After evading for years, James Reid confronts his feelings in new single

James Reid —SONY MUSIC PHILIPPINES

James Reid was a very shy boy growing up. He hated the attention, hated being in the hot seat. That he somehow ended up in show biz was a surprise, to put it mildly. He took on an “unusual life path,” and never in a million years—he said, laughing—did he imagine himself as an actor or celebrity.

Being in the limelight was a challenge; being vulnerable, all the more daunting. “Being vulnerable has been very difficult for me throughout my career. It’s tough to show that side of you,” James told the Inquirer in a recent one-on-one interview at the Sony Music Philippines office.

It’s something he struggled with even after he took a break from acting around 2020 to focus on his music career. And his songs reflected that—smooth and sultry R&B that focused on vibe, but didn’t really dive into his “core” as a music artist.

“What I found out with my music career is that I was so focused on running away from my feelings. You can hear that in my older songs, which are mostly about vibe and positivity,” the 31-year-old singer-songwriter said.

It took James some time to fully process his emotions and allow himself to wear his heart on his sleeve. But it’s all very clear to him now: You can’t let people in if you don’t open up.

“Sometimes, it’s scary to be seen for who you really are, so everyone puts up a front. But I feel like, to create some of your best music, you need to learn to put that down. People resonate with something real. So when you hear a song like that, you don’t even think about the person who wrote it—you think about yourself,” he said.

His new single, “Hurt Me Too” (Sony Music Philippines), according to the press release, is a step toward, “unearthing old wounds and memories” and “turning them into an inspired piece of work.” It’s a simple but raw piano ballad—a departure from the heady beats and slinking synths of his previous work.

The song, which will be part of James’ upcoming album, is described as “a palate cleanser” of sorts, before he steers his music into a direction that’s more personal and intentional.

James wouldn’t name names or pinpoint a specific experience that inspired “Hurt Me Too.” It’s a combination of many past experiences, he insisted. Regardless of what people think or may assume, what’s important, James said, is the self-discovery and reflection that naturally manifested during the creative process

“As I was writing the song, I realized what I had been going through and what I have learned from it—and then I wrote about that, too. While writing the songs for the upcoming album, I discovered a whole new side to myself. And it has been very cathartic going through the emotions and writing about them,” he said. “The songs aren’t sad for the sake of being said. There are always lessons there.”

How did the deal with Sony Music Philippines come about?

It happened naturally because I have been working with The Orchard (Sony Music subsidiary specializing in media distribution) for two years now. I pitched “Hurt Me Too” to them and they loved it. I told them that this was the direction I wanted my music to take and they were very supportive of my vision.

How does this work with your own label, Careless?

I’m still technically a Careless artist. The partnership I have with Sony is for licensing; all the music I will be releasing in the coming year will be under them.

It has been great having both teams working together on both the creative, and marketing and promotion sides. I never really had this kind of setup. Back in the day, the label told me what I had to do—I didn’t have much stake. After that, I had complete control with my own label, but I had to do everything by myself with a small team.

But it really helps when your visions are aligned, so the creative process has been really fun…

I’m lucky to have the best of both worlds now. I get to work with a small team, but with the help of a major label with all the experience and knowledge.

Tell me about the creative process behind “Hurt Me Too.”

The song was written three years ago, after landing in Los Angeles. It was different from any other songs I wrote during that time. All the others ended up in my album “Lovescene,” but that one didn’t. I wanted to keep it.

I told the writer (Seth Reger) I worked with that I didn’t have a breakup-heartbreak song, so let’s make one. But I wasn’t used to making that type of music. I like to keep things light and happy. it’s just that after being in the limelight for so long and dealing with so much drama, I became very hardened. There were a lot of emotions I didn’t want to deal with. And this writer helped me bring them all out.

What was the inspiration?

I drew from past relationships and friendships—people who have come and gone in my life, and moments when things didn’t work out. The main sentiment is that even if you have already given your all to a relationship, sometimes, it’s not enough. People need to change and grow. And sometimes, that happens separately.

After “Hurt Me Too,” I wrote a lot more songs for the album that’s very heartfelt, hugot…songs about love and the lack of it, and a whole range of emotions.

So, it’s not about a specific person. Because when people found out that the song was written three years ago, they did the math and made their own assumptions.

I’m sure. But I really pulled from a lot of experiences, a lot of past relationships—even my relationship with fans. It’s hard to give just one experience. It’s about a lot of things I’ve been through.

There was one line that stood out to me: “The world they built around us wouldn’t let us change.”

Being in the limelight, it definitely felt like that. People need to change. And if you feel like you’re in a space where you can’t grow and figure out yourself, then sometimes, that’s the end of the line. I think everyone can relate to that.

Why did you decide to present the song as a piano ballad?

It wasn’t originally like that. The first version I made was like synthpop and electronic. But I decided to go with a piano ballad—organic and stripped down—so the focus is on the message, the emotions and lyrics. It’s the same approach I did for the music video. It was just me as a musician. No champagne, no models, no Jacuzzis—nothing like that.

I feel like a lot of your previous songs are more about creating a vibe. But this time, your vocals are at the forefront. Was that challenging for you?

It’s challenging, especially if you’re insecure about your voice. It’s just your voice and emotions on top of the piano. You feel a bit vulnerable. And that’s scary, too. But I’m glad it came out and I wanted this song to become a reset of sorts of my music, like a palate cleanser because I go with the rest of the album.

Do you still have insecurities about your voice?

Oh, yeah. I pretend not to, but it’s definitely there.

How did the fans react to the new song?

I performed it for the first time last week at a festival. I wasn’t used to it. But I was excited to see all the comments on the video post and on X. Some told me that they really love the fact that it’s just my voice. So that was very positive for my insecurity!

The recording sessions must have been quite emotional.

Yes, it was, both writing it and doing the piano version. It demands a different type of approach, emotionally, when I record it and I perform it live.

Tell us about the music video. You said it followed the same approach as the song itself.

I wanted to keep it simple and very impactful. I didn’t want to focus on the storyline, but on the emotions. What my director, Elena Virata, a good friend, did was very effective. It was exactly what I wanted. Like the music, it’s stripped-down and message-driven.

Will “Hurt Me Too” signal a shift in style and genre? Are you still doing R&B?

R&B is my foundation, that won’t really change. But you will definitely feel a shift when it comes to instrumentation. “Hurt Me Too” will be the most stripped down. And from there, it builds up gradually, revealing my new sound as more songs come out.

So more minimal instrumentation?

Organic and very intentional. The choice to use that kind of piano and the retro style of playing my producer, Tim Marquez, came up with was how I wanted “Hurt Me Too” to sound and feel.

Will there be Tagalog songs?

A lot of the songs are in Tagalog, which is very different, because I haven’t released a song since…

Your “Reid Alert” or movie soundtrack era?

Maybe, I’m not so sure anymore. But yes, it has been fun writing in Tagalog. I wasn’t sure I could do it, so I worked with different writers and producers just to figure it all out, like, “How do you say this?” I’m actually loving my Tagalog songs more than the English ones, so I’m excited for everyone to hear those.

Did you find that there were some things better expressed in Tagalog?

I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. I think and dream in English. There’s nothing that I can’t say in English. But there were lines we wrote in Tagalog that I just couldn’t translate to English; they only made sense in Tagalog. I think it’s because the language has its own lambing. That’s why I enjoyed it so much. It opened up a whole other side of music for me.

What about collaborations?

I can’t talk about them right now. Last year, I focused on collaborations with international, Asian artists and some K-pop. (B.I., Benjamin Kheng). Here, I have local features that I’m very excited about.

Is there anyone you would like to work with in the future?

I have been a huge fan of the Korean singer Dean for a long time. It would be cool to collaborate because then it would be James Dean!

Why not? And I think your styles will mesh well.

I think so, too. I’m hopeful. I’m trying to make that happen.

But how does it feel that through your songs, you also—in a way—give new artists a bigger platform?

It’s a great way to come up with new music and explore ideas because we can’t do everything on our own. It’s when you collaborate with someone that you find new things. It pushes you into areas you haven’t been before.I’m very excited working with people who are up-and-coming. And I’m thrilled when bigger artists give me a chance. People think I’m a big artist, but I feel like I’m just getting started with my music. When I shifted to music, it was like starting my career all over again. INQ