James Reid sits down with select showbiz press to talk about music and acting comeback. Josh Mercado

MANILA -- Multimedia prince James Reid released his song "Randomatic" in 2015, and after nine years, it has resurfaced on radio waves, TikTok, and Spotify, with 46 million streams to date.

“I'm very happy. I’ve always loved that song. I'm glad we’ve finally got the recognition that it deserves. I've seen a lot of covers and I'm super grateful,” Reid told ABS-CBN News.

When the lights go out, Reid listens to songs that energize him, lift his spirits, and boost his mood. Yes, he does a lot these days, such as attending fashion events and meetings for his company Careless, but music holds a special place in his heart.

“Music is very personal. I get to write all the songs, get to create music, get to conceptualize the music videos. It’s very personal. I'm very happy where I am now, which is why I'm comfortable with coming back,” Reid said.

He just released his new songs "Mirasol," "Di Bale," "Sandal," "Hurt Me Too," "Your Boy," and "Pauwi Na,” accompanied with official lyric videos on YouTube.

“For this EP, I just wanted to kind of combine everything that was me. The idea was coming home to my sounds, to myself, to the fans. It felt like, you know, coming back to myself,” the actor-songwriter shared with ABS-CBN News.

When asked about his writing process, he explained, “I normally write from just personal experiences. Sometimes it's not exactly an experience, but just like creative writing. I think that's also fun. But it's just more real, and it hits harder when it's your personal experience.”

“It's changed a lot. As I'm getting older, my writing gets more introspective, it gets deeper. I'm really a songwriter, like I can’t help it. I need to turn my stories into songs. It’s like a snapshot of my life when I write a song,” he added.

Support from Issa Pressman

The song "Sandal" was written for his girlfriend, Issa Pressman. He stated that Pressman can always count on him and that he is always there for her.

“She was having a tough day. She was pretty upset that day, and sometimes you can't really say anything. It’s just a hard day and I just wanted to let her know that you can lean on me. The very first thing I wrote was ‘sumandal ka sa akin,’ and then I sang the first line,” he revealed.

Reid openly discussed the role of his girlfriend in his life and whether he believes in proposals.

“Issa has been incredibly supportive and honestly you know, she has become part of like, if not the whole reason why I'm doing what I do. She's the inspiration behind a lot of music. She’s the drive behind me want to go back into acting and really push myself and go 100%,” he confessed.

Regarding the concept of proposing to someone, he said, “Yes, I do believe, of course. But even if that was my plan, I wouldn't be revealing it. That would be a secret idea.”

Advice from his father about humility

The showbiz world is blinding. Some artists were lost because they couldn't manage popularity. Fame, as showbiz gurus have always stated, is addictive. How can a major star like Reid remain grounded?

The Careless executive, who has future projects on Kapamilya Network, told ABS-CBN News that his father was the one who taught him how to handle popularity.

“I think it's just the way that he raised me. My dad keeps me grounded. Even like, for example, when I first started in show business, I really wasn't used to so many people asking for pictures and you know, like I really wasn't used to it and it used to upset me. He told me, don't be like that, say yes to the picture, and you really make someone's day. I think, yeah, the way that he raised me, very grounded,” he revealed.

He continued by noting that it was difficult to deal with the constant pressure and noise.

“There was so much fame and it happened so quickly. I don't think anyone would get used to it. It’s not natural. It became quite difficult to deal with the constant pressure and the constant noise. All of the stuff being set on mind. I needed to kind of escape from all of that. That was also part of the reason why I wanted to stop acting,” he added.

Is he still affected by the online haters? He responded: “It used to make me feel terrible. But now when I see it, I kind of just feel bad for them. But for some reason, they feel the need to sit down somewhere and hate another people.”

Reid, like the title of his EP "Just Got Home," has finally found his true home where he can do anything he wants. He finds it liberating to have discovered his true self. He owns himself. That's where he genuinely belongs. He can accomplish more and reach more people thanks to his home network, ABS-CBN.

“I'm excited. It's been a long time. I had every intention of coming back to acting. I feel like it's the right time,” he expressed.