‘Shy’ Arthur Nery finds confidence through his fans

MANILA, Philippines — As singer-songwriter Arthur Nery embraced the music business, he has gained more confidence in performing on stage and interacting with people around him.

He was once a shy boy when he started out in the local music scene. But as he embarked on his journey as a professional musician, attended more gigs and met different people, he learned how to loosen up.

The R&B and soul crooner from Cagayan de Oro City shared at a presscon that he and his friends once tried forming a boy band but due to his lack of confidence, Arthur backed out. “I knew to myself that, like, I’m not as handsome as SB19 or Alamat members. I accepted that early on so I thought, ‘Ako na nga. Bahala na ‘to. So (my own) music na lang.’”

As time went on, Arthur was able to adapt to the music business. He feels more assured and confident now. “I’m not really sure kung tama po yung pagdadala ko sa sarili ko (if I’m correct in the way I carry myself) but I gained a bit more confidence now than before,” he declared.

Arthur’s fans have also played a part in boosting his confidence while performing. He said, “Before I’d perform, they would send me a message, asking me if I’m OK mentally and physically, if I were prepared to perform on stage. After (my performance), they would ask me if I enjoyed it. It’s really the fans who have constantly checked on me.”

On him being labeled as “nonchalant” and “introvert,” he explained that it was how he was raised as a child. “I grew up with my father who would always say to me, ‘When you talk, less is more and talk straight to the point.’ Yun po yung kinalakihan ko and hindi po talaga ako malabas din (that’s how I was raised and I didn’t go out that much). Mahina po yung social skills ko,” he admitted.

“What you see is all that I am. In other words, I’m just being myself. Humihingi lang po ako ng kaunting understanding kung medyo nahihiya po ako. Sana po wag kayong mainis,” he added.

The Pagsamo hitmaker will headline his solo concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Oct. 25 following his sold-out show in 2022 at the New Frontier Theater.

“It’s my first time in Araneta and since it’s my first time, it’s more grand than my concert last time. Mas pinaghandaan namin siya. There’s a lot of guests and performances, and new songs,” he said on what to expect from the concert.

Arthur just launched his sophomore album called Album II: The second. He expressed his growth as an artist and his emotions into the newly dropped record. “That’s my major goal, I want to show the emotions that I put in my album,” he told The STAR.

He will stage songs from his latest album as well as do covers and render tracks from his previous albums. 

The II: The second is something personal to Arthur. As he described it, “Plenty of things happened in 2020, my dad passed and then the COVID happened, the lockdown. Andami pong nangyari so yung mga songs ko napondo. Dumami siya ng dumami yung sulat but the recording, since availability-wise, we found it difficult to find a studio and people to work with. That’s why it got a bit delayed.”

The tracklist for II: The second include Na Naman, I Gotchu, Di Nakakasawa (feat. Kiyo), Lullaby (feat. Jolianne), Get Going (feat. Jon), to name a few.

Arthur Nery is now stepping into his own with more assurance and stage presence, thanks to his fans and personal growth as an artist. The R&B and soul singer-songwriter from Cagayan de Oro shares that his early days in the music industry were marked by self-doubt. However, as he met more people and performed at more gigs, Arthur learned to loosen up and adapt to the music scene. This new level of confidence will be on full display at his upcoming solo concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Oct. 25. This follows his sold-out show at the New Frontier Theater in 2022.