Gab's got talent

MANILA, Philippines - Gab Valenciano was a 16-year-old showbiz newbie when he had his first taste of online bashing. A writer published a glowing article praising Gab’s talent and his potential to make it far in the industry. “I talked about aiming high and dreaming big, and I said I’m not afraid to be myself,” he recalls. Like any new star, he was so excited to read the very first feature on him, until he reached the comments section. “Huwag ka ng umasa (na sisikat ka),” “You’ll never be your father,” “You have no place in this industry,” “You paid to be where you are today.” – Anonymous bashers. The teenager ran to his parents, crying, unable to understand how these people could throw such poisonous words his way when they didn’t even know him at all. “People say, ‘Anak ka ni Gary V. Ang sarap siguro ng buhay mo,’” he shrugs, “But they don’t see the bullying, the bashing, and the hating that come with the territory.”

These days, Gab doesn’t cry over mean words from nameless strangers anymore. Why should he when things are finally starting to fall into place? Why should he when queen Beyonce herself validated his talent in the most flattering way? Haters to the left.

RESPECT THAT

When Beyonce pulled another Beyonce, i.e. she surprised everyone by dropping two new songs plus her repackaged album this week, Gab Valenciano’s name became part of the discussion. Apparently, Bey saw his Super Selfie videos on YouTube and decided to do something similar for the music video of her song “7/11.” In fact, she didn’t stop at similar. Beyonce actually used some of Gab’s trademark dance steps (Luhod! Taas kamay! Pak!).

This is no case of plagiarism though. Everything was done in a legitimate, professional way. Three weeks ago, Beyonce’s management got in touch with Gab, and asked him if he was interested in this epic collaboration with the world’s biggest superstar — Gab said he would think about it. Joke. Of course, he said yes! For a few days, Beyonce’s team picked his brain via phone and video calls asking him about what goes into making a Super Selfie video. From the dance steps to the kind of camera he uses, they were thorough. “I was part of the creative process, he says, beaming. “She did some of the moves so they credited me for additional choreography even if I wasn’t there physically.” Sadly, there was no direct contact between Gab and B, but we think, at some point, point G will intersect with point B. And if you think Bey’s team just said, “Okay, thanks for your help,” without compensating Gab, Supreme’s happy to report they put a premium on talent and creativity. “Six figures?” we asked. But Gab is tough to crack. “Let’s just say I’m happy with the value they put in my creativity,” he says carefully. “And the fact that I merely sat down in front of my computer and talked to them.”

BOW DOWN B*ITCHES

In case you didn’t bother to click that Super Selfie video link your friend posted on your Facebook wall last year, it’s a series of short videos featuring Gab dancing, full of manic energy. He shoots them in different mundane places, i.e. in the garage, by an outdoor pool, in his room. The videos were all conceptualized, shot, edited, and musically scored by the same person in front of the camera. It’s a one-man team. “It’s a moving selfie coupled with all that effort — that’s why I decided to call it ‘Super Selfie,’” he shares. The videos are fun and silly and lively, and you would never think the talented guy behind it was fighting depression. See, when Gab moved to Florida in 2013 to study recording arts for a year, he was dealing with his grandfather’s death and severe homesickness. For two months, he did nothing, a total departure from his crazy-busy life in Manila. “I would wake up, have breakfast, go on my laptop for seven hours, just chatting with friends or Skyping,” he recalls, shaking his head.  “That was my life for two months. But if it wasn’t for those two months, I would have never come up with what I have today.”  He used idle time to create really entertaining content, his version of making lemonade out of lemons. On December 9, Gab will pull a Beyonce himself and announce another winning collaboration with one of the world’s most powerful brands. “All I can say is that their past video has over a hundred million views,” he says with a smile.

There are a lot of exciting projects in the works and Gab says it’s all because he decided to step out of that “Dancer ka lang” box. “You can never be a one trick pony,” he says. “Okay, so you’re a singer. But what if you’re a really great painter? I mean, I could have just kept dancing and dancing and dancing every Sunday on ASAP, but I discovered other things I like doing and I found the courage to do them.” Gab says his biggest advice for artists out there is:  “Listen to yourself, not to people who belittle you. Maximize yourself.” And that is how you shut down haters: By proving them all wrong. Slay them all, Gab Valenciano. Slay.

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Tweet the author @IrishDDizon.