Jikamarie on opening for Coldplay, building confidence through music, and dancing through life

Before she grew a following on TikTok, released a unique style of music, and got handpicked to perform in front of more than 100,000 people at the Philippine Arena to open for Coldplay, Jikamarie's story began with a music-loving family, singing in church, and life as an architecture student.

"[Music] wasn't something that I, you know, intentionally sought out. It was just something that I grew up seeing and hearing so I came to love it," the 23-year-old artist told GMA News Online.

Well, being in music has helped her in more ways than one, and her growing platform and continued success have built a new community that she never imagined happening.

Her story

You may have first seen Jikamarie on your For You Page with her hilarious and relatable content, which paved the way for where she is now.

She started a TikTok account to dump videos, simply enjoyed making content and interacting with people online, and never expected the success to start from there.

"I blocked my family members para hindi nila makita. Kasi alam ko 'pag nakita nila 'yung TikTok ko, eh kung anu-ano 'yung sinasabi ko," Jikamarie said, laughing.

"Growing up, hindi ako 'yung parang flashy ba na tao. I don't like attention. Nung high school, hindi ako bubbly," she said. "Ngayon na lang eh. Baliktad—kung kailan tumanda ako, dun ako naging bubbly."

On the platform, she was showered with love and a sense of community from total strangers. She thought, "I can make some people laugh pala. OK, people like when I sing pala," and this helped build her confidence.

Music and its powers

Jikamarie is the artist behind the dreamy "Lutang," which made waves on TikTok during the pandemic, tackling wanting to escape from confusing reality. It became the background song of countless TikTok content, entered the Spotify viral charts, and became Jikamarie's official entry into music.

But starting a new path is never easy, and Jikamarie said that she did have some fears and insecurities.

Admittedly, Jikamarie said she and her older brother released "Lutang" without expectations and that music will just be a hobby. But when they saw the door of music as a career, they decided to enter it.

"Definitely, nakakabigla siya sa akin, although dream ko talaga 'yun," she said. "Talagang nakakatakot. S'yempre 'yung mga sasabayan ko, mga idol ko rin, talagang mga musician rin na I look up to."

"I was struggling, definitely," Jikamarie added.

She would recall herself thinking, "Am I going to be able to write good music pa rin after putting this out? What's next for me? 'Pag humaharap ako sa tao, how am I being perceived?"

However, Jikamarie puts in the effort to navigate her insecurities and self-esteem. Another helpful factor is the support she gets from a healthy community made up of her family, friends, fans called Majika, and online followers.

"Hanggang ngayon, bina-battle ko pa," she said. "Nasanay na lang rin ako na merong ganung fear. Parang tinanggap ko na lang siya na hindi talaga mawawala 'yung insecurities na 'yun. I just learn to dance with them."

"Tinatanggap kong nandiyan na lang siya kasi I love what I'm doing eh. Alam ko nandiyan na lang siya lagi. I love making music. I love releasing it and sharing it with people."

And being in the public eye, Jikamarie is not immune to judgements and other unnecessary comments.

Asked how she deals with it, she answered with a smile, "I don't."

Jikamarie said that she had already gotten used to it because of her time on TikTok.

"Sanay na 'ko sa comments na I get," she said. "Although, definitely masakit, nakakagulat pa rin na may mga gan'tong comments, especially as a plus-size woman tapos I believe I'm not conventionally attractive. So parang maraming reasons for people to dislike me, to criticize me.

"Whenever I get negative comments, I don't deal with them. I don't reply to them kasi alam ko gusto lang magpapansin ng mga tao."

Because of that, Jikamarie instead focuses her attention on the people who do love her and knows that she can't please everyone.

In her journey to self-love, Jikamarie credits music as special factor in her life.

"Ngayon ko lang din na-confront 'yung bagay na 'yun eh, kung saan ako humuhugot ng confidence," she said.

"When I'm writing, when I'm making music, sobrang fulfillment 'yung nararamdaman ko. Kahit ma-release 'yung kanta o hindi, sobrang saya ko eh. Tas kapag nararamdaman ko 'yung saya na 'yun, na-e-extend din siya into confidence," Jikamarie said.

And it's true that music heals. The artist said that when she writes, she goes with the flow, puts down what sounds good, and enjoys the process.

After "Lutang," Jikamarie released more hits like "Kailangan ko ng...," "HINAHANAP-HANAP," and "Eh Papaano," a track by Jrldm that she was featured in.

Opening for Coldplay

Jikamarie was once not a fan of getting attention, but she went on to play for two nights in front of a sold-out crowd of 55,000 people at Coldplay's concert at the Philippine Arena in January. Talk about a glow-up.

Jikamarie was handpicked by the iconic rock band themselves and took months to prepare for the show.

"Nag-sa-start palang ako na artist eh, tapos biggest stage, biglang Philippine Arena.

"Sobrang nakaka-excite definitely when we found out, pero nakakatakot 'yon, nakaka-pressure 'yon if you think about it—the opening for such a big, amazing, ta's iconic pa na banda," she said.

"Super honored pero talagang nangangatog ako. Ilang buwan ako nangangatog habang hindi ko pa natatawid 'yung show, sobrang kinakabahan ako."

Jikamarie worked with a talented and supportive team, whom she credits for helping calm down her pre-show nerves.

"Working with those people, rehearsing with them, sobrang talagang nakagaan. Sobrang na-enjoy ko lang. I didn't have time to overthink, I was just having so much fun working with those people."

She said that it is important to be surrounded by a good support system. "I believe that's critical: choosing who you surround yourself with and who you work with."

Before the concert, Jikamarie was helped by none other than frontman Chris Martin.

"Bago mag-start 'yung show, he was like, 'enjoy-in mo lang.' Sobrang nakakatulong 'yun, coming from him na enjoy-in lang talaga 'yung show. And na-enjoy ko naman talaga so super grateful ako."

She also chose to perform songs that would showcase her range.

"Hanggang ngayon, hindi ko pa rin ma-process na I just went through that, I just did that," she said with a big smile. "Surreal lang 'yung maisip ko na term."

Jikamarie also got to hang out with Coldplay backstage.

"Hindi ako makapaniwala kapag kine-kwento ko. Sobrang laking honor, nangangatog ako," she said.

She also asked for advice for a starting artist and received the best words from Chris.

"He just said, 'follow your heart,'" she shared. "Napaka-simple pero kapag sa kanya galing, napaka-wow."

"He was just so chill. He was encouraging," she added.

Since then, Jikamarie has applied this to her daily life and in the attitude she has in pursuing music.

"When you're in the music industry, there tends to be a lot of noise, a lot of voices coming at you and puwedeng ma-lost dun 'yung sarili mong boses, and hindi mo na alam kung ano 'yung gusto mo kasi you haven't been listening to your own voice," she said.

"When I heard that [advice], [parang na-realize] ko na parang nagka ganon din ako na ang dami ko masyadong iniisip, nakalimutan kong sundan kung saan ba 'yung nag-fo-flow sa akin," she said. "Sobrang honor to even get advice from Chris Martin himself."

Being there for the young ones

Before getting to where she is now, Jikamarie says her younger self "definitely prays for this every night."

"Mas confident pa siya kesa sa 'kin na mararating ko 'yung mga pangarap ko."

Whenever she feels low or like giving up, she thinks of this girl and makes her next moves with her in  mind.

"Every time I see kung gaano siya ka-bright, gaano siya ka-optimistic, gaano siya ka-hopeful, parang nanghihinayang ako na putulin 'yung energy niya na 'yun eh, 'yung pag-pursue ng pangarap.

"Who am I para putulin 'yung journey ng bata na 'to in pursuit of her passion of music?"

Aside from expressing herself through her art, Jikamarie hopes to be there for other people.

She learned of her impact when she got a YouTube comment years ago that said, "You don't know how much you're helping me with releasing music. Kasi, I look like you and I feel represented because I don't see a lot of musicians especially in the Philippines, female musicians that look like me."

"May mga natutulungan pala ako in that aspect just by showing myself and presenting myself," Jikamarie said.

"I want to be able to represent people who see themselves in me, kung ano mang aspeto of myself that they can identify with," she added.

She wants to tell these people, "Hey, it's okay. I'm like you sa gan'tong aspeto but I'm happy and confident, and I get to be able to do this, and sana ikaw rin."

Jikamarie also has these reminders for the young ones who are still working on themselves.

"People don't care as much as you think because other people are too busy criticizing themselves din," she said.

"Most likely, they're also busy thinking the same thing about themselves. So imbis na pinapagod mo, ine-exhaust mo 'yung sarili mo chasing kung ano man 'yung makaka-please sa ibang tao, for once, try mo lang gawin muna kung ano 'yung nakaka-please sa sarili mo."

She encourages Majika to explore new things, as these could be ways they can find their happiness and confidence.

"As long as wala kang tinatapakan na tao, wala kang ino-overstep, wala kang kino-cross na boundary ng iba, and you also get to be happy with yourself. Why not 'di ba? Explore."

—MGP, GMA Integrated News