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Juan Karlos Labajo (born February 5, 2001) is a Filipino singer-songwriter and actor, best known as the lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and founder of the rock band Juan Karlos. His musical style is noted for its emotional weight and poetic symbolism, while his songwriting has received praise for the rawness and intensity of its lyrical content which focus on themes of self-worth, unrequited love, and anguish. He has received many accolades, including a Star Award for Music, two Myx Music Awards, and five Awit Awards.

Born in Consolacion, Cebu, Labajo first achieved recognition as a finalist on the first season of the reality talent show The Voice Kids in 2014. After making his acting debut in the drama series Hawak Kamay (2014), Labajo starred in an episode of the drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya (2014), for which he received a Star Award for Best New Male TV Personality nomination. Under MCA Records, he began his singing career as a solo artist, releasing the the studio albums JK (2015) and JKL (2017). He continued to play supporting roles in the drama series Pangako sa 'Yo (2015), and A Love to Last (2017).

Labajo found greater success after forming the band Juan Karlos in 2018. The single "Buwan" was released to critical and commercial acclaim, winning four Awit Awards. As a member of the band, he released three studio albums—Diwa (2020), Sad Songs and Bullshit Part 1 (2023), and Sad Songs and Bullshit Part 2 (2024)—the second of these featured the single "Ere", which reached number one on the Billboard Philippine Songs chart and entered the Billboard Global 200 Excl. US. Labajo starred in the crime drama Blue Room (2022)—for which he was nominated for a Gawad Urian Award for Best Supporting Actor—and played Ninoy Aquino in the musical biopic Ako si Ninoy (2023).

2001–2014: Early life and breakthrough
Juan Karlos Labajo was born on February 1, 2005, in Consolacion, Cebu. He is the only child of Maylinda Labajo and Oliver Stolz. His mother is Filipino and a native of Cebu, whereas his father is German from Munich. Labajo's parents where unwed; his father abandoned them shortly after his birth and he was raised by his mother as a single parent. As a child, his peers at school bullied him for being biracial and often made fun of his looks. Labajo's family was poor and struggled financially; they frequently moved houses because they were unable to pay rent. Growing up, he worked as a waste picker to help his family make ends meet. When he was twelve, Labajo's mother died of pancreatic cancer. Following this, his maternal grandmother, Linda, and maternal uncle, Jovanni, looked after him.

Five days after his mother's passing, Labajo competed in the first season of the reality singing contest The Voice Kids (2014). He later recalled that his participation in the show was motivated by his mother's wish to see him perform on television had she still been alive. He auditioned with the song "Grow Old With You" by Adam Sandler. Judges Sarah Geronimo and Lea Salonga complimented his stylings and appeal, and Labajo joined Bamboo Mañalac's team. He advanced to the finals and finished third place; he was then signed to a record deal with MCA Records.

After The Voice Kids, Labajo made his acting debut when he joined the cast of the drama series Hawak Kamay (2014), in which he played a young man caught in a love triangle with Zaijan Jaranilla and Andrea Brillantes. He then starred in the anthology series Maalaala Mo Kaya, which premiered on September 27, 2014. He portrayed himself in the biographical episode which followed his early life and struggles. Nestor Torre Jr. of the Philippine Daily Inquirer felt that his emotional delivery was contrived, adding that the dramatic scenes "were pushed so much for emotional effect that they occasionally came off as exploitative". For his performance, Labajo was nominated for a Star Award for Best New Male TV Personality.

2015–2017: Solo career
In 2015, Labajo appeared as a guest performer in an episode of the legal drama anthology Ipaglaban Mo! playing an underaged driver involved in a car accident. He followed this with a recurring role in the drama series Pangako Sa 'Yo (2015), a remake of the 2000 television show which starred Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo. Boy Abunda from The Philippine Star noted that Labajo's work on the series "transformed him into a certified teen heartthrob". Labajo's debut studio album JK, containing the lead single "Para Sa 'Yo", was released in September 2015. Its six tracks were a collaboration with songwriters Jensen Gomez, Kennard Faraon, and Brad Go. Reviewers from The Philippine Star lauded his maturity as a singer and were impressed with the album's "jazz and mellow" sound. Abunda opined that his style is more attuned to "adults rather than children his age", and Rito Asilo of the Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote, "His songs benefit from his soulful note-tweaking and idio-syncratic phrasing, made uniquely endearing by occasional hints of his Visayan accent." The album received a platinum certification from the Philippine Association of the Record Industry. For the song "Para Sa 'Yo", Labajo was nominated for an Awit Award for Best Performance by a New Male Recording Artist, and earned two Myx Music Award nominations for Favorite Male Artist and Favorite Mellow Video.

The year 2016 saw Labajo in two reality television shows. He was part of the music competition We Love OPM, a spin-off of the reality series I Love OPM. It features celebrities performing as a group and singing covers of a featured OPM artist each week. Labajo, alongside Kyle Echarri and Bailey May, were mentored by Richard Poon. He next appeared as a celebrity contestant in the seventh season of the reality game show Pinoy Big Brother, which was the first edition of the franchise to be filmed overseas in Ho Chi Minh City. Labajo began 2017 by starring in the family drama series A Love to Last, in which he played a rebellious son who blames his father after being abandoned by their mother as a child. He considered the part as a turning point in his career and described it as a "big boy" role. The critic Bot Glorioso found Labajo's acting to be a "revelation" and commended his "stirring portrayal".

Labajo began songwriting for his second studio album, JKL, which was released in February 2017. He wrote three tracks on the album, describing these as a reflection of his life and frame of mind at the time. The lead single, "Sana Kung Pwede Lang", was written by Urbandub lead vocalist Gabby Alipe. In support of the album, Labajo staged his first headlining concert at the New Frontier Theater that same month. A second single, "Demonyo", was released in April; it received nominations for Best Pop Recording and Best Rock/Alternative Recording at the 2018 Awit Awards. He garnered a Male Pop Artist of the Year nomination at the 2018 Star Awards for Music. The Joven Tan-directed independent comedy drama, Tatlong Bibe (2017), was Labajo's cinematic debut in which he played the grandson to Eddie Garcia and Dionisia Pacquiao's characters.

2018–2022: Band formation
During a recording session at Sonic State Studio in May 2018, Labajo began work on the single "Buwan", collaborating with musicians Jeriko Aguilar (guitar), Louise Bayas (bass), and Gian Hipolito (drums). Drawing inspiration from Bob Dylan's lyrical techniques and folk sound, the single was released on June 22, 2018. The following month, Labajo announced that he had formed the band Juan Karlos with the group, making their debut live performance on July 6 at 12 Monkeys Bar in Pasig. Pocholo Concepcion from the Philippine Daily Inquirer commended Labajo's intense and emotive singing, and alluded to the song's "clever use of imagery, [and] its catchy chorus" as the highlight. Similarly, Vincent Garcia of News.ABS-CBN.com was impressed with its "kundiman and harana-ish styling, simmering with just the right amount of groove and swagger". Labajo received multiple accolades for "Buwan"; it was named Best Rock/Alternative Recording, Favorite Song, and Favorite Record at the 2019 Awit Awards, and won Song of the Year at the 2020 Star Awards for Music.

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Labajo conceived the band's first studio album, for which he was given full conceptual and creative control over the project. It resulted in a record that merged various music genres ranging from heavy metal, blues, and alternative rock, intertwined with elements of "typical OPM love songs". Preceded by the single "Sampaguita", a collaboration with rapper Gloc-9, Diwa was released on March 20, 2020. At the 2021 Awit Awards, Labajo earned nominations for Album of the Year and Best Collaboration. The singles "Sampaguita" and "Kalawakan" were nominated for Myx Music Awards for Collaboration of the Year and Rock Video of the Year, respectively. After a one-year hiatus, Labajo returned to recording and released the single "Boston" in July 2021. The band then collaborated with Ben&Ben and Zild Benitez, releasing the song "Lunod" in September. The former single was nominated for Contemporary Folk Performance of the Year at the 2022 Wish 107.5 Music Awards, and the latter song received five Awit Award nominations, winning Best Music Video.

Ma-an Asuncion-Dagñalan's crime drama Blue Room, which premiered at the 2022 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, featured Labajo as the indie-rock band member Anton Lorenzana. The film is about a group of privileged teenagers and musicians who get arrested for drug possession and are bribed by dirty cops. News.ABS-CBN.com's Fred Hawson commended the film's "pointed, pertinent social commentary" and the ensemble cast's "raw natural talent", calling their performances as one with "simmering Gen Z angst". Blue Room was screened at the 2023 LA Femme Film Festival, where it won Best Foreign Film. For his portrayal, Labajo was nominated for a Gawad Urian Award for Best Supporting Actor. That year, under Island Records, he recorded three songs with his band for an extended play titled Drop 1. It featured tracks which NME described as "mellow, acoustic guitar-led sound, backed by stirring keys, bass and drum performances".

2023–present: Continued success
Aside from his music endeavours, Labajo starred as the politician Ninoy Aquino in the musical biopic Ako si Ninoy (2023). An adaptation of Vincent Tañada's 2009 musical, it focuses on several fictional individuals whose lives drew parallels to the principles and morals of the titular character. Labajo found it challenging to play a polarizing political figure and feared partisan attacks directed towards him. He has said, "We're not going to change political views on things. We’re merely using Ninoy Aquino as a basis of what a hero is". Writing for News.ABS-CBN.com, Hawson dismissed the film for its clichéd storytelling and overly dramatic scenes, but credited Labajo's vocal performance. His next release, the coming-of-age drama When This Is All Over, was screened at the 2023 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. The film saw him play a dealer who samples recreational drugs before distributing them to his wealthy clients. Jocelyn Dimaculangan of the Philippine Entertainment Portal praised his nuanced and visceral portrayal, and Hawson was impressed with how he effectively conveyed a multi-faceted character. Labajo also featured in the television series Senior High (2023), a mystery drama about twin sisters Sky and Luna (played by Andrea Brillantes); the latter of whom dies of murder. In the show, he played Gino Acosta, the troubled son of a powerful governor responsible for Luna's death.

Lababjo's romantic relationship with model Maureen Wroblewitz influenced the band's second studio album, Sad Songs and Bullshit Part 1. Released in September 2023, the album is a collection of songs that altogether form a linear narrative about a protagonist expressing desolation after a failed relationship and the ensuing anguish experienced. It received generally positive reviews, with the writer Kate Sarmiento terming it an "eargasmic... heartbreak soundtrack", and the Philippine Daily Inquirer's Carl Martin Agustin deeming the album a showcase of "raw emotion transposed", praising Labajo's personal lyricism and songwriting depicting vulnerability and intimacy. Publications such as Billboard Philippines, Esquire Philippines, and SunStar have included Sad Songs and Bullshit Part 1 in their listings of the best albums of the year. The lead single, "Ere", reached number one on the Billboard Philippine Songs chart, also entering the Billboard Global 200 Excl. US and the Hot 40 Singles in New Zealand.

The sequel series High Street, which premiered in May 2024, featured Labajo reprising the role of Gino from Senior High. Sad Songs and Bullshit Part 2, the second half of the two-piece project he ideated in the previous year, was released on June 21, 2024. He regarded the record as the antithetical of the first installment, describing it as the natural progression of "acceptance and moving on". Three tracks—"Limang Taon", "Tanga Mo Juan", and "Bukas"—and their music videos were released digitally.

Influences
Labajo was introduced to music early in his childhood. In a 2016 interview, he credits singing karaoke at age five to have inspired his musical interest and passion. He grew up listening to a variety of music genres, including pop, blues, and electronic dance music. As a songwriter, he has been influenced by Ed Sheeran and admires his musicianship and lyricism. He also considers Eminem and Sam Smith as musical idols. Labajo's inspiration varies from R&B singer John Legend, folk and blues artist Bob Dylan, and rock musicians such as Damien Rice and the Beatles, highlighting them as artists he frequently listens to. He attributes Dylan as a performer and songwriter he has studied a lot during the process of writing the single "Buwan", of which it's blues stylings was influenced by.

Musical style and themes
Labajo is a singer-songwriter and producer. His music has been described as Pinoy rock, folk rock, alternative rock, metal, and blues.