MOIRA DELA TORRE

STORYTELLER

“I THINK MORE THAN A SINGER, I’M A SONGWRITER AND ” I’M A STORYTELLER

Ssinger Moira dela Torre describes her music as storytelling. “I think more than a singer, I’m a songwriter and I’m a storyteller,” she says. “That’s how I associate myself as an artist. I think that’s what my music does.” Authentic and relatable stories she herself has gone through are products of her number one strength as a person—empathy. Moira has a knack for effectively pulling at the heartstrings of thousands, and putting these emotions into the lyrics in her songs. Malaya, which has 68 million streams on Spotify and Tagpuan, has 58 million as of this writing, are testament to just how much her narratives are universal. She believes in the strength of having someone to relate to, “so that people would feel a little less alone.”

Her stint on Idol Philippines certainly has been colorful, starting from her days of being a young hopeful to becoming judge herself. Throughout all these, she considers Regine Velasquez a stronghold and inspiration, among others. There was a time during their audition tapings that Moira was under a barrage of medications for her partial nose necrosis, which rendered her sick and physically different. She pushed on because of what Velasquez told her. “Mama Reg told me: ‘You know when I was young, I was never insecure. Sabi nila sa akin panget daw ako that’s why I’m not going to make it. But I didn’t believe it. I’m pretty.’ She has this way of being confident without being braggy. [Her confidence] wasn’t something she developed [because she was the] Regine Velasquez. It was her ever since. She was confident ever since, and that’s what makes her queen.”

Now part of the panel on Idol, Moira uses her platform to encourage the contestants off-camera, especially those whose journey has come to an end. “I

go to the ones who didn’t get in. I share with them my story. If there’s someone who believes in second, third, fourth chances, that’s me. We all have different journeys in life, and I got to encourage them. I tell them, ‘This is just a step for you.’ Idol Philippines is not for everyone, but it [becomes] a huge part of their story.”

Moira is set to release two new albums this year, Paalam, which is an all-Tagalog album, and its English and international counterpart called, Braver. This is a follow up to Malaya, which she describes as a “winter” album, as it prepares her for “the better seasons.”

“It’s also about integrity, like living with your peace; letting your yeses be yeses and your nos be nos.”

Her I Belong to the Zoo collaboration song Patawad, Paalam will be part of her Paalam album, along with other exciting songs written with artists like Ben&Ben, IV of Spades, and Gloc9. Braver, on the other hand, will feature a folk-electronic sound and international collaborations including one with American folk pop artists Us the Duo.

“I’ll always be a work in progress. [I’m out to keep] making people feel a little stronger, a little braver through my music.” Expect Moira dela Torre to keep writing stories that connect to our souls, one unforgettable riff at a time.