Pure star quality on All Out last July 3, 2020! Rico and Karla were joined by the one of the most incredible young singers that had the whole country rooting for her: Jessica Sanchez!
As Rico said when he introduced her, Jessica’s got “a voice that can stop a country,” and it’s so true! Until this day, we can’t forget the journey she went through on American Idol back in 2012, and how Filipinos everywhere cheered the hardest. Of course, Karla and Rico had to ask her all about what the Idol journey was like from her perspective! “I’m so grateful and I feel so blessed to have been able to have that opportunity, to go through all of that and get to where I am now,” Jessica told them. “I got to represent for the Mexicans and the Filipinos!”
This proud Mexican-Filipino didn’t even think she’d make it as far as she did! She recalled what it was like to make it through to each round, saying “I just wanna be like, at least seen in the background! You know, some kind of appearance, that’s all I want. And then I made it so far… I still can’t believe I came in second, honestly!” For Jessica, getting through the competition was a combination of faith and focus. A fan asked if there was any song she wanted to perform on the show but didn’t get to – and it could have turned out that way, but every time producers discouraged her from choosing certain songs, she fought back! “I was like, no! I’m gonna do this song. I only get to do this once on TV, so I’m gonna do this song!”
We’re so glad to hear her talk fondly about the show that really brought her out of her shell. She admits that she’s more on the introverted side, but once she gets on stage, bam! Another side of her comes out – during the show, her fans jokingly referred to it as her ‘alter ego,’ BB Chez. “It’s difficult, but for me, it’s like a switch. Like a second feeling; I just know when I get on stage, it’s time.” Stage presence on point, BB Chez!
So, how exactly did this vocal powerhouse come to be as talented as she is? Growing up, Jessica would hum to tunes from children’s movies and shows, just like any other little girl. Then when her mom would put on music by Celine Dion and Whitney Houston, she’d start singing along to those songs, too! It was her mom who really recognized the gift that Jessica had and encouraged her to keep practicing.
Other female singers who’ve influenced Jessica a lot include Jennifer Holiday (whom she performed with on the Idol finale, and is probably one of the most memorable Idol videos to date), Mariah Carey, and Jazmine Sullivan. “A lot of powerful, legendary women. Those are the people that are still inspirations to me.” And this is no secret to most: Jessica’s got mad love for her ultimate musical idol, Beyoncé! In fact, she sang an acapella “Get Me Bodied” by Beyoncé during her American Idol audition, but it never aired. How we wish we got to see it.
Ever since the Idol days, Jessica’s gone on to do many great things and work with lots of artists over the past years. Her track “Tonight” with Ne-Yo is still a banger, she’s been on tour in several places, and has made a bunch of stops to the Philippines, too! You might remember seeing her perform in last year’s Idol Philippines finale, or from a popular video of her singing karaoke classics with AJ Rafael and Ylona Garcia. She’s even performed the American national anthem in the White House, right next to the Obamas.
It’s been 8 years of greatness for this girl; what can we expect next from her? Well get ready to finally hear more original music – Jessica’s EP is coming soon! And it’s going to be a very personal one, a closer look at who she really is and what she’s been through. Jessica told Rico and Karla that she’s been through some crazy stuff since she was 16 years old and we can expect “all the kinds of versions of me in one EP,” from experiences in love, to family, to difficult times. “It’s me being completely vulnerable and sharing all these experience that I’ve had, good and bad, calm and crazy. I’m finally sharing it!”
The great news for Filipino fans is that we can expect to see her career blossom right here in the country, too! “It’s a very strong possibility! Me coming out there for a long period of time and really spending time with the Filipino community and my supporters out there,” Jessica said. “I hope it happens because I really want to dive in and learn more about my culture.” We’d love to see how her career here would turn out! Plus, she can definitely hang out at the RX booth any time! Rico and Karla will show you everything in Manila, girl.
Jessica expressed her gratitude for her support system, which includes her family, friends, and her ever supportive fans. During times when she feels discouraged or scared, these people remind her of her purpose in music. “My friends and family have instilled in my head that I have a purpose. So I feel like that’s what it is,” Jessica explained. “Opportunities will come my way and hit me in the face and be like 'Jess, stop slacking, you need to make music and inspire people.’” Many times, she still can’t believe how far she’s come from just been a young teen who posted singing videos on the internet. “When it hits me, I’m like dang, appreciation moment. How did I get to this place? And it’s honestly because of all the support from every single person in my life.” After all this time, she’s stayed humble and grateful!
We’re looking forward to what the future holds for this talented beauty! For now, she’ll wait for this quarantine life to blow over like the rest of us – she’s been doing a lot of cooking, baking, and painting to stay productive (and satisfy her sweet tooth). She also recently dropped a new single, Angels, which made its exclusive Philippine radio premiere on the Monster! Jessica’s message to her fans: “Thank you for keeping me accountable, and pushing me, and motivating me, and being determined for me. I really appreciate that, you have my whole heart. I can’t wait to do more things and make this journey even crazier and even more huge!”
Watch the full video on the Monster RX93.1 Facebook page: