?

"The one called Jump Off which mixes my style with something like Michael Jackson and with a lot of things...You know me, I love dancing, I love performing, I love singing. That’s one of the songs that focuses on my singing and my dancing."

How different is Billy Crawford now from Billy Crawford four or so years ago?

"Not too different at all. I still have the same little smile that I always had. I’m a regular person, really. I just work hard, that’s all. Not any different from the Billy Crawford that you used to know the first time I started."

I have before me a clipping from a French magazine which says that you landed behind bars. I haven’t had a chance to let somebody who speaks French translate the story for me. Did you really get into prison?

(Amused) "Oh, yes, I did. A long time ago. In New York. At that time, we were living in a ghetto. It was very difficult for me to survive and to go with life. I went through ups and downs. There was somebody picking on me because I was the only Filipino in school; he was laughing at me and spitting on my hamburger. One day, I was walking back home and this kid followed me. He started cursing me but I didn’t care. Until he spoke against my family and I got mad. You speak against me and I don’t care. But if you speak against my family – the people I love the most...my mom and my dad and my brother – you’re in trouble. It’s the end of the world for you. So that nasty kid and I fought and I guess I nearly killed him. So the cops came and arrested me. I stayed behind bars for about nine hours. We went to court and the kid confessed to his sin and he apologized; he didn’t want to press charges and that was it. They set me free."

Congratulations for standing up for your loved ones. That nasty kid deserved more than a bloody nose.

"He never bothered me again after that."

Anyway, what is it about the Philippines that you miss the most?

"Everything! I miss the warmth of the people, the hot weather, Filipino food because I don’t see my mom very often (she cooks Filipino food very well!), the Filipino people at nami-miss ko nang mag-Tagalog dahil hindi ako nagta-Tagalog dito kaya nakakabuwisit dahil dito puro French-French-French. And I miss the beautiful girls in the Philippines."

Could you say "I love you" in French to your fans here in the Philippines?

"Je t’aime, mes admirateurs Philippines!"

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