Just call her Jona

It’s not unusual for female celebrities to make a major change after a breakup. Gigi Hadid and Katy Perry cut and dyed their hair after their relationships with Joe Jonas and Russell Brand, respectively, crashed and burned.

?But in the case of the recording artist formerly known as Jonalyn Viray, she didn’t do anything drastic when she “broke up” with her former network and moved to ABS-CBN earlier this year. Instead, the changes she made were less in-your-face. She changed her name to “Jona” (which she explains is her real nickname) and adopted a happier and more cheerful outlook in life.

She’s also more confident onstage these days, probably because, as Jona herself said to the press months ago, she feels like the Kapamilya network really believes in her and her talent. 

?Jona says she left GMA 7 after a decade because she wanted to grow artistically and personally. “Your eagerness as an artist to aspire for more opportunities and to learn new experiences does not stop. I decided to transfer to another network because I want to grow,” explains Jona.

Jona knew the decision to transfer to another network was risky; she would have to start all over again and her decision could backfire. But she steeled herself and signed on to become a Kapamilya anyway.

?Besides, her industry friends encouraged her by reminding her to believe in herself; that her attitude and talent would see her through.

“Honestly, I was scared. I considered it a big risk to me and to my manager. But I got encouragement from my friends who kept telling me that I should believe in myself and in my talent,” she says.

Jona made her first appearance as a Kapamilya at the presscon for We Will Survive some months back.

“They were all friendly — the staff, the artists. It was so heartwarming. I felt their warm welcome,” Jona recalls.

?One of the things that convinced Jona to transfer to ABS-CBN was the promise of a record deal with Star Music. She is about to start working on her first album for the Kapamilya Network’s in-house label, which she’s very excited about.

“One of the things I love about my transfer is that they have lined up projects for me. They have plans. One of which is an album and a concert. With the album, people will be hearing radio-friendly songs and songs that they can relate to. And also, I will be on some exciting collaborations in my album and a few duets,” adds Jona.

?She has also joined ASAP as part of the Birit Queens, and every Sunday, she joins forces with Angeline Quinto, Klarisse de Guzman and Morissette. However, she isn’t entirely comfortable with being called a queen yet. She would rather be known simply as Jona.

“I don’t think I deserve to be called queen. I have so much to learn and so much to prove. If you ask me to choose what title I’d like to give myself, I’d say, ‘Just call me Jona,’” she says. —With reports from Almed Garcia and Julian Mauricio