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The Reintroduction of James Reid
With his return to the screen on the horizon, the multihyphenate is tracing back his steps in the entertainment world, now all the wiser with a fresh spark of drive.
Published Nov 14, 2024
The leading man returns with a new sense of purpose.
If many stars spend their later days trying to escape the roots of their fame, James Reid is at the point where he is embracing it.
There’s a certain calmness to this return, which seemed to echo across his surroundings for the day’s Preview shoot. An orange-hued sun peeked through the trees of San Miguel, Bulacan before it disappeared for a rainy night, as just a while ago, James sat, lit by the sunray while designer-clad, mouthing along to the lyrics of his recent song Mirasol for his Preview fashion film.
The track is achingly familiar in a way that nostalgia-seekers seemed to yearn, with its pop-leaning production and lovestruck Filipino lyrics, as if the James Reid of circa 2015 had released the song himself. Somehow, perhaps he had. But this time around, it came backed by years’ worth of turbulent experience in the industry—much in the way that James, the person and the artist, has both changed and stayed the same.
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James Reid for Preview November 2024
Back in Tune
Be it the work of fate or his heeding to the call of artistic intuition, James considered the return to his musical roots “perfect timing.” Before his 2015 track Randomantic exploded throughout the TikTok sphere by way of fan edits to users’ idols, the singer-songwriter and his team had already written many of the singles for his EP jgh. “I was wondering if it’s going to work, and then suddenly Randomantic popped up. That was only a month before I released Sandal,” he recalled. Sandal, which was released in August, was a single that acted as a hint of what was to come from him music-wise, with its wholly Filipino lyrics and doting lines. “The timing was perfect. It was kind of like a sign saying that the direction I was going was right.”
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ON JAMES: Red Worchester Polo, P22,898, BODE, Univers Greenbelt 3
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Both tracks were the James Reid equivalent of quintessential O.P.M. (Original Pilipino Music), which were reminiscent of songs that came as a soundtrack to his time as a leading man. After his earlier bubblegum pop in his post-Pinoy Big Brother win and teleserye days, he would later release his R&B-infused studio album debut Palm Dreams in 2017, and then had a flurry of musical experimentations (“Hip-hop, dance, electronic, neo-soul, funk, disco,” James enumerated from the top of his head), which all came on par with his artistry. At the current point of his career, the EP title “jgh” could easily denote internet-slash-text speak for “just got home”—after circling genres and traveling across other countries for inspiration and collaborations, there comes a poignant return to where he once was.
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ON JAMES: Corset and collared blouse, RAJO MAN. Denim Knolly Brook Trouser - Indigo, P52,998, BODE, Univers Greenbelt 3. Clasp Bracelet - Tiffany Titan by Pharrell Williams, $18,900 (approximately P1,113,030.45), TIFFANY & CO., Tiffany & Co. Greenbelt 3
“After going through all of that, I’m coming back to my roots where I have a whole new perspective on everything,” James explained.
If James’ previous music and his record label, Careless—which he co-founded in 2017—had put forward a global sound rooted in homegrown Filipino talent, the singer’s current work tapped into a more personal aspect. “It can be very distracting to a lot of Filipino artists trying to create something that is going to, one, tap our market—which is a very hyper-local sound—but then also be able to reach a lot of people internationally. I think trying to do both at the same time is a bit of a headache,” he admitted.
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The compromise and result was a project that seemed to package James as a person: multi-cultured in its mix of songs that combined English, Filipino, and Taglish lyrics, while being ingrained with a sound that had shaped his foundations in the industry in one way or another. He was “deeply into Filipino showbiz and entertainment,” he said, but he also held a “very international ear when it comes to music,” which manifested in the project that mirrored the sides of who he was.
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“There is that kind of nostalgia there,” James reflected. “But then, it’s with my new sound and a lot of different things that I’ve taken from the music that I’ve done and I’ve experimented with. I feel like I’m finally settling with something that is really me.”
Against the Current
As the photos wrapped up with the sky now washed in darkness, James returned to the confines of his cabin, trading the shoot’s assemblage of looks for a more casual gray sweatshirt ensemble, albeit, no less designer-approved. He identified two of his favorite items that he brought with him and his penchant for Gucci: the neon-strapped Savoy–monogrammed with his initials–housing all his essentials for big days such as these, and a trusty pair of green suede sneakers that he had on his feet.
Over the years, James had become a steady presence in the local fashion scene, which had then turned into attendance at several shows during Milan and Paris Fashion Week, where he would rub elbows with the likes of Gucci’s creative director Sabato De Sarno.
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ON JAMES: Deconstructed nightie gown, P12,500 PROUDRACE, Instagram.com/proudrace. Pendant - Tiffany Titan by Pharrell Williams, $7500 (approximately P441,686.23), TIFFANY & CO., Tiffany & Co. Greenbelt 3. Exploration Derby black shoes, P61,598, OFF-WHITE, Off-White Greenbelt 3
“I think from an outsider’s perspective, it’s just fashion. ‘How hard can it be?’ But when you’re in it, when you’re behind the scenes, and you’re around those people, it’s cutthroat,” James recalled. Even as a guest, he approached viewing the Fashion Week chaos with an artist’s eye. “You're fighting to get your creativity seen. It’s also completely subjective, so you never really know.”
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Music and fashion have intersected as avenues for his self-expression, and in both mediums, James seemed unafraid to cross human-made limits. He even encouraged testing these so-called boundaries, which, at one glance, was evidenced in his style which he considered androgynous.
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Growing up in Sydney, Australia, James recalled a “metro style” for men that felt like it had made an impact on himself, alongside the effect of his sister, Lauren Reid, who he said was one of his “biggest influences” growing up when it came to fashion. “It’s a little too boring if it’s hyper-masculine, and it’s also not me,” James explained. “I think I have a very balanced masculine and feminine image.”
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“After going through all of [my experiences], I’m coming back to my roots where I have a whole new perspective on everything.”
To most, it may be difficult to navigate fashion’s call to cross the gender binary’s constructs, especially in largely conservative countries that conflate clothes with sexualities. “For me, I’m very comfortable with my sexuality,” he stated. “With the whole gender fluidity, I think it just opened up a whole lot of room to play. People feel differently about it.” The lines are “blurring,” he thought, as well as for his fellow artists who treat fashion as a channel for expression. At least for him, it was another medium to add to his growing list. “Having more freedom in the way I dress is also an art form,” James explained.
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ON JAMES: Miniature Boat, ROCKET SETS. Blazer with extended lining, P20,000, PROUDRACE, Instagram.com/proudrace. Cut-out button down, P4500, PROUDRACE, Instagram.com/proudrace. Mini skirt with extended lining, P7000, PROUDRACE, Instagram.com/proudrace
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A Renewed Return
In between the wins are the headlines that have rocked in the past year, which involved the circumstances of James’ record label and company, Careless. Following the Bureau of Immigration’s arrest of his former business partner Korean-American Jeffrey Oh for his alleged lack of a permit to work in the country, the case soon opened a Pandora’s box. This eventually led to his termination from the company, along with a range of other reasons that James later divulged in a tell-all interview with Ogie Diaz.
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James now reflected on the situation and what it has brought him on a professional and personal level. It boiled down to trust, he said. “What the challenges I went through this year taught me is that I just really need to trust myself,” James shared. “There was a lot of self-doubt before, which is why I let things get out of control and go a little too far. But I think I found a very good sense of direction in what I’m doing now. And I guess it’s trust in what I know, trust in what I’m capable of, and trust in the people around me.”
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ON JAMES: Beret, THE RAJO STORE
Careless, at least, is moving on and making strides ahead by concentrating on the essentials or what they were good at. “I think we’re just focusing on—which is something so simple—just really enjoying and having a good time in making music and doing what we do.”
While this was a challenge faced by James as a company head, his life under the spotlight since winning Pinoy Big Brother as a teenager had his troubles magnified for audiences to see. One is the rumor mill that grows around cyberspace, where fiction can often be confused with fact. Meanwhile, James stood his ground, having to defend himself against “all the craziness.” (“It really gets to your head,” he admitted.)
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ON JAMES: Indigo ringer tee, P19,198, ACNE STUDIOS, Univers Greenbelt 3. Indian poplin panty boxers, P2000, PROUDRACE, Instagram.com/proudrace. Garterized black pants, P40,198, COMME DES GARÇONS, Commes Des Garçons One Rockwell
It’s easy to get lost in all of the chaos that showbiz brings, but it’s another matter when once-private lives are thrown into the mix, which isn’t something considered for those young in the business. “You don’t really know why you’re doing it. It’s a very intriguing path to take and doors just open for you. You don’t really question it, you just kind of go down that path,” he said.
But in recent weeks, James reiterated another return. He has been vocal about his plans to come back in front of the screen as an actor, a craft he has “always loved” but “needed a break” from. Audiences last saw him in the 2018 film Miss Granny and the 2017 teleserye Till I Met You, in which he starred alongside his former love team partner Nadine Lustre. But in his next foray into the acting world, he’s bound to do things differently. First and foremost was the question of another pairing. “I don’t see myself doing another love team ever again,” he declared. “I think what’s so difficult about being in a love team, especially at its height, is just the pressure from fans and everyone.”
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ON JAMES: Washed recycled cotton denim shirt with lasered detail, P140,000, GUCCI
James has potential projects on the line with details that he, for now, kept tight-lipped, but he revealed that it will be “different from what he did before,” as he’s also involved in its creative side. He now stood in a unique spot in his next venture into acting, as he arrived with all the passion for the craft, laced with the lessons of adulthood and lived experiences. It wasn’t a do-over, but it was an artist who now brought an elevated understanding he earned throughout the years.
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“Going back into it now, it’s like I know my purpose in getting into it. It just really comes with a lot of confidence and a very strong sense of self, and also a renewed sense of purpose,” he reflected. “I’m able to separate what’s real and what's not real. Just really focus on the art form. Just really focus on me being an actor, instead of me being a celebrity.”
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“Going back into [acting]... really comes with a lot of confidence and a very strong sense of self, and also a renewed sense of purpose.”
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While the shoot had wrapped and the sky was dark, the sunny-tuned Mirasol continued to echo in our heads with its laidback melodies and that aching familiarity. We thought of the past James—the musician with the swoon-worthy songs and the leading man, who now blended into the wiser person today, continuing to do what he did best: art, in whatever shape it takes.
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With one question, the James of today is thinking about his past self, too. What would he say to him now?
“Don’t worry,” James answered, after a brief pause and some consideration. “This is all part of it. Whatever it is you're going through right now, it’s going to make sense later. Just brace yourself. Stay curious,” he shared, “and stay present.”
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ON JAMES: Sheer V-neck Chino Top, DIOR, Dior Greenbelt 3. Flared Pants in Light Gray Virgin Wool Twill, DIOR, Dior Greenbelt 3
Produced and Styled by the Preview Team
Photographer: Borgy Angeles, assisted by Rojan Maguyon and Karl Mariano
Creative Director: Bacs Arcebal
Editor-in-Chief: Marj Ramos-Clemente
Production: Reg Rodriguez
Fashion: Paulina Singh
Beauty Direction: Isha Fojas
Grooming: Thazzia Falek, assisted by George Dillinger
Nails: Nailandia
Story: Katrina Maisie Cabral
Video Direction: Jana Jodloman
Videographers: Greeko Junio and Ford Unciano
Social Media: Ianna Agus
BTS Photographers: Karlo Torio and JF Calimag of Studio Torio
Shoot Location: The Cabin Resorts in San Miguel, Bulacan
Special thanks to John Lozano, Vani Altamonte, and Ginno Cruz of The Cabin Resorts
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