J Rey Soul. PHOTO HANDOUT

Filipino pride will be front and center when J Rey Soul joins the Black Eyed Peas on stage in Manila this week in what promises to be a “legendary” night of music.

The Filipina–African American singer, born Jessica Reynoso, is back in the country after carving her name as the youngest member of the Grammy Award-winning group when it holds its concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Aug. 27, featuring the group’s biggest hits, global collaborations, and a celebration of Filipino pride.

J Rey Soul’s return marks a homecoming of sorts, having first been discovered by apl.de.ap on The Voice Philippines, and she couldn’t be more excited to be sharing the spotlight with him in their home country.

“Apl believed in me, connected me to will.i.am, and we were like kindred spirits,” she said in an interview ahead of the Manila concert. “At first it felt unreal joining such a legendary group! I was nervous, but excited to show that a Black Filipina like me can be on the world stage.”

J Rey Soul, who grew up in Laguna, was just 20 when she stepped into the role once held by Fergie.

Comparisons came quickly, but she says faith and focus kept her grounded.

“I was only 20, fresh from Laguna — imagine the responsibility. The hardest part was the comparisons,” she recalled. “But God prepared me. I focused on my own strengths and what I could bring. Fergie even sent me the sweetest supportive message, which gave me confidence.”

She added that what truly sealed her place in the group was the bond they had off-stage. “It’s the kwentuhan, dinners, exploring cities together — even Disneyland! That’s when I knew I wasn’t just performing with them, I was really part of the family.”

Full-circle moment

Since joining the Peas, J Rey Soul has shared the stage with the group in over 40 countries and contributed vocals to chart-topping tracks. Her feature on “Mamacita” with Ozuna and the Peas surpassed 200 million Spotify streams and half a billion total plays across platforms, cementing her as a voice to watch.

She has also been recognized in several Hollywood-based music awards, adding to her growing list of achievements. One of her proudest moments, she said, was performing with Beyoncé in the audience. “She’s someone I’ve always looked up to. I cried for a week,” she said.

Now, J Rey Soul describes her Manila concert with the Peas as more than just another tour stop. For her, it’s a full-circle moment — from singing in Laguna to performing before thousands of Filipinos on the same stage she once dreamed of conquering.

“I’m proud I could add value to the group while building my own journey. Dreams really do come true,” she said.

Era’s biggest acts

Black Eyed Peas at a concert in Saudi Arabia last August 13.

Over the past 30 years, the Los Angeles trio of will.i.am, Apl.de.Ap, and Taboo have achieved sales of 35 million albums and 120 million singles across seminal releases such as Elephunk, The E.N.D., and more.

One of the era’s biggest acts, they emerged as “the second best-selling artist/group of all-time for downloaded tracks” (Nielsen) and landed on Billboard’s “Hot 100 Artists of the Decade”.

In 2011, they dazzled the world with a landmark performance at the Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show.

They have released several chart-topping hits, including “I Gotta Feeling”, “Where is the Love?”, “Pump It”, “Boom Boom Pow”, “My Humps”, “Meet Me Halfway”, “Let’s Get It Started”, “The Time (Dirty Bit)”, “Don’t Stop The Party”, and many more.

Their eighth studio album, TRANSLATION, achieved staggering international success after its release in 2020. Featuring major collaborations with artists such as J Balvin, Ozuna, Maluma, Shakira, Nicky Jam, and Tyga, the long-player garnered eight nominations at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, including Crossover Artist of the Year and Hot Latin Song of the Year for “Ritmo” and a nomination at the 2021 Latin Music Awards for ‘“Favorite Artists – Crossover”.

The album resulted in a series of chart-topping singles, including the massively successful “RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)” [feat. J Balvin] and “Mamacita”, both of which achieved #1 status on three Billboard Charts each, numerous award nominations, and gold, platinum, and diamond certifications globally. /edv