Sensational Filipina Singer Charice Admits to Being a Lesbian

Filipina singer Charmaine Clarice Pempengco, better known as Charice, rose to fame when her 2007 performance in a South Korean talent show named Star King went viral on YouTube. Her awesome talent was noticed by superstar American talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and later on by Oprah Winfrey. Following a streak of successful shows and appearances, Charice was introduced to veteran producer and songwriter David Foster. This association eventually opened up new doors for her.

Charice’s coming out

In an interview with a member of the Philippine entertainment press, the 21-year old international singing sensation admitted her true sexuality when she was asked directly by host Boy Abunda of showbiz talk show “The Buzz” if she was a lesbian. Charice responded by saying that she has been feeling that way for a long time, and it was only recently that she confirmed to herself she is indeed a lesbian.

Shocking revelation

This coming out of “the most talented girl in the world,” according to Oprah Winfrey garnered much attention not only locally but also in the international scene. According to some fans who were asked to comment about the revelation, her coming out might actually explain the recent changes in the singer’s hairstyle as well as the fresh tattoos that Charice got.

Home-based

In 2012, after her international success and after the tragic loss of her father, she took a break from performing abroad and came back to her home country to become a judge in a Philippine adaptation of American reality talent show The X Factor. It was on March 2012 while she was in the show when Charice decided to change her looks to what she called “edgy.” This sudden change made her a target of harsh criticisms from the local media and the international community as well. But it was only this April 2013 when she needed to deal directly with accusations and allegations concerning her sexuality after being seen wearing clothes that were a far cry from what people are used to seeing her wear in appearances and performances.

Falling for the first time

Born in the town of Cabuyao, Laguna, a province in Southern Luzon, the power vocalist demonstrated above-average talent and potential even when she was a little girl. According to her mother, Raquel Pempengco, Charice started to compete in singing competitions at the age of seven. Hoping to get a break, Charice joined Little Big Star in 2005. It was a local talent show in the Philippines patterned closely after American Idol. She was eliminated at her first performance but was called back as a wildcard. This gave her a second opportunity and she ended up reaching the finals. Even though she had solid performances that gave her high scores, she only got third place at the finale of the competition.

Reaching for the stars

Charice’s big break came when she became another instant YouTube sensation after her widely acclaimed performance in Star King. Her awesome singing reached a total of 15 million views on the video sharing site.

Naturally, TV host Ellen DeGeneres extended an invitation to Charice after seeing her performance in Star King. And not letting the chance pass her by, Charice flew to America for the first time and performed a couple of songs on Ellen’s show. She wowed Ellen and the audience after singing “I Will Always Love You” and “And I Am Telling You.” After her debut in the Ellen DeGeneres Show, she was invited to make another appearance in Star King where she performed “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor followed by a duet with Lena Park. With her huge success in the international scene, Charice was invited in January of 2008 to perform at Malacañang Palace for then Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Another star is born

The year 2008 was a wonderful year for the singer. This was the year when she launched her Philippine debut album “Charice.” Her album was awarded gold recognition only after a few month of its release. It eventually got the platinum award in 2009. Charice also appeared on the May 12, 2008 edition of the Oprah Winfrey Show. She performed one of the famous songs of Whitney Houston, “I Have Nothing,” which greatly impressed Oprah. Oprah Winfrey immediately reached out to David Foster asking about the bright future Charice could have under his mentorship.

The first time Charice performed with Foster was on May 17, 2008. They were invited to the opening of the MGM Grand in Ledyard, Connecticut. This led to another gig with Foster on the international stage as she was made part of Foster’s tribute concert. Charice performed a series of songs that impressed the spectators.

Charice re-appeared in the Oprah Winfrey Show on September 9, 2008. According to Oprah in her “Dreams Come True” episode, Charice was the most talented girl in the world. Charice sang “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion with the accompaniment of Foster on the piano. Much to Charice’s surprise, Oprah suddenly opened a live satellite feed where Celine Dion invited Charice to a sing a duet with her during her “Taking Chances Tour” in New York. This milestone performance with Celine Dion happened on September 15, 2008. The duet of Charice and Celine was widely talked about and their performance was also featured in Oprah’s September 19 episode.

Going big

Charice has gone a long way since her YouTube video going viral. Last 2010, she released her first international studio album that ranked eighth in the US Billboard 200. According to records, Charice is the first Asian vocalist in history to ever be included in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Time for “Glee”

When Charice released carrier single “Pyramid” with Iyaz, it became a signature song and made her even more popular. As of today, “Pyramid” is considered her most successful single to have ever been released. Aside from her huge success in the music industry, Charice was also given the opportunity to be part of the Emmy winning comedy-musical TV series “Glee.” She took the part of a foreign exchange student from the Philippines named Sunshine Corazon. Her appearance in the series proved that the young petite power house vocalist is a double threat since she can also act. Following her television appearances, she also made a cameo appearance in the film “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.”

Her comeback single, “Before It Explodes” was written by Bruno Mars and was released last April of 2011. She also had a tour in Asia promoting her new album “Infinity” that was launched in the later months of 2012.

Photo Credits:
Charice
Charice new look by Zennie Abraham
Charice, Iyaz with David Foster at QVC by Rob Stemple