Kyle Echarri: ‘I just want to be me’

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It’s easy to dismiss 13-year-old Kyle Echarri as just another pretty boy determined to make his mark in showbiz. But he’s much more than that. All he has to do to prove his doubters wrong is open his mouth to sing. Once he does, anyone with a working pair of ears will see—or hear, to be more precise—that he’s truly exceptional. Listening to him sing will put a smile on anyone’s face.

Kyle has had to prove himself by singing his heart out before. In 2015, he auditioned for the second season of The Voice Kids. He chose to sing the One Direction song “Night Changes.” His rendition of it was so charming that two of the show’s coaches turned their chairs for him within seconds. (Kyle’s Blind Audition also made quite a big splash online when it premiered on the show’s official YouTube channel. It has been viewed over 4 million times and counting!)

Kyle joined Sarah Geronimo’s team, and together they worked on building up his confidence so he could loosen up onstage. Kyle learned a lot from her, which helped him sail through the Battles and Sing-Offs despite the fact that part of him found the other contestants kind of intimidating.

“It was nerve-racking but fun,” he says. “I was scared because I was competing with seasoned kids who have had voice lessons or joined other competitions. But The Voice Kids made me love singing even more and I also made lots of friends. I also learned a lot from Coach Sarah. She would always remind me to perform with confidence while keeping my feet on the ground because humility is important too.”

Unfortunately, his journey came to an end in the semifinals. Even so, Kyle says he doesn’t regret anything about the experience. In fact, he’d do it all over again if he could. Not that he needs to, mind you—his career is doing just fine even if he didn’t win The Voice Kids.

Soon after he was eliminated, he was cast in the top-rating ABS-CBN teleserye On the Wings of Love. He played Brent Wyatt, the half-brother of Nadine Lustre’s character Leah Olivar. Kyle enjoyed being on set and says he hopes to do more acting in the future.

“I like acting. It’s also one of my dreams to be an actor. When I was younger, I used to act out scenes with my toys. I’m open to working with everyone. If someone offers me another acting job, I would take it,” he admits.

However, Kyle’s next television gig brought him back to music. He took part in another televised singing competition, but not as a soloist. On We Love OPM: The Celebrity Sing-Offs, which ran for three whole months, from May to July this year, he was one-third of the boy group Voice Next Door. He’s used to going it alone, but We Love OPM showed him how fun it can also be to sing with others.

“I feel so blessed that I was given the chance to be part of that show. It was wonderful to be able to collaborate with Voice Next Door under the guidance of Mr. Richard Poon,” he says.

Kyle got into music at the tender age of three, although he had no formal training growing up. Kyle honed his talent on his own by singing along to hits by his favorite artists whenever and wherever he could. “I would sing in the bathroom, in the car, basically anywhere I could sing along to the music I would hear.”

Now, with the release of It’s Me Kyle, his debut solo album under MCA Music, he’ll get to sing his own songs—definitely in better venues than the back seat of his parents’ car. Kyle says he feels very lucky to have been given a record deal even if he didn’t make the grand finals of The Voice Kids. He’s also thrilled to be an MCA Music artist, because their people really helped him through the recording process. He’s also thankful for the guidance of Cornerstone Talents and Star Magic, both of which work closely with MCA Music in shaping his career.

“I thank my label for giving me a chance and most of all granting my wish to have an album. It’s a dream come true. I had fun recording the album because they made me feel very comfortable in the studio,” he shares. “I’m excited for the album to come out because all the songs were written by good composers. I hope people will enjoy them.”

The album was preceded by the carrier single “Fall For Me,” which Kyle says is about young love. However, he dedicates it to all the people who have supported him since the beginning. “Although the message of the song is about two people who are perfect for each other, it’s for all my fans because they make my life perfect. I’m grateful for the love and support they give me. They inspire me to do my best so I can put a smile on their faces.”

Most of what’s on Kyle’s album—such as the carrier single and the tracks “Anything” and “Unli Good”—are all about young love and being thankful for the presence and support of other people. But he does dig deeper on songs like “Our Moment” and “Looking Up,” both of which are about heavier subjects.

“‘Looking Up’ is about someone who died of cancer. It says even if she passed away, she will always be remembered as someone precious and special,” he shares. “‘Our Moment’ is a song about being free, true and real. We need to be who we are and not pretend. Because if we are true, only then can we be truly free.”

Older singers have been known to shy away from doing songs like those, but not Kyle. He welcomed the opportunity to challenge himself. When he recorded them in the studio, he worked hard and was able to deliver convincing and heartfelt performances as a result.

One of the best things about Kyle is that even though he’s still a teenager, he already knows who he is and what he’s capable of as an artist. That’s why he has the confidence to take on different kinds of songs and it’s also why he called his album It’s Me Kyle. There are many young singers out there right now, but Kyle plans to stand out simply by being himself.

“I just want people to know that this is me. My voice and style is simply Kyle. I don’t want to be someone else. I just want to be me,” he says.

It’s Me, Kyle is now out under MCA Music on digital downloads and streaming via Spinnr, Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Deezer and VEVO. (Image from MCA Music)

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