Lauv on the ‘huge’ role PH fans play in fulfilling his ‘potential’

Lauv —DANIEL PRAKOPCYK/CONTRIBUTOR

Lauv was just a boy who poured his heart into music, so who would have thought, he said, that the songs he wrote in his Los Angeles home would one day reach places miles away, like the Philippines, and resonate with its people?

The American singer burst onto the music scene in 2017 with his breakout hit, “I Like Me Better.” The song quickly caught on with Filipino fans, who naturally gravitated toward his heartfelt lyrics coupled with dreamy electronic tones and groovy percussive beats. Before he knew it, the country became an important stop for shows and promotional activities.

Proving that his popularity in the Philippines is no fluke, he sustained the momentum with subsequent hits “Paris in the Rain,” “I’m So Tired” and “Mean It.” From mall shows, Lauv now sells out arenas in the Philippines. And the bond between him and his fans seems to only grow stronger through the years.

“How could I ever expect it? I was just a boy in LA writing music and it resonated over here really fast. I think a part of why it’s so special for me to come here is because it has been very crazy to just witness how everything has grown,” Lauv told the Inquirer in a one-on-one interview arranged by Secret Signals.

In fact, the Philippines is one of the 29-year-old pop star’s top five markets, along with the United States, Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom. And the impact the Filipinos have had on his career isn’t lost on Lauv.

“[The role they played is] huge. I feel so fondly for the country. Just being able to witness and feel the love through the years really fueled me a lot along the way in my career,” stressed Lauv, who’s now a multiple platinum-selling artist with more than 10 billion streams under his name

In the lead up to the release of his third studio album in late summer (around September in the United States), Lauv recently gave his fans a teaser of sorts via the lead single, “Potential” (Awal Recordings), which he is currently promoting. Of course, he can’t not visit Manila to share more about what’s to come.

“‘Potential’ is about realizing you have feelings for someone and dreaming about what it could be … It’s the beginning of my next, most authentic chapter, and I can’t wait to share this and everything that’s coming next,” he said.

“Potential” cover art

I saw videos of you sightseeing, dancing in Intramuros. It’s so nice that you really take the time to experience the cities you visit.

I try to. I feel like the older I get, the better I get at being like, “OK, I actually really do want to go out and see new things. I’m tired, but I’m going to check out what’s out there locally and get at least a view of the history.”

Any memorable encounters with fans on the streets of Manila?

Everyone’s always very shy, kind and sweet. Like, there’s never anything really crazy. When they run into me, they’re like, “Oh, excuse me, can I have a photo?” And I’m like, “Of course!”

I remember you singing at a Jollibee last year. That went viral.

That was fun … I was with my crew and we were like, “OK, I want to go take a photo with the Jollibee mascot.” After taking the photo, I was like, “Let’s go inside.” It wasn’t that busy that time, so I asked the staff if they would like to hear a song. They were super down for it. They let me come and sing and do that. It was in the moment. I didn’t expect that it would go viral. It was crazy.

It’s always nice to meet people who love music.

I feel like, “Thank God we have something that connects us.” Music is such a beautiful way to connect with people.

Tell us about your new single, “Potential.”

It’s a song about realizing that something you saw one way could be something else. It’s like looking at a friendship and being like, “Oh, I think I feel something deeper here and maybe it’s not just a friendship. Maybe there’s a lot of deeper feelings for me.” It’s kind of just dreaming about that potential of what that relationship could be if you give it a chance.

I thought that it would be a cool place to start, because there’s a lot of curiosity and exploration that happens in the album. And this song kind of sets it all off.

“Potential” suggests hope, anticipation. But it also suggests the possibility of things not working out. Is that something that’s also at the back of your head?

I definitely feel that, I think more so than ever in my life these days … about things not working out, romantically. Maybe it’s getting older. I don’t know! But yeah, you wonder, “What happens if I put myself out there and the other person doesn’t feel the same way?” But I guess that’s just how life is.

You think the song can also apply to nonromantic things?

Oh, 100 percent, yeah. I also think it could be a motivational song for anything we think we have the potential in, like being better people to take care of the world. There’s a lot of things I can think of when I listen to the song.

Is the song a teaser of sorts for how the rest of the album will sound like?

Yeah, it’s a little teaser of the story that’s going to be rolled out and drawn out with the album.

I know you can’t talk too much about the album yet, but how does it compare with your past releases?

I think it will be surprisingly similar to “I Met You When I Was 18” (his debut compilation album), but different at the same time. I don’t know exactly how to explain it yet. But what I know is that I’m really proud of how it’s sounding.

How do you know that “This is it. This is how I want this album to sound like?”

I struggle because sometimes, I want to change things over and over again. But I have realized that, most of the time, the original version is the best version anyway. I’m trying to just let go and realize that if something gives me a feeling that it’s meant to give me, then OK, it’s good. The song is done. I don’t need to change it a million times.

What was it like doing the music video?

It was fun working on it. I love my team. My creative director, director (Luke Orlando), choreographer and everybody did such a great job. I love all the colors and everything behind them.

The first time I saw the choreography, I started tearing up before I could even learn it. I just couldn’t believe how well it really tells the story of what the song is to me, how it expresses my feelings in ways that I didn’t even consciously realize until I saw it as a dance. So I was like, “Wow!”

I got to learn some moves, which was awesome. I have been taking dance classes for a few months now. It was probably the most fun music video I have shot to date. I had a great time.

Did the dancing come naturally to you, or is it something you’re still getting used to?

I have always felt self-conscious about dancing until recently. I mean, I still do, but I also feel like, in some moments, I can be pretty confident about it. And I love that. I want to explore expressing myself through movement a lot more.

Are you excited about what it can potentially add to your craft?

Yeah, because some of the songs in the album are dance-y. I want to, hopefully, get better at dancing so I can do more cool stuff.

Outside music, what other things do you think you can be potentially good at?

I think I could be good at writing, not just music, but a film or a novel. I have an idea in my head for a film that I keep procrastinating about, and I have started writing a part of it. I’ve got to push myself to do it.

I think I could be a good photographer. I could be a good video director. I could be a good dancer.

I think I have the potential to be a better friend and family member.

Do you feel like you’re at a point in your career where you also want to branch out?

Yeah, it’s about time because I‘ve spent a lot of time making music and I’m ready to express myself in other ways. But of course, I will never stop making music. That will never, ever go away.