Janella Salvador’s music video for her new single “Headtone” dropped just last night at 7 p.m. It’s a very sexy video seemingly destined to be controversial. The song’s lyrics are about the tension of waiting for a passionate rendezvous with one’s lover.
But the video’s narrative is not entirely reflective of the song’s lyrics written by Kiko “Kyxx” Salazar and Adonis Tabanda. The lyrics have phrases that have double meanings. On one level, they sound like they are about performing a fabulous song. On another, the words seem to be talking about a sexual act.
Towards the end of the video, the sultry showgirl portrayed by Janella burns on fire with her lover, portrayed by Jake Ejercito.
You’ll have to watch the video on YouTube to find out how the showgirl did the burning.
The video has an epilogue. At the video’s launch, when everyone thought the video had ended because the screen turned black, the host had to say: “Wait! There’s more!”
That “more” sort of explains why the showgirl had to commit that act of burning.
The video carried a warning that some scenes may be “triggering.”
Salvador, 25, is credited as its creative director and co-director. Its executive producer is Roxy Liquigan, with Jonathan Manalo as head of music content and operations
“Headtone” is just one of eight songs in an album to be launched this year. Salvador revealed that one of the eight songs was written by Moira dela Torre that Salvador recorded the night before the launch.
“I actually recorded a song, the one I finished at 2 a.m. with Moira. She was the one who wrote that song… You know how Moira’s songs are, so aabangan ‘yan (watch for it),” Salvador said.
Salvador also talked about how Ejercito landed in the fiery video. “We had options, but Jake was one of those who fit the role perfectly. I’m so glad he said yes. It was fun.”
Salvador also revealed that the music video was partly inspired by Chicago, one of her favorite musicals.
“Nangyari lang siya na nag-direct ako kasi (It just happened that I directed it because) I was sure about what I wanted for this music video. If you heard the song, it’s actually a very sexually-focused song. It’s very sensual and all of that,” she said.
“I didn’t want it to be just that. Parang (Like), I wanted the music video to be something deeper than that, something that meant something to me. I didn’t want people to look at me with, bastos lang (just vulgar), or I didn’t want any of that male gaze. None of that,” she stressed.
Salvador is also set to headline her 10th anniversary concert, Janella: Reimagined at the New Frontier Theater on 19 April. The concert will feature special guests including Concert King Martin Nievera and actress Jane de Leon, with drag queens Brigiding, Lady Morgana, Arizona Brandy and Miss Jade So. Joining them will be Darren Espanto and Marlon Mortel, Salvador’s former love team partner.
Salvador is really hot about re-introducing herself as a singer. After all, singing, she asserts, is her first love. Both her long-separated parents, Jenine Desiderio and Juan Miguel Salvador, are singers (even as the mother is also an accomplished stage actress who played bargirls Kim and Gigi in Miss Saigon in London in the ’90s).
Said Salvador: “I feel like many people still don’t know that I’m a singer. Many people know me more as an actress, and I feel like there are so many sides to me that people haven’t seen. This is why we named it (the forthcoming concert) Reimagined, ’cause we wanna challenge people’s imagination that I am more than what you imagine.”
Tickets to Janella: Reimagined are already available online via Ticketnet.
In September 2014, Salvador released “Mahal Kita, Pero.” She was once tagged as the “OPM sweetheart” at the beginning of her career as a singer. One of the reasons for it was her single, “Mahal Kita, Pero,” which she sang at the recent Barako Festival in Batangas. She had to do her old song as “Headtone” has not been launched at that time.
In December 2015, ABS-CBN’s Star Music launched Salvador’s eponymously titled debut album.
Salvador is actually also promoting her movie these days with Thai actor Win Metawin. They recently graced their first international event as a pair. The two play a couple in their upcoming film, Under Parallel Skies.
Held on 10 March 2024 in Hong Kong, the 17th Asian Film Awards honored filmmakers and actors from all over Asia, who have shown great talent and dedication in keeping the film industry alive. The Under Parallel Skies stars graced the event’s red carpet together with their film director Sigrid Bernardo and producer Richard Juan.
With all the projects Salvador has to promote, her handlers give her and the media no time to talk about her being a mother to a young boy, ex-partner to fellow ABS-CBN actor Markus Paterson and lover to someone or another.
Janella Salvador, 25, is currently married to her career. She herself is figuratively burning amidst a suddenly hectic career.
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Claudine Barretto is elated that her niece Julia interacted with Bea Alonzo during the surprise tribute for top starmaker Johnny “Mr. M” Manahan last 16 March.
The two were caught on video warmly greeting each other, talking and laughing together at the party of Manahan.
“Sobrang na-happy ako doon,” the aunt said in an interview Wednesday afternoon.
Barretto admitted she was initially nervous about the possible meeting.
“That was what I was worried about that night. Knowing Julia, hindi iyan matapang. Hindi iyan parang ako. Ayaw nga niyan umakyat ng stage. Nahihiya. Hindi ko alam, basta. Sinabi ko na hindi, sama siya sa akin (That was what I was worried about. Knowing Julia, she is not brave. She is not like me. She did not even not want to go up the stage. She is shy. I don’t know. I just told her to go with me),” Barretto, the aunt, confided.
Raymart Santiago’s ex-wife also shared that she believes Alonzo has moved on from the issue. “Pero knowing Bea also, alam ko wala na iyon sa kanya (Knowing Bea also, she is past it),” she said.
It can be recalled in 2019, Julia and Alonzo feuded over Gerald Anderson, who’s now in a relationship with Julia.
Anderson was previously Alonzo’s boyfriend. Their breakup became controversial after the actress claimed Anderson ghosted and cheated on her. Julia, meanwhile, denied that she was the reason for the split. Anderson and Julia made their relationship public in 2021.
Claudine further asserted that she has nothing to do with actor Jodi Sta. Maria’s no-show at the tribute party for Mr. M. Sta. Maria is believed to be Raymart Santiago’s girlfriend for about two years now.
Sta. Maria was expected at the party for Mr. M because she is among the stars he built up at ABS-CBN’s Star Magic which Mr. M headed for three decades.