Bituin Escalante
The millennial demographic, or those born between the early 1980s and 2000s (the range varies), usually get a bad rap at the workplace from their predecessors, who tend to see them as—among many things—“lazy,” “entitled” or a tad “narcissistic.”
But singer-actress Bituin Escalante, who is collaborating with performers and producers from the said generation in the coming Valentine show, “#SoMuchFeels,” has a different take.
“What I have noticed working with young people is that they’re go-getters; they know what they want, which could be misconstrued as being self-important. They’re confident and are not rigid. They talk to me like we’re equals, which I like,” she told the Inquirer in a recent interview.
“It’s nice to see them not take shit from anyone,” added Bituin. “They know their voice matters.”
Working with and getting to know artists like JC Santos, 28, and Kim Molina, 25, Bituin said, had also been quite a learning experience. “You see Kim, who has a wonderful voice, lives independently, and isn’t afraid to take risks. You see JC, who makes his own career choices, had no qualms playing gay on mainstream TV (“Till I Met You”). How can you not admire that?” she said.
“#SoMuchFeels,” which goes onstage on Feb. 10 and 11 at Music Museum, is primarily a concert, but will be executed much like a stage musical, complete with plot lines and characters delivering spoken lines and monologues.
Bituin plays the musical narrator of sorts, the “senior woman, one who has seen it all” in life. She meets JC, Kim, Cris Villonco and Yanah Laurel—each one with stories to tell about what millennials go through when it comes to love.
“When you look at the millennials’ romantic experiences, they aren’t very different from the generations before them. It’s the medium that has changed. Because of social media, you can now easily tell your stories of heartbreak, infidelity, and of being desperately in love you hit rock-bottom,” Bituin pointed out.
As for the music, Bituin said that the repertoire will not be your typical assortment of Top 40 hits or classic love songs. “The selection is based on the stories, not on popularity. We did our research, and asked young music fans which tunes resonate with them the most,” she related.
And because she isn’t well-versed with the musical trends beyond the 1990s, Bituin said putting together the show’s set list was a good refresher about what the kids are listening to these days.
“A lot of the things we’re doing are new to me. One time, I was reading the lyrics to some of the songs and found them beautiful. When I heard them, I was surprised that they were electronic dance music,” she recalled, laughing. “I get it now, the expression is primal.”
The Valentine season is one of the busiest periods in the live-music scene in the country, so to do something that is “story-centric” is something Bituin finds laudable. —ALLAN POLICARPIO