Morissette clears up pregnancy rumor, starts next decade via 1st digital show

“Just to make it clear, I’m not pregnant.”

That was the clarification Asia’s Phoenix, Morissette, made recently after she was hospitalized for a week.

“I had diverticulitis, something that (doesn’t) normally happen to younger people,” Morissette shared. “I must have an old intestine. But I’m back to being productive again. I have a stronger immune system now.”

Morissette apparently surprised everyone with a different announcement. “Ibang klaseng pasabog,” she pointed out.

Excitedly, she announced her first digital concert, Phoenix, to mark her 10th year in the industry. The show will stream on Jan. 23 and 24 on KTX. “This concert is different,” Morissette granted. “This is not the usual concert that we always get to see. We really curated the concert to be fit for the medium and something that the public will enjoy.”

Phoenix is not your typical concert that’s live. Morissette tries her hand at being the concert producer, too.

“There were the spiels that I have to memorize,” Morissette allowed. “Ang daming preparations. I have to be healthy and flexible. It happened with a lot of meditation and prayers. It can really get overwhelming.

“You think about so many things. Of course, there are a lot of songs in this concert. I think of choreography. Just how we shot the concert. It kind of feels like a movie with blockings or a musical theater production.”

Morissette proudly acknowledges her fiancé, Dave Lamar, who assisted her in every step of the way to mount Phoenix.

“My fiancé is the one that has been helping me a lot in my career lately,” Morissette admitted. “Especially with content. I’m just really grateful that he has been around and helping us out. I’m so happy that we have been able to work on everything the past year.”

Morissette and Dave got officially engaged in December 2020 after being together for more than a year. They’ve known each other since 2010, when they first met on TV5.

“We are really friends before we became officially a couple,” Morissette said about her and Dave. “I met him before anybody else. We met again in The Voice. He pushes forward and never loses that faith.”

Music has been there as a constant companion for Morissette. “The first time Dave and I broke up, music lang ang karamay ko,” she admitted. “I’m so happy that in a sense, nag-level up na rin ang relationship ko with my music.”

Phoenix symbolizes rising from the ashes, from struggles. “I never won any of the singing competitions I joined in,” Morissette disclosed. “That didn’t stop me. It’s a constant reminder to everyone.

“Even if there were obstacles that happened. Let God handle the rest. That’s what I learned in this pandemic. We cannot control everything. We should allow God to comfort us along the way,” she added.

Her struggles were never away from her life. “A lot of them personal, others professional or related to my work,” Morissette said. “It can really get stressful and tiring at times. Kahit ako, sobrang love ko ang ginagawa ko, pero napapagod din ako.

“The past year, I’ve learned to manage myself well,” she continued. “Yes, there’s a lot of work, but there should be a time for myself. It’s a process. I get burned out without me knowing it. So much has happened. Highs and lows. But I got over it successfully.”

She assured Phoenix will have surprises. “My new originals will be in the show,” Morissette granted. “It’s kind of intimate in a way. The cinematography is grand, song numbers, treatment We were able to drop sneak peaks from the concert.

“We just allowed everybody to be creative, from my musical director, choreographer. Everyone has no border. Everyone worked so well. Everything just fell into place. That’s why I’m really super excited. This is something that you can watch on Netflix also. Very artistic.”

Looking back on her first decade, Morissette realized all her successes really don’t happen overnight. “It takes so much work, a lot of falling down, a lot of getting up,” she acknowledged. “There’s also the pressure. I like to embody someone who doesn’t give up.”

Morissette was very hands-on in picking the songs for her repertoire. “Their favorites are sure to be in this concert,” she offered “Every song, there is a connection to me and has a special meaning to my heart. My favorite covers will be in the lineup.”

With her recent Signature EP (extended play) which she co-wrote, Morissette releases a “very personal” song coming from her musical influences and collaborating with some very good friends.

“I also feel there is a bigger market that’s why I try to expand my sound,” she maintained. “I’m just so happy with just how everything turned out in my EP. How people were able to appreciate it, not just Filipinos.

“Phoenix is my starting point for the next decade. I want to put out more originals and raise the Filipino flag all the more whenever I’m in another country.”