MANILA, Philippines - He’s a ball of energy with the charm that can win you over in an instant. Juan Karlos “JK” Labajo became an instant favorite among The Voice Kids roster because of his smooth voice, his undeniable wit and sense of humor. Coach Bamboo Mañalac made a right choice turning for the then 13-year-old Cebuano.
JK has a taste in music not all kids his age appreciate. He’s into jazz and more mellow genres that most adults listen to. Even his singing has a distinct style that his classmates and teachers immediately noticed. After performing for a number of school programs, his family knew he would make it big. It was his mom’s wish for JK to join The Voice Kids, but she passed away before she even got the chance to watch him compete. This made JK more determined to get to the finals, with his grandmother and uncle by his side. Even if the competition was tough, he knew that his mom was guiding him every single moment.
His third-place finish opened lots of doors for JK — an album with MCA Music, tours, concerts and acting stints on TV. The endless possibilities just intensified JK’s dreams to win awards for music and movies, start a modeling career, and, of course, bag an international record deal; not just for himself, but to help reach out to more people in need.
Meanwhile, JK recently released his self-titled debut album. It contains six songs written by a new breed of composers like Jensen Gomez (This Gravity), Brad Go (Maybe Love) and Kennard Faraon (Para Sa ‘Yo, This Song Is For You, Summer Time Love). The carrier single Para Sa ‘Yo now enjoys heavy airplay on radio stations nationwide. Di Ka Man Lang Nagpaalam is special to him as it is the song he dedicates to his late mother. JK also includes the band version of Para Sa‘Yo and the acoustic version of This Gravity.
“I can’t describe my happiness,” says JK. He’s extremely grateful and remembers one of the most important advice that Coach Bamboo has given him, “…to be humble and to listen to pieces of advice.” JK is sure that his mother is proud of what he has achieved so far.
JK is available at Astroplus and Astrovision outlets and through digital downloads via Spinnr and iTunes. It can also be streamed on Spinnr, Apple Music, VEVO, Spotify, Deezer, Guvera and Rdio. The album launch was supported by Hawk Backpacks and Jollibee.