Bryan's big gamble

MANILA, Philippines - Pinoy Pop Superstar first runner-up Bryan Termulo would rather be called Bryan these days. The 21-year-old crooner looks at his abbreviated name as a rite of passage in his career.

“I’m under a new management — BWB. And they have a new image for me,” he explains.

Bryan is trading his suave balladeer image for a more earthy, rugged one that suits his new repertoire of alternative pop rock songs. He has exchanged his trademark suit and necktie for casual tees and maong. The put-together hairstyle has given way to a spiked look that says, “I’m ready for anything.” Metallic neck and wrist accessories complete his new laidback image.

“I see myself as a male version of Yeng Constantino, who is known for her rock style,” says Bryan. True enough, his soon-to-be-released album of alternative pop rock songs is in keeping with this image.

The re-invention, like all experiments, is a gamble. Bryan assures you it’s a calculated one. He looked before he leapt.

“I was all set to go abroad after I asked GMA 7 to release me from my contract last year. And then the call from BWB came,” recalls Bryan. Back then, his two older siblings weren’t working yet, so he had to act as the breadwinner.

BWB told Bryan about their big plans for him. So he wasted no time in signing a management contract with them.

Now, Bryan’s hands are full and the twinkle in his eyes say he doesn’t regret junking plans of earning dollars abroad.

“Diana Stalder Face and Body Surgicenter got me as endorser Daiana Meneses’ male counterpart,” he beams. The overjoyed Bryan is also looking forward to an album launch and mall tours to go with it.

Bryan will have an on stage reunion with Jan Nieto, Harry Santos and Gian Magdangal, fellow members of the You’ve Got Male quartet is set on S.O.P. on March 12.

“BWB will relaunch me as the new Kilabot ng Kolehiyala,” reveals Bryan.

The new title would have given him goose pimples when he was an awkward grade school student who didn’t know he can carry a tune.

“I started out as a dancer in grade school, where I joined dance contests any chance I got,” recalls Bryan. “And then someone asked me to sing in front of my fifth grade class. That was then I learned that I can also sing.”

Things were never the same again for him. Bryan’s newfound confidence pushed him to grab the chance at joining singing tilts when he reached high school. It urged him to try his luck in Pinoy Pop Superstar, not once, but thrice.

“I failed the screening process during my first and second tries,” admits Bryan. It was only on his third try that the judges finally noticed the persistent Bryan. Even when he passed the elimination round, Bryan didn’t set his sights too high.

“I was a wild card back then,” he relates.

That wild card not only ended up first runner-up, he also became part of S.O.P. for a year and landed a role as Aljur Abrenica’s friend in the now-defunct GMA 7 teleseries All My Life. Bryan also endorsed clothing apparel brands and other products.

The series of breaks surpassed Bryan’s expectations.

“All I wanted to do was try singing and dancing,” he explains.

Will he be pleasantly surprised again, now that a whole new path beckons before him? His flushed face, wide smile and sparkling eyes tell you that yes, Bryan will go the extra mile to make sure he does.