Bryan Termulo surprised the entertainment press with his new sound and looks during a recent virtual media conference to launch his new single, “Heart That You Break”. He further revealed that he had been based in the United States since 2020.
Bryan first made his name in the Philippine music industry when he joined GMA Network’s Pinoy Pop Superstar Year 3 in 2006, where he eventually finished as a runner-up. He eventually gained the title “Prince of Teleserye Theme Songs” for singing the theme song of Filipino TV series Walang Hanggan entitled “Dadalhin” and 100 Days to Heaven’s “Bihag,” plus “Sa Isang Sulyap Mo” for “Juan dela Cruz”, among others.
Bryan’s first taste of the US came in 2010 when he competed in WCOPA (World Championships of Performing Arts) where he earned two silver medals in Rock and Original Works and a bronze medal in the RnB category. That same year, he was cited by the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) Star Awards for Music as one of the nominees for “New Male Recording Artist.”
On the side, he has been given acting assignments as well. He left for the US in January 2020 to try his luck as a singer but his plans went awry when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. All the shows that had been lined up for him were being canceled one by one because of the pandemic.
“Supposedly, I had three singing engagements in California starting off with a Valentine show. But things changed and all the shows got canceled because of the lockdown.
“I was thinking of going back to the Philippines but just the same there was the lockdown. So, I decided to stay in the US for a while until it went on for a year. Luckily by the third quarter of 2021, the US started allowing live shows. So, I had some gigs,” he reminisced.
Moving to the US in 2020 was among the major changes that happened to him. Bryan confessed it was never an easy journey: he moved to a foreign country, adjusted to a new culture, had a career hiatus, and had projects put on hold. All these and more brought his spirit down and broke his heart.
But Bryan did not allow this feeling to affect him negatively. He used it as a driving force to propel his ambition. He has always believed that the right time will come.
“Experience is the best teacher. If ever you feel frustrated, all you have to do is keep on reinventing. Maybe that is what you need,” he said.
“In 2020, I was planning to release a single. My plan was to release a new single as I started a new musical career in the US, but Covid came along the way. So, I got a firm decision that this 2022 my plans got to be materialized. It’s been a while. I didn’t have a new song for almost five years! I reached out to my producers that I want something different. If you listen to the single, it’s not the usual Bryan Termulo songs. This time it’s totally different,” he said.
The first time Bryan listened to “Heart That You Break,” he first fell in love with the melody and his emotions has grown deeper after he soaked up the lyrics and its message. Bryan relates to the song not because he came from a romantic breakup, but mainly because everything has taken its toll on him.
“Heart That You Break” best sums up everything in my musical journey right now: “I choose to move forward, I have to face my heartbreak head-on, and no matter what life throws at me, I will remain strong. It’s true what the song lyrics say, “You can’t take back a heart that you break” but you can definitely choose to stay strong and move on,” he said.
Bryan said that’s the kind of refreshing feeling he enjoys while singing this song. It’s like the melody is seeping into his skin that it invigorates his body and the lyrics shed light on a future that is within reach.
The move to try something unfamiliar was for him a bit scary for Bryan at first, but the realization that he has the potential to grow in a different genre fueled his desire to venture into something new and different.
“It’s my personal choice to change the genre for this project. I was told bakit hindi mo subukan na magkaroon ng upbeat song para naman maiba? At lagi nilang sinasabi na andito ka na sa America so dapat magtunog America ka na rin.
“It’s about time to do something that I haven’t done before. I was apprehensive but at the same time confident with the change because I have people around me who support me and are honest enough in giving me constructive feedback,” Byan said.
Now sporting a more defined, manly face and a leaner body, Bryan is set to conquer the US with bigger plans to jumpstart his singing career anew. He intends to try musical theater and eventually have his name synonymous with Las Vegas entertainment.