Pia Wurtzbach caught my full attention when she snagged the Binibining Pilipinas Universe title after her third try.
Before that, she was just this actress or that model or that beauty queen wannabe.
But then she started her journey to win a title in Binibining Pilipinas. She was thrown all kinds of accusations on social media but Pia was relentless. I saw how she handled herself with grace and panache, and I instantly became a fan. No, a devotee. From then on, I was a believer of the Gospel of Pia.
Until now actually. I actually cried the day I finally met her.
Now, Pia has earned the ire of some people as one of the best Miss Universe title-holders ever expressed her frustration, perhaps even anger, about the absolute pardon granted by President Duterte to Joseph Scott Pemberton. The US Marine was convicted in 2015 for killing Jennifer Laude and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but then he was set to be released four years early after being granted full credit for Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) under Philippine law.
In response, Pia posted a number of tweets:
“I’ll never get tired of saying this…,” Pia tweeted, adding the hashtag #TransLivesMatter a number of times. “Tuwing nagbabasa ako ng balita, palagi na lang palala ng palala yung mga nababasa ko. Ngayon ito naman? Hay… Eto na lang, let’s all make sure we register to vote for the next elections. Each one of us,” she tweeted again. She then followed this up with pictures that show how voters can register for the 2022 elections.
Rabid supporters of Duterte as well as anti-LGBTQ+ people bashed Pia but she replied that she is used to this kind of bashing and through her experience, “I learned that you should never be afraid to speak your mind especially when you know it’s right,” she said.
Thank you, Queen Pia, for being a staunch ally of our community. Long live the Queen!
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American singer-songwriter Brian McKnight Jr. has come up with a new version of his breakout hit “Marry Your Daughter,” which was recently released under Tarsier Records as the music label’s maiden venture to becoming a gateway for international artists to the Philippines.
“This song literally changed my life,” Brian shared on Instagram. “To everyone, all over the world, and especially my people in the Philippines, Indonesia and Africa, I’m more thankful than you know for turning a demo that was leaked into a breakout hit overseas.”
Brian re-recorded the timeless “Marry Your Daughter,” which was given a fresh spin by Tarsier Records’ founder and producer Moophs who made sure to capture Brian’s electrosoul sound in the final product.
This project sets in motion the new venture of ABS-CBN Music, through Tarsier Records, to bring in international talents and music to the country, aside from championing Filipino artists on the global stage.
“Marry Your Daughter,” a one-take recording by Brian and his brother Niko about a man facing his future father-in-law for approval, went on to be a viral hit in places like Guam, Indonesia and the Philippines between 2008 and 2009. A few years later, the two independently released a mastered version of the song to digital streaming platforms, which as of writing has gathered over 16 million streams on Spotify and continues to be in the Top 200 charts of iTunes in the Philippines.
The son of 16-time Grammy nominee Brian McKnight Sr., Brian Jr. has released three EPs since the success of “Marry Your Daughter”: “If We Survive,” “JeepMusikVol.1” and “Junior.” He dropped his first-ever album in April, 919soul, a 13-track album which boasts of a 1990s hip-hop sound combined with modern-day electrosoul.