Jacky Chang wants to be more than Cebu's Maoy Queen
Cebu girl group Sorority may not have finished last year as champion in GMA-7’s “The Voice Generations”, but it's business as usual for member Jacky Chang who has been constantly booked following her stint in the singing competition.
One of her recent gigs was at the Leap Day event of TOPS in Busay, Cebu City where she showcased her energetic, yet down-to-earth stage presence.
Sorority is planning to release music at the encouragement of their "The Voice Generations" coach and Parokya ni Edgar frontman Chito Miranda. The group is now a quartet consisting of Chang, Kayla Barrientos, Dj Mae Dente, and Cheska Rojas. Aine Abella and Aki Omega joined the group only for the competition, especially since the former is based in Australia where she has businesses.
“[Recently], we went to Manila to visit Coach Chito and stayed at his resthouse. Coach Chito is so supportive because he told me that I should go solo while continuing with the group,” Chang told The FREEMAN after her set at TOPS.
The first Sinulog Idol champion, who has been releasing music of her own for nearly a decade, is known for her 2016 hit “Pero Atik Ra” which gave her the title of Cebu’s Maoy Queen.
While she loves the label, Chang feels limited with the expectation from audiences that she sing melancholy tunes all the time.
“At first, it was nice [being called
Maoy Diva] because there was no one else called that. But I wanted to do pop and do all the dancing. Sometimes, I feel boxed in with the Maoy title, so I am changing my performing style,” she said.
At her TOPS performance, the Compostela-raised singer performed a mix of 'maoy' and crowd-pleasing upbeat hits such as “Vega” and “Way Kwenta” as well as a cover medley of singer-rapper Doja Cat’s songs that showcased her desire to be an ultimate performer.
“Sometimes, it would feel dragging if I just kept singing 'maoy' songs, and I wanted people to dance. I don't want them to leave the event feeling sad, so I want to uplift them instead,” she remarked.
Chang cited Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and Britney Spears as some of her influences.
“I really loved dancing when
I was a kid. I think I was more of a dancer before I was singing. I would dance to Britney’s entire concert [on TV] and I would memorize her dance steps,” she added.
The Filipina-Korean artist also cited her favorite K-pop groups such as 2NE1 and BTS as her inspirations and as a way to keep in touch with her father's roots.
-- Offering to Señor Sto. Niño -
Her latest release -available on Facebook -- is her rendition of the iconic “I Love Cebu” with Wonggoys, originally composed by Russel Alegado as an entry to the 34th Cebu Popular Music Festival in 2014 which eventually won and became one of Cebu’s de-facto anthems.
Chang and Wonggoys’ version is part of NUSTAR’s music video campaign showcasing the beauty of Cebu in time for this year's Sinulog.
“We wanted [our take] to be more festive. The original is already festive as it is. Still, we made it more relatable to the new generation,” she said of their take on the song, originally performed by Rachelle Mae Faelnar, Rovee Marie Fernandez, Jem Keziah Felicilda, and Fidel Cascabel.
Cebuanos from different walks of life have various feelings and interpretations when they hear “I Love Cebu” blasting on speakers, or when they sing it wherever they may be. For Chang, she sings it as if she was praying to Cebu's patron child.
“It’s me offering myself to Señor Sto. Niño. 'I Love Cebu' is not just singing [about Cebu] for me. It's like a chant for gratefulness and blessings.”
-- Hard to please -
Having performed outside of Cebu, Chang noted the differences in crowd reception.
“Although you are not a foreigner, Manila people are easy to please. If the Manila people know you are from Cebu, they will praise you. But when you come to Cebu, there is a higher standard. It felt like fighting for your life on stage,” she observed.
“We have so many talents from Cebu. The ones who are mainstream, lots of them have Cebuano blood. It's instilled in us that there are so many talents from Cebu. We are just so used to them that it's hard [for Cebuanos] to please, even for international artists.”
Aside from plans of releasing music with her Sorority crew, Chang has songs lined up that she hopes to release with a record label later this year that includes a song in Tagalog. She is also exploring the possibility of collaborating with fellow Cebuano artist Dom Guyot who also performed at TOPS.
“2024 started with a big bang for me, especially with [my version of] I Love Cebu, then continuous gigs left and right. I have a strong feeling that this year is gonna get bigger,” she said.