Alternative rock music artist Juan Karlos Labajo was just 13 years old when he started his journey with music. His successful feat as a contender of The Voice Kids PH not just launched his career in the industry, it also gained him a huge following that saw the birth of a new musical genius.
He released his first two albums, JK (2015) and JKL (2017), under MCA Music. These two albums were nothing short of a masterpiece, with JK even going platinum.
The hit songs in his albums, added by his fun and unique personality, have since been well-loved by fans. Monumentally, this made JK dominate the live scene as well—putting on sold-out shows as only he can.
Amidst this huge success as an artist, JK never settled. What he really wanted is to write, produce, and sing his songs the way he hears them in his head. From his initial sound, JK shifted to alt-rock and formed his own band, juan karlos. This same band would then release the classic hit “Buwan” in 2018, a song that tells of an intense romance across a melody that both grooves and serenades—a new OPM identity that Juan Karlos has brought to life.
“Inspiration comes from anywhere, comes anytime. It’s something you don’t plan. It is something that just happens.”
His spontaneous approach to creating his works made wonders with more hit songs that followed “Buwan.” “Biyak,” “Kalawakan,” and “Bless Ü” are more of his alternative indie hits that have captured the emotions of his Filipino listeners.
The balance between romance and the rough, raw emotions that comes from it is always perfectly conveyed with his lyricism, with a message that is driven home by his unique sound.
After taking an indefinite hiatus from social media since 2020, JK has once again reinvented his sound with the release of Boston—a perfect track that signaled his rebirth into the folk-rock genre.
Shot in Edsa, the song’s music video has given even more defined depth to the message of the song which is about longing for a past love. This new shade in his identity showed JK’s simple yet complex vision as an artist—one that exudes beauty from real and raw emotions.
“I’d rather keep on making songs that satisfy my cravings rather than planning out songs for hits.”
Juan Karlos believes that authenticity comes from being honest while making music. For the young artist, music is not meant to be created for the numbers. His unique sound which is loved by fans is never dictated by musical trends. For JK, his art is meant to show the importance and beauty of music from the soul of the artist. And this, he believes, is unique for everyone.
