VP/Xclusives | Jason Fernandez Enters His Most Honest Era Yet
Jason Fernandez does not talk about change like it is a dramatic turning point. He talks about it like growth that happened slowly and honestly. There is less performance in the way he explains himself now. Less need to prove and more awareness of who he is.
When asked to describe his music today in one word, he answers quickly.
Mature.
For Jason, maturity is not about age, it is about experience. Fatherhood, responsibility, and time have shaped how he writes and how he delivers a song. The difference is not just in sound, but in intention.
“I feel like the way I deliver or write my own songs now is different compared to what I was doing a long time ago. Through all those experiences, the way I approach music is more mature compared to before.”
What once felt like enough no longer feels honest, a reason he isn’t trying to recreate the past. Now that he’s older, he understands that growth changes the tone.
No More Playing It Safe
There was a point in his career when Jason Fernandez admits he held parts of himself back. It was not obvious to the audience, but he felt it internally. There were thoughts he softened and emotions he filtered. Playing it safe meant staying within limits that felt comfortable. It meant protecting an image instead of confronting deeper truths. As he evolved, that approach started to feel restrictive.
“Before, I felt like I was hiding, like there was something inside me that kept me playing it safe. Now, I don’t really care about those things anymore. I’ve become more real. What you see is what you get.”
Moreover, working independently pushed him to trust his instincts. Without leaning too much on outside validation, he had to answer to himself. Furthermore, that shift made his process more personal and more demanding. For Jason, honesty is no longer optional. It is the starting point.
“If you’re creating something and you’re lying to yourself, it will just come out like a jingle, very commercial… Yes, I’m doing this for everyone, but most importantly, for myself.”
The Architecture of a Feeling
Jason Fernandez approaches songwriting with both emotion and structure. For him, a song begins with a message. If the message is unclear, everything else feels empty.
Once the message is defined, he studies how the music carries it. Paying attention to arrangement, pacing, and rhythm. Jason also shares that most of the time, he listens to instrumentals on their own to understand how they move.
“Sometimes, I listen to songs without lyrics, just instrumentals. The arrangement is scientifically connected to your heartbeat. That’s why when there’s a build-up, people get hyped, and when it slows down, they feel connected to it.”
He sees music as something physical. He explains that listeners may not analyze the structure, but they feel it. That awareness guides how he builds each of his tracks. However, he clarifies that there is no formula for knowing when a song is finished.
He once asked legendary composer Ryan Cayabyab how anyone knows if a song will become a hit. Ryan replied, “Nobody knows if a song will be a hit or not. Just keep making music.”
That answer grounded him. Success cannot be predicted, so the only thing he can control is sincerity. Like any other artist, the studio became his outlet—a space where he could process everything he did not say out loud.
“The studio became like a diary for me because I needed to release what I felt. I’d almost go crazy if I didn’t write it. There’s no definite time when a song is ready. You just feel it.”
When Love Stops Being a Concept
Love used to be something he described in lyrics. Now, it is something he lives daily. Fatherhood changed how he understands commitment and responsibility. It also changed how he writes about emotion.
“You know, along the way, I’ve become more sensitive. The more you mature, the more you understand what love really is.”
His songs reflect that shift. They feel less like ideas and more like lived experiences. He no longer writes about love from a distance; he writes from inside it. For Jason, music carries responsibility. It can speak about mental health, growth, and also real struggles.
It can reach people who need to hear something honest.
“I put my heart into everything I do more than before because I fully understand the feeling and the meaning of love. The message, of course. That’s really the advocacy of songwriters, to spread awareness.”
Jason Fernandez understands that fame can fade and trends can shift. What stays is the work. And at this stage in his life, that is what matters most.
“Artists come and go, but the music will stay forever.”
Publisher | Richie de Quina (@richiedequina) & Gwynn Crisostomo
COO & Advertising Head | Josh Austria (@imjoshaustria)
Digital Manager | Allen Esteban (@iamallenesteban)
Editor | Renzo Cabitlada (@renzo_czzzz)
Words by Lei Sedero (@arthreo)
Creative Director | Lei Arthreo Sedero (@arthreo)
Assistant Creative Director | Niko Laraza (@nikolaraza_)
Executive Producer | A Medina Events (@amedinaevents)
Photography | Niko Laraza (@nikolaraza_)
Hair & Make-up | Ruth Tubon-Spence (ruthtubonspence)
Styling | JP Steven (@jpsteven)
Management | Ms. Annie and Ayel of A Medina Events Management (@amedinaevents)
Studio | The Blackbox Studio Pasig (@theblackboxstudioofficial)
