Since Christian Bautista’s self-titled debut in 2004, the Filipino balladeer has built a career that leans on vocal precision, his ability to glide through runs, and his presence as a Filipino crooner in the mold of Michael Bublé or Josh Groban.
Now celebrating two decades in the industry, Bautista looks back with gratitude. He credits the singing competition on ABS-CBN, Star in a Million, for offering him a platform in 2003, even if he did not win the title. That break opened the door to a recording deal, a debut album, and his first hit single, “The Way You Look at Me.” Alongside music, Bautista has taken on stage musicals at home and abroad, expanding his artistry across disciplines.
“The Way You Look at Me” has not only won over listeners in the Philippines, but also carried him into an international career – particularly in Indonesia, where he has a sizable fanbase. His cover of R&B outfit South Border’s “Rainbow” with Indonesian singer Raisa signals a willingness to stretch his boundaries. “When I got the chance to sing Rainbow again with Raisa, who’s also very, very good in R&B, medyo na-excite ako,” Bautista tells Rolling Stone Philippines. “Finally, I get to sing a bit of R&B, and not just ballads. So, it was very, very fun recording that – especially meron kaming riff somewhere after the bridge na I thought I couldn’t do.”
The Role of a Balladeer
Bautista’s career has often been shaped by constant comparisons and he has frequently found himself adjusting to styles – whether singing with Dionela in an R&B-flavored performance on ASAP or channeling the nasal pop delivery of Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. Throughout all this, he stresses the importance of staying grounded; Bautista knows that when he switches into a different musical persona, he has to protect his voice.
“[Labels] said way, way back that, ‘Oh, Christian Bautista loves singing Josh Groban. He can be like the Josh Groban of the Philippines.’ I don’t want to be that. I want to be Christian Bautista,” he says. “At the same time, when Martin Rivera and Gary Valenciano are asked, ‘Who’s the next Martin?’ ‘Who’s the next Gary?’ They’d say, ‘We don’t want the next generation to be the next Martin or Gary. We want them to be even better.’ That’s why we admire them so much.”
That push to define himself has been a theme throughout his career. Before releasing “Rainbow,” Bautista worked with Filipino pop artist Peej on “Vertigo,” a track steeped in bedroom pop and lo-fi production. He described it as “very chill,” but what stood out was his ability to fold his classic crooner style into a more fresh and experimental sound. At this stage in his career, he is drawn to challenges. “I still want to try different genres, collaborate with different artists,” he says. “But I also can’t leave my fans, who’ve been there for 20 years and are expecting to hear ballads from me.”
That balance between reinvention and tradition sits at the heart of Bautista’s journey. For him, covering “Rainbow” with Raisa is not just a cross-border collaboration, but a way of reminding audiences about the strength of Filipino pop history. “Rainbow,” originally released in 2004, remains one of South Border’s most enduring songs.
“We don’t always have to copy someone else’s style or appeal to someone else’s style just to cater to a worldwide audience.”
In the Philippines, the role of the balladeer has shifted over time. The heyday of singers like Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera, and Basil Valdez cemented the ballad as a staple of OPM, but today’s listeners are seeking out cross-genre collaborations or international pop trends. Bautista stands as one of the few voices keeping the tradition alive, but he also recognizes that a balladeer has to evolve to survive. His choice to experiment with lo-fi textures or R&B-leaning deliveries shows that he is willing to grow while holding onto the core of what makes his music connect: his voice.
“We don’t always have to copy someone else’s style or appeal to someone else’s style just to cater to a worldwide audience,” he says. “Really stick to your style, stick to your values, your core. And whoever wants to listen to you and latch on to you, they will do that. Because if you’re too free-form and you lose who you really are, people won’t know who you really are.”
