J Rey Soul on the global stage with the Peas

I recall watching the Black Eyed Peas (BEP) a few years ago during one of the group’s early tours without its female member Fergie. There was a new girl who sang all of the female parts in the BEP’s repertoire. She was very young and very good.

I thought it odd that the guys who are the founding members of the Peas, will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo did not bother to introduce the girl as a new member. But then maybe, she was still on trial or in something similar like working as an intern to learn the job.

I later found out that she was Jessica Reynoso and that she is the daughter of a Filipino mother and a black American father who she had never met. Just like apl.de.ap. They met in 2013, when she joined the first season of the talent show The Voice of the Philippines, where he served as one of the coaches.

Reynoso, who comes from Laguna, made it to the finals. But she lost in the end. It was Mitoy Yonting who won the title that year. Unknown to us though, apl.de.ap had already booked the 16-year-old girl for the ultimate gig. And that was singing in place of Fergie with the Black Eyed Peas.

After joining the group in several tours, Reynoso finally got to the recording studio with the BEPs in 2018. Her first time was in the single Ring the Alarm. She sang the chorus and she sounded great. But again, although she was also in the video, her performance was uncredited. I thought that was most unfair because she came across as pretty and sexy and had a sweet but powerful voice.

Well, it later turned out that the Black Eyed Peas trio was merely biding their time, or I should say, they were getting Reynoso completely ready before they made the big reveal. How nice that this finally happened here in the Philippines during a momentous occasion last December.

After their 2019 tour that took them across Europe, Latin America and around the Pacific, the Peas came over to perform at the closing of the Southeast Asian Games. And there at the athletic stadium in New Clark City, they introduced Reynoso with her new name, J Rey Soul, a Filipino, who is now a member of the BEP.

Well, she is not really a member. Maybe that tag will always belong to Fergie. Besides, I am well aware that given how monies are paid in the music business, it will take a lot of fine print explaining why, although J Rey Soul now sings Where is the Love or Boom Boom Pow and I Gotta Feeling, the royalties should still go to Fergie.

J Rey Soul gets a featured billing in the Peas’ new single that was dropped a month ago. It is a pop hip-hop tune with a big dose of Latin rhythms titled Mamacita. This is the group’s follow-up to RITMO (Bad Boys for Life) featuring J Balvin, that was used in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence starrer of the same title. The title says Mamacita featuring the fiery reggaeton star Ozuna and J Rey Soul. That is really nice.

Not only nice. That is something to get ecstatic about. The No. 1 selling Black Eyed Peas now boasts of two Filipino members apl.de.ap and J Rey Soul. Another talented Pinoy artist has been launched to global stardom in a big way. Note that the BEPs is one of the biggest selling acts in the world with streams and sales in the billions.

J Rey Soul acquits herself very well in the sunshiny video. Clad in an all-Gucci wardrobe, just like the boys, she is pretty and sexy and singing and dancing just like the best. Check her out cooing “You got me caliente when you call me Mamacita,” in the video on YouTube, I am sure that all of you out there will feel proud of J Rey Soul.