From small gigs to becoming a singing sensation: Gigi De Lana takes over the Internet

The name Gigi De Lana instantly rings a bell as the It’s Showtime’s Tawag Ng Tanghalan (TNT) songstress who shot to fame this year for her hit YouTube covers. The viral 26-year-old from Laguna is now looking at a better, brighter career path, as she crosses newer territories to become a full-fledged star. Just this October, De Lana released her first recorded album, got her first lead role in a series, and most recently became the newest brand ambassador of PLDT Home.

Some would think just by lounging at home and doing these five-minute long covers, Gigi had it easy getting to her dreams. It wasn't the case at all, as De Lana told PhilSTAR L!fe and other members of the press in an exclusive roundtable interview courtesy of PLDT Home. 

“Yung naging success namin sa live streaming namin, hindi po sya agad-agad. Talagang meron kaming struggles,” De Lana recalled. “Ang tagal din namin hindi tumugtog together, kasi nga magkakaiba yung goals [namin].” [The success of our live stream show wasn’t instant. We had some struggles. As a band, we had different individual goals and so there was a time we didn’t play music together.]

Before TNT, De Lana, the frontwoman of Gigi Vibes (formerly Serenata Strings), had to make ends meet by singing at weddings, corporate events, and even funerals. Like how it would go, she had to split the band’s talent fee with the rest—leaving not much for herself in a highly seasonal gig. There was a time she and her band took a hiatus before reuniting later on. And the long wait for the Gigi Vibes comeback proved to be worth it as the band recently signed a contract with their talent management, Rise Artists Studio. 

Neither did Gigi have it easy when she started recording covers on YouTube. With the internet already crowded with similarly talented content creators and performers, she had to find her niche and stand out. And to get there, she needed a reliable internet service provider to help her connect seamlessly to her audience and further grow her musical brand.

“Nag start na yung livestream [shows] namin, and then nagkaroon ng pandemic.” De Lana narrated. “Ang laki ng ginhawa ng may PLDT Home Fibr connection. Yung mga fans, they always look forward na mapanood kami online ng walang lag.” [We started doing live stream shows and then pandemic happened. Great thing we have PLDT Home Fibr connection. Our fans always look forward to watch our shows online without lag.]

With her connections fully optimized, the singer now feels more confident to share her music with the world. She’s poised to further her reach with the newest release of “Sakalam,” the first single to mark Gigi Vibes’ upcoming debut album with ABS-CBN Music. She is also set to stage her first digital concert later this year.

This is obviously just the beginning, as De Lana looks forward to releasing more albums. What’s in store for her this year as the newest PLDT Home ambassador? We'll just have to wait and see, she teases. In the meantime, she’s inviting her fans and PLDT Home subscribers alike to get excited for what's to come from her and the telco brand—including the PLDT Home Rewards Grand Giveaway, where PLDT Home subscribers can win as much as P5 million in the grand draw on December.

“Excited lang ako sa mga pwede ko pang ibigay sa mga taong makakasalamuha ko pa, sa mga taong makakausap ko. Masaya ako na kasama ko ang PLDT Home family to achieve my dreams and inspire more people through our music,” De Lana said. [I’m excited to do more and to meet more people. I’m happy that my PLDT Home family helps me achieve my dreams and inspire more people through our music.]

Indeed, as the new face of PLDT Home, she believes in how far a fast and stable connection can help Filipino dreamers like her to "pursue their passions.” Keep going, she says.

“You have to believe that you can reach your dreams,” she shared. “We make the most of what we have and do better every day to achieve our goals. I’m glad that PLDT Home powers me every day so I can share my music and dreams to the world.” 

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Editor’s Note: BrandedUp is designed to provide you with insightful, inspiring and educational content created by PhilSTAR L!fe in collaboration with brands like PLDT Home.