"Sometimes it feels like your passion doesn’t like you back,” mused Alexa Ilacad as she reflected on her journey on “Your Face Sounds Familiar.”
Fresh from back-to-back wins in the competition as Thalía and Rufa Mae Quinto, the momentum comes like a rush of confidence—and it is—but it also brings pressure that stems from the expectations she places on herself. Alexa clarified that her competitive side isn’t directed at others. She doesn’t feel the need to win against her co-celebrity performers at all, and instead keeps her attention on outdoing herself each week. “Honestly, hindi ako competitive towards other people,” she said. “I just have this need to surpass my last performance.”
Alexa knows the pressure is part of a competition format like “YFSF,” especially as someone who doesn’t settle for half-baked performances. As much as possible, she wants every act to be polished, or even close to perfect.
But at the end of the day, the Gen Z star goes back to a simpler metric—did she give her best, and did she enjoy the process? “Hindi ko nga alam kung ilan na ’yung score ko,” she laughed, telling us she's more invested in the fulfillment than whatever the numbers say.
"Feeling ko medyo saling-kitkit ako when I entered, eh. Kasi I don't have a singing title. I've never joined any singing competition, no formal training. I've never even done anything like this," she admitted. "I feel like wala pa naman ako talagang napapatunayan in terms of being a total performer. The people I'm up against are crazy. We have Jason Dy, singing champion. We have JMielle [JM Dela Cerna and Marielle Montellano], singing champions also."
"Ano ba naman ako? Coming into this show, wala akong training." She added, "Kaya nga bago 'to nag-umpisa, there were comments saying I didn't deserve my moniker. And nag-agree ako... There were moments talaga, especially in the beginning na ang hirap. Hindi siya talaga madaling show. It takes a lot from you... your energy, your time, your brain cells. Ang dami niyang kinukuha sa'yo. Umabot na rin sa point na I was already doubting my position."
"Pero, sabi ko, laban."
She walked into “YFSF” blindly, just thrilled by the challenge and seeing the concept as a fun Halloween-like weekly party where she gets to dress up as different music icons. "Pumasok lang ako dito na zero expectations. Basta darating ako, I'm gonna do my job and I'm gonna try to do it well."
And as she transformed into icons each week, she was also transforming into a more confident version of herself.
From doubting if she even deserved to be called a “Gen Z Total Performer,” Alexa began to see herself as a capable artist—exactly the way viewers now do—thanks to "YFSF."
"Hindi ko in-expect na [YFSF] would take me to places, that it would get me other projects and it would put me on a certain path na nakahanay na ako sa mga singers. Minsan naiisip ko, 'Lord, deserve ko ba 'to? Bakit ako nandito?' So, yeah, I feel like 'YFSF' has been such a wonderful surprise. It's been such an amazing platform for me."
"It's the best surprise," she pressed, still in disbelief at the wave of appreciation she's been receiving from 'KaFamiliars' and netizens. "Sobrang namo-motivate lang ako, eh. Nava-validate, I would say. Knowing that people appreciate what I do, it really makes all the hirap worth it."
When asked what she would tell Gen Zs still figuring out how to pursue their passion, Alexa knew she didn’t have a perfect answer because she’s still in that phase, too. “Sometimes kasi it feels like your passion doesn't like you back. And that can be a very hard feeling or situation to navigate,” she reflected. “Because most of the time I feel that way. But then I also always remind myself why I started in the first place. Tuwing umaga, parang binabalikan ko where the love started. Bakit ba ako nagpupursige? It's because I love what I'm doing so much.
Alexa is also fully aware that not everyone gets to hold on to their passion the same way she's able to. "I would say I'm blessed and privileged enough to pursue my passion. May iba kasi na kailangan muna isantabi ang passion at mag-focus muna sa reality."
She knows it's not always that simple. “But just keep going. Just keep pushing forward and try to believe in yourself. I say try because it's not the easiest thing to do. Sometimes ganu'n 'yung pinakamahirap na parte, 'yung getting yourself out of bed because you believe in yourself enough to do a certain thing. Pero if hindi mo ilalabas, if you're not gonna put yourself out there, walang mangyayari.”
"So just keep at it and keep pushing and surround yourself with people who believe in you, who will catch you when you fall and stay beside you no matter what."
Before ABS-CBN Studios wrapped up the interview, Alexa was asked for a tiny hint about her icon for the “Your Face Sounds Familiar” Grand Showdown (beginning April 5). She kept it short, but definitely intriguing. One word. “Hot.”