A fresh start for Hansen

He’s been around for a while, so you can’t exactly call him a newbie. But after switching to a new management last year and doing his first concert, Hansen Nichols feels like he’s starting all over again.

Now under the management of Backroom, Hansen was part of the second season of Pinoy Dream Academy (PDA), a batch that included Bugoy Drilon and Liezl Garcia, both making good now in their individual careers.

He laid low for a while, but is now back and raring to get back onstage. The 25-year-old singer is aware that he has a lot of catching up to do. He just returned from an extended holiday break in the US. “I took a break for the holidays kasi nung December, ang dami kong ginawa, ang dami kong trabaho,” explains Hansen. “Nag-concentrate muna ako sa pahinga, to re-focus again after all the hard work that I did.”

Looking back on his PDA — and post-PDA — days, Hansen realized that getting into the industry is not that easy. But there were so many valuable experiences he learned from his stint in the ABS-CBN reality singing search. “A lot of what I learned inside, also helped in the outside world, like how to study for a song, to always be mindful of notes, your movement onstage. I learned that you have to adapt to different situations, on top of learning new songs — and to grow a little bit of thicker skin. I know that I can’t please everyone.”

He’s not envious at all of the success of his friends like Bugoy and Liezl, and of the other PDA alumni, like Season One winner Yeng Constantino. Rather than feeling that way, Hansen looks at them and uses their success to fuel his own dreams. It gives him motivation to want to do better and work harder.

“I’m not one of those who gives up easily,” says Hansen. “I really try to work my best and naghahanap pa rin ako ng ibang ways kung paano ako makakapasok sa industriya.”

He could have chosen to stay in the US for good when he went there last December, but for Hansen, giving up is not an option. He intends to keep trying even if there are so many obstacles. He plans to continue going as long as he can, as long as God is providing him with the talent and the drive to make it.               

One source of strength that keeps him moving forward are his fans. Hansen is surprised that the fans who supported him in Pinoy Dream Academy, the Hansen Fever, are still there. Whenever he has live shows or gigs, they always make sure they are present.

“Nakakataba ng puso,” says Hansen gratefully. “So ibig sabihin, if they’re still there to wait for my break, I should continue going. I feel like I owe it to them not to stop.”

During the recent Valentine season, Hansen was busy with shows, including a post-Feb. 14 gig with Sitti. He sees all of these shows as opportunities to keep building and improving himself.

Health-wise, he is also okay. During his stint in PDA, it was revealed that Hansen had been battling thyroid cancer. Today, he looks like he is in the pink of health. “Health-wise, I’m good. I have check-ups regularly, and I still have to do blood checks regularly, so I’m good. I’m blessed with good health. I’m suwerte na parang you know, God is blessing me with long life, so I can’t complain. Life is good.”

Right now, Hansen is working on a couple of songs. One of the first he finished is a Korean original that they fitted with Tagalog lyrics. He also does a lot of experimentation during shows, trying out different songs and genres, and even doing Tagalog medleys. During one show, he tried doing a mash-up of Walang Kapalit and Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin, and the reaction from the crowd was better than he anticipated. He’s also doing OPM medleys, which he enjoys.

This year, he’s looking forward to a lot of things, including doing a bit more acting, or if not, being given the opportunity to sing a teleserye theme song.

“I would love to see that and experience that, at least once,” says the good-looking singer. “That would be a nice experience. I can only imagine how it feels to hear my own song on the radio.”

It is something that for now, remains a dream. But who knows? Very soon, it just might not be anymore.