Katrina Velarde
Rivalries are all but normal among singer fandoms: Who had the better rendition of this or that song? Who could hit the higher notes? Who could sustain a passage the longest? Who could chain together the most intricate runs?
Videos pitting singers against each other under such criteria are a dime a dozen on YouTube. And things can get quite heated in the comments section.
Katrina Velarde, a regular subject of these “versus” or “battle” videos, admitted that she tries to avoid watching them, because it “stresses” her out.
“Your fans will want to lift you up, which is normal. But sometimes, other people could take it the wrong way—that’s where the bickering starts,” Katrina said when asked by the Inquirer about her thoughts on fan wars, at a press conference for her upcoming second solo concert, “SiKAT i2.”
The 25-year-old music artist related that she gets in touch with her most active followers through a private group chat, where she reminds them not to get too ahead of themselves.
“I tell my fans—my mamshies—‘OK, relax lang natin mga face natin! We will get there someday! Huwag tayong masyadong advance! We will have to work hard for it,’” she said, adding no matter how highly her supporters think of her talents, there are still other singers out there who are just as good or even better.
Katrina also admitted that she has had conversations with other singers about these fan wars.
“Personally, we also get affected when our followers get into fights, not knowing that we’re actually friends with other singers,” she related. “Social media has such a wide reach, even artists get to see the comments. Sometimes, other singers and I discuss it because we don’t want awkwardness.”
But at the end of the day, comparisons and criticisms are par for the course in show biz, and Katrina has learned to accept that.
“You will always get compared to others. And even if you feel like you have done and given your best, some people will always have something to say,” she said. “But I’m used to it now. I know that they will always be there.”
Katrina—a product of the the singing contests “Little Big Star” and “X Factor PH” and later on dubbed as “Suklay Diva”—staged her first solo concert last February at the New Frontier Theater.
She will be back on that same stage just nine months later for “SiKAT i2,” which is set on Nov. 29 (call 8911-5555).
“I got scared when my bosses at Viva asked me to do another concert so soon. I just did one this year, so I had some doubts… Will people still watch? There are a lot of new good singers coming out,” she pointed out. “But I felt I had to do it for the fans.”
While the team behind the show initially wanted to do a repeat, they eventually decided that mounting an entirely different show will be better.
“Previously, we were more focused on the production numbers. Now, we want to make it purely about the music,” she said. “I want to show more of myself through the songs.”
Katrina has already ticked her dreams of singing with Regine Velasquez and Gary Valenciano off her bucket list. With whom does she want to share the stage next?
“Ms. Lani Misalucha. I’m touched to have the support of these icons,” Katrina said. “I’m thankful for their approval, for lifting me up and pushing me to do what I want.”