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Since she was a kid, Andrea Brillantes has been a constant presence on the screen. From her early work as a child star, Andrea is now one of the most recognizable young names in Philippine entertainment. But her years as an actress and public figure have also meant she’s been a constant target of rumors and showbiz intrigue.
It’s an unfortunate aspect of her life in how she seemingly finds herself in the middle of scandals, no matter how overblown they are. People always have something to say about her, but this time, Andrea is clapping back, and not with a statement, but a persona who calls it like it is.
RELATED: Andrea Brillantes vs Our Double Standards
Pa-Victim Lang Si GAGA
What seemed like Andrea Brillantes’ Instagram account being hacked turned out to be an announcement of her debut song titled GAGA under her red-haired alter ego RAMONA. The unapologetic pop-rock track, which was released under Sony Music Philippines, was written by Andrea and produced by Timothy Run and Sam Marquez of the alternative indie band One Click Straight.
In it, Andrea channels the angsty energy of the likes of Olivia Rodrigo and Avril Lavigne as she takes a sledgehammer to the (often negative) narrative and image painted of her. The self-referential track serves as a commentary on the impact of celebrity culture, fake news, and internet outrage on someone’s life as Andrea, or should we say RAMONA, lists off the things people have said about her.
“People talk, people guess, people decide what’s true before they even know anything. ‘GAGA’ just throws it all back,” Andrea said in a press release. “It is bold, emotional, a little rebellious, a little messy, and not pretending to be perfect.”
The song’s music video doubles down on this message, which stars Pepe Herrera as a security guard falsely accused of stealing, while Andrea plays his defense lawyer. Set in a messy courtroom, the video plays on the sensationalism spawned from rumors and speculations and how they can shift public perception.
She’s The Bad Guy
For decades, celebrity gossip has followed celebrity culture like a shadow. It affects many public figures, but it is worse for female celebrities, who receive heightened scrutiny and judgment for even simple things. Whether it be their love life or things they say, women, more often than not, will have little room for understanding from the public. One mistake from a female celebrity and it’s over for them.
Andrea Brillantes is sadly a victim of this and has faced her fair share of double standards. She has seen her name dragged through the mud and splashed on headlines for all kinds of rumors. As a young and outspoken woman who isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind and stand up for herself, she has been on the receiving end of insulting labels for years.
With GAGA and under a musical persona, it’s one way that Andrea takes back her name from the reputation people have formed about her. As she shared on social media, Andrea wrote this song four years ago as a form of release during a difficult time in her life. The song’s lyrics are a direct reference to the things people have been saying about her. This is her response as she rises above the fray. And true to that message, she also wasn’t afraid to call people out who criticized the song as just a PR stunt.
With a touch of sass, satire, and Gen Z punk, the track mockingly plays on how people want to see her fail while reclaiming her narrative and voice. It’s an empowering move that only someone like Andrea Brillantes can do, because sometimes, you just have to get in on the joke and call out people’s willingness to believe celebrity gossip as long as it reaffirms their beliefs.
Photos: RAMONA (via Instagram), SONY MUSIC PHILIPPINES
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