On Saturday, legendary rock icon Bryan Adams, who was in Tokyo for the Japan leg of his ‘So Happy It Hurts” tour, warmly greeted the Philippine media for a quick virtual press conference.
Adams has catapulted to fame through his timeless tracks, which Filipinos have grown to have an affinity with especially during karaoke sessions–with such hits as ‘Please Forgive Me,’ ‘Summer of ’69,’ ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,’ ‘Heaven,’ ‘Straight From the Heart,’ ‘Somebody,’ ‘I’ll Always Be Right There,’ and many more being staple classics in Gen X and Elder Millennial playlists.
The singer recognizes this affinity, as he got candid in answering all questions about his career, songs, and how he feels about Filipinos’ love for his music.
The Grammy-winning artist started the event by expressing excitement that he’s finally coming back to the Philippines. Three years into the pandemic, Adams has a lot on his plate to offer to all of his fans. He shared that although the pandemic halted the normal routines of a musician, it didn’t become a hindrance for him to create more songs. He revealed that it was the “strangest time” for him, but it was also the most creative time he ever had.
“I particularly needed to be writing music that was uplifting and positive. I was not gonna let the pandemic get me down. Even though it was the strangest time and also the most creative time I’ve ever had. During that time I was able to put out so much music and material,” the icon said.
2022 thus became a fruitful year for Adam’s career. The singer-songwriter released ‘So Happy It Hurts’ in the past year, and the title track brought him a Grammy nomination in the Best Rock Performance category. It can be remembered that Adams also re-recorded some of his hit songs, such as ‘Summer of ’69,’ ‘Heaven,’ ‘Run to You,’ and ‘Please Forgive Me,’ which were first released back in the 80s and 90s. When asked about how he felt about it, he said that doing so gave the songs a ‘breath of fresh air.’ “It sort of opening it up to new audiences. That’s the exciting thing about music because you can re-introduce your music once again,” he shared.
Now that the time and situation finally permit to have concerts, Adams wouldn’t want to miss the chance to play again for his Filipino fans, saying, “[I’m] very excited to be coming back here.”
He knows very well that Filipinos have nothing but love for his ballads and that they express their love in a very much different light. “I love it. It’s very sweet. Unlike any other country in the world, how much they love our love songs there. I’m excited to go and sing it all for you,” he said.
Just when he was talking about his Filipino fans, he suddenly thought of adding a couple more songs to the set list for his Manila leg. He asked for some song recommendations, saying, “I would love it if somebody would send me a list of all the songs they wanna hear in the Philippines. If anyone has recommendations, send me a message on my Instagram, and I’ll try to fit the song in.”
He also got a chance to talk about his passion for photography. Aside from being a legend in the music industry, Adams also works as a professional photographer for 25 years now. He shares how being one gives him an advantage when it comes to designing his own albums and promo pictures. “What’s nice about being the writer of the songs is that I can also try and visualize how I want to create my videos and create my albums. I find it really interesting. It’s kind of an extension of what I do as a musician,” he revealed.
Diving into more personal questions, the hitmaker reveals his secret to career longevity. “I think looking after yourself is number one—making sure you keep fit and healthy. Second of all, always remember where you came from. Where you come from is one of the biggest sources of inspiration, I come from nothing, so I’ve been able to work my way up to the top in my field. I am extremely grateful for the fact that even after so many decades, we’re still able to tour, record, and make new music,” he said.
Certainly, it takes a lot to sustain the kind of success that he has. To become commercially successful while still maintaining musical integrity, he told the press that it’s also important that songwriters write their “truth.” “When you write songs, it have to come from a place of either experience or they have to have some conviction to it. It actually has something that comes from inside,” the singer shared.
“I never sing unless the song comes from somewhere that I can relate to. I never sing songs that are out of my range, I never sing songs that have lyrics that I don’t believe,” Adams added.
If given a chance to talk to his younger self, this would be his advice: “Stay true to yourself, don’t get swayed by influence, just stay on course, trust your gut, and have a laugh.”
Adams has definitely learned a lot all throughout his 4-decade-long career. He learned that staying on course, having conviction despite rejection, and choosing the right people to work with brought him to where he is today. As he looks back, at the end of the day, it’s always the music that he is most grateful for.
Bryan Adams is set to hold ‘So Happy It Hurts’ concert on March 15, 2023, at the Araneta Coliseum, presented by Wilbros Live.
ADVT
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