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Bortang Barbie Aaron Maniego shares why he is now focused on singing

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Rhea Manila Santos

Push Team

<p>It was in 2022 when Aaron Maniego first blew up online as the content creator on TikTok known as the “Pambansang Bortang Barbie” which had him sharing hilarious clips online. But the talented CreaZion Studio artist revealed to <strong>PUSH ABS-CBN</strong> in this exclusive interview that his background is actually more rooted in music than acting. </p><p>“Actually, fun fact, before showbiz, before anything, I was a indie performer. Kasi nung college, I was part of the musician’s organization sa UP tapos we would perform in small bars in Malate and sa mga places like B-Side (in Makati), yung ganun. Kaya mas nauna yung pagiging musician ko. Tapos choir kid pa ako noon. Pero ang pinaka nangibabaw, which defined my career, was being a content creator and influencer and now actor,” he said. </p><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DGagtNWSHgR/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=590&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A494446.7999999523%2C%22ls%22%3A493999.60000002384%2C%22le%22%3A494003.7999999523%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="977" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-1" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOdglR-k187/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=590&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A494457.39999997616%2C%22ls%22%3A493999.60000002384%2C%22le%22%3A494003.7999999523%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1073" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-1" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/2022/10/22/fresh-scoops/aaron-maniego-joins-pie-channels-roster-of-hosts-203203" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>READ: MEET BORTANG BARBIE: Aaron Maniego joins PIE Channel’s roster of hosts</strong></a></div><p>Earlier this year, Aaron finally got the opportunity to release a song which he is quite proud of.</p><p>“Ngayon na bumubukas yung mga oportunidad, ngayon I’m able to have more leeway towards pursuing music as well. Kasi I just recently launched a new single, it’s called ‘Mine,’ and produced by Isagani Palabyab.</p><p>“When I was starting out, my influences were Bamboo, Sponge Cola, Hale. Rakista po ako dati. Pero ngayon talaga, I feel like with my type of personality that I’ve grown into, ang personality trait ko talaga in terms of music genre is electro pop. Kasi I love high energy music. Yun tipong pampagising sa umaga, puwede i-perform sa festivals at concert. Because that’s also where I see myself in, sa mga ganung places to inspire people and to make people smile, to make people hyper and active,” he shared. </p><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNnfvmNy1gL/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=590&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A494465.60000002384%2C%22ls%22%3A493999.60000002384%2C%22le%22%3A494003.7999999523%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1190" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-3" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNftWWAytnc/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=590&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A3%2C%22os%22%3A495597%2C%22ls%22%3A493999.60000002384%2C%22le%22%3A494003.7999999523%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="965" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-3" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Looking back on what got him really noticed online in the first place, Aaron explained why he chose to initially just lean in on the Bortang Barbie persona before promoting himself as a singer. </p><p>“Yung kuwento niyan, dati nung nag-viral ako in 2022 as Bortang Barbie, siyempre ni-leverage ko yun pero there came a point in time na sobrang napagod ako. Kasi it’s a version of me, yes. Ako pa rin yun. Kasi ganun naman talaga ako in real life eh. Pero when it became your source of income, when it became a business, dun ako na-burnout sa sarili ko.</p><p>“Kaya I decided to pivot to other niches, like interview content. Tapos nag-i-interview ako ng mga pogi, tapos music. Tapos acting. Pero yung na-realize ko sa sarili ko, wala, bortang Barbie pa rin ako regardless eh (laughs). It’s a part of me that I can never escape and it’s a part of me that I’ve grown to love even further,” he admitted. </p><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOqTZXdE_oG/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=590&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A495733.89999997616%2C%22ls%22%3A493999.60000002384%2C%22le%22%3A494003.7999999523%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1166" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-5" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLZ4g5fSHU4/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=590&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A5%2C%22os%22%3A495765.6999999285%2C%22ls%22%3A493999.60000002384%2C%22le%22%3A494003.7999999523%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1118" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-5" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/articles-videos/pie-jocks-karen-renee-aaron-had-imaginative-limitless-answers-to-greatest-what-if-questions-17631" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>READ: PIE Jocks Karen, Renée, Aaron had imaginative, limitless answers to “The Greatest What If” questions</strong></a></div><p>Still uncertain then about his lasting power in the industry when he first started, Aaron shared his thoughts during the first few years of his popularity.</p><p>“Kasi bilang isang content creator, yun yung naging kasagsagan ng isang Bortang Barbie. Siyempre we need to leverage on what makes us go viral. Kasi if I’m going to be completely honest, hindi ako sigurado kung hanggang kailan ang trajectory ng career, Kasi kapag content creator, viral moment, pero yung problema sa viral moment is paano mo ma-su-sustain? Kaya I constantly find ways to reinvent myself para not only will I stay relevant within Philippine media, but also to upscale my career. Sana magkaroon ako ng level na Sarah Geronimo na actor, musician, spokesperson, endorser, lahat na,” he explained. </p><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-6" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctq-s-KSTLV/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=590&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A6%2C%22os%22%3A496120.7999999523%2C%22ls%22%3A493999.60000002384%2C%22le%22%3A494003.7999999523%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="737" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-6" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-7" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CczP003rPYq/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=590&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A7%2C%22os%22%3A496475.7999999523%2C%22ls%22%3A493999.60000002384%2C%22le%22%3A494003.7999999523%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1001" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-7" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-8" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQojeW2E13k/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=590&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A8%2C%22os%22%3A496530.60000002384%2C%22ls%22%3A493999.60000002384%2C%22le%22%3A494003.7999999523%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1037" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-8" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Aaron also revealed his plans to revamp his once viral persona. </p><p>“Kaya actually ma-e-expect ninyo yung Bortang Barbie 2.0, mas panibago, mas malinis (laughs), mas elevated compared to the previous one. Di bale kung si Bortang Barbie dati, yung narrative niya kasi takot na militar na nagpapaka-beki. Pero ngayon, si Bortang Barbie, confident siya in his masculinity, confident siya in his femininity, confident siya, regardless of whatever. He’s ready to take over the world. Charot (laughs). </p><p>“It’s happening this year. Meron pong ma-re-release na office-serye with CreaZion artists. So nakipag-collaborate ako with different CreaZion artists na pinapakita rin si Bortang Barbie sa panibagong setup sa office ng CreaZion, trying to navigate the new world of acting, of music, of showbiz,” he added. </p>

<p>Singer and content creator Aaron Maniego talks about his musical roots and reveals what he has planned for his 'Pambansang Bortang Barbie' persona.</p>

Singer and content creator Aaron Maniego talks about his musical roots and reveals what he has planned for his 'Pambansang Bortang Barbie' persona.

‘Bortang Barbie’ Aaron Maniego shares why he is now focused on singing: ‘I constantly find ways to reinvent myself’

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‘Bortang Barbie’ Aaron Maniego shares why he is now focused on singing: ‘I constantly find ways to reinvent myself’

Rhea Manila Santos,

Push Team

Published Nov 29, 2025 04:44 PM PHT

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Aaron Maniego

Creazion Studios

content creation

Bortang Barbie

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