At Eurovision Asia, Carmelle steps onto her biggest stage yet

• Carmelle Collado delivered a captivating performance of her song 'Sobra-sobra' during the Philippines' selection night for Eurovision Asia, showcasing her vocal talent and stage presence.
• Her journey as a performer began at a young age, leading to notable achievements including winning seven gold medals at the World Championships of Performing Arts and competing on shows like The Voice Kids.
• Carmelle aims to represent the Philippines on an international stage, hoping to be recognized for her talent and to pave the way for other Filipino artists in the global music scene.

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If you had tuned in to the Philippines’ selection night for Eurovision Asia, Carmelle Collado’s performance should have caught your eye from the get-go. 

The moment the lights came on, the young singer had sprung into action — readily wielding her vocals alongside the kulintang and the kubing that had echoed throughout the entire theater. She had hit all the high notes even as she danced across the large stage, and had switched things up toward the end by spitting bars, all while keeping her composure steady as ever. 

Her track of the night was “Sobra-sobra,” composed by Mat Olavides and Nica del Rosario, and it was a fitting anthem about refusing to box yourself into external expectations just because you appear to be “too much.” 

It was a performance that was distinctly Filipino, yet fit for a global platform like Eurovision Asia. For ABS-CBN Music creatives, content and operations head Jonathan Manalo, then, it had been a no-brainer for Carmelle to be chosen to raise the Philippine flag in the upcoming singing competition. 

“We also felt that she has the potential to represent the Philippines beyond the competition itself. She has the discipline and openness to grow, and she understands that representing the country is not just about delivering a performance. It is also about carrying the Filipino identity and musicality onto an international stage,” Manalo told Rappler. 

Carmelle’s star power, however, had shone through even before Eurovision Asia came into the picture. 

Born to be a performer

Carmelle was barely three years old when she learned to sing a full song on her own. The people around her, though, would often tell her that she could already hold a note at just two. Before long, she would go on to dominate the intermission numbers they would have at school assemblies, and would establish a command of the mic that just felt natural. 

“Nakuha ko ‘yung pagkanta ko sa mother’s side ko,” she beamed as she shared the story she’s likely told a thousand times before. “‘Yung lola ko, nagko-compete siya before kasi taga-Bicol kami. Sa Iriga ‘yung school niya, and then nakakalaban niya si Miss Nora Aunor doon.” 

(I got my singing chops from my mother’s side. My grandmother used to enter singing competitions because we’re from Bicol. Her school was in Iriga, and she would go head to head with Nora Aunor.) 

It wouldn’t take long for the Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0 alum to set her sights on platforms outside her hometown. In 2019, she made headlines as the young Bicolana who had impressively earned seven gold medals at the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in California. 

Things would only get better for the fast-rising star from there. In the same year, she joined The Voice Kids under Coach Bamboo’s team and eventually notched a first runner-up finish. Tawag ng Tanghalan: School Showdown would later become her playground in 2025, and would see her emerge as the show’s grand champion. 

“Carmelle has always had a very strong musical instinct. She listens, she learns, and she knows how to make a song her own. But I think what really sets her apart is her hunger to keep improving,” Manalo said. 

“She has been exposed to competition from a young age, but she never became defined by the competition. She has continued to develop her own identity as an artist. That ability to grow without losing who she is has allowed her to keep moving forward.” 

And when it finally came time for her to explore her shot at making history as the Philippines’ first-ever representative to Eurovision Asia, she stayed true to that. 

Every time Carmelle enters a competition, she dives into it with the goal of putting on a good show. Winning is merely a bonus. That’s the mindset she has operated on for as long as she could remember, and ironically, it’s exactly what gets her to the top of the podium. 

“Kasi kapag inisip mo na competition, makikita mo na sobrang kinakabahan ka. But then ako, sa buong journey ko ng Eurovision, actually, puro nga ako laro eh, hanggang sa nagseryoso. Siguro nagseryoso na lang ako noong time na magpa-perform na ako, parang in-game na ako. Tapos after nung pagtapak ko ng stage, wala na, naglaro na naman si bakla,” she quipped. 

(When you think of it as a competition, your anxiety will show. But for me, throughout my whole Eurovision journey, I just remained carefree until I had to get serious. I think I only started to take things seriously when I was about to perform on stage, like I was in-game. After I stepped off the stage, I went back to playing.) 

Proud Filipina

Whether or not she’s on the competition floor, Carmelle’s friends and supporters all know that she moves through life with big smiles and joyous laughter. It’s highly unlikely that the 19-year-old would go a day without cracking a joke or two. As a seasoned performer, she argues that it’s her way of getting rid of the nerves that would otherwise consume her. 

Carefree as she is, Carmelle is no stranger to self-doubt. When she had first heard the demo for “Sobra-sobra” and learned that it was composed by hitmakers Olavides and Del Rosario, she had questioned whether she could do justice to their song. 

But it was also through Olavides and Del Rosario themselves that she learned to overcome these thoughts. The two producers would often reassure the young singer that it was normal to make mistakes along the way, and that all she had to do was enjoy the process. 

Still, as the second-to-the-last performer on the Eurovision Philippines selection night, silent nerves had washed over Carmelle as she watched her competitors take the stage one by one. But when it was finally her turn to sing “Sobra-sobra,” all she remembered in the moments leading up to her big number was surrendering it all to God. 

“Backstage pa lang, before magstart, kinakabahan talaga ako. Hindi mo na ako makausap (Backstage, before it started, I was already super nervous. Nobody could speak to me),” she admitted. 

But Carmelle has a way of completely transforming herself once the music begins to play. She is fierce, and becomes laser-focused on delivering the best performance she can. This is something audiences had witnessed at the Eurovision Philippines selection night. 

“Once na tumapak na ako sa stage or nakita na ako ng maraming tao, kinakalimutan ko na ‘yung side ni Carmelle na kalog. Like, performance level na ‘to. Pop star duty na ‘yung aatakihin natin ngayon. Pero after ng performance, kalog-kalog na naman tayo,” she shared. 

(Once I step on stage or I see that many people are watching me, I forget the silly side of myself. Like, this is performance-level already. I have to get into my pop star duty. But after the performance, I go back to being quirky.) 

After Carmelle had sung the first line of “Sobra-sobra,” she had completely forgotten that it was a competition in the first place. One of her biggest strengths, she told Rappler, is her ability to forget about all the emotions that were previously weighing her down once she faces the crowd. 

“Nawawala yung kaba. More on nag-enjoy na lang ako. Hindi ko na naiisip na competition siya. Like, ‘Okay, nag-perform ako.’ Kailangan ang goal lang is makapag-perform ako nang maayos at saka i-prove sa kanila na magaling ako, magaling kaming lahat,” she explained. 

(The nervousness goes away. I just enjoy it. I don’t think about it as a competition. Like, ‘Okay, I performed.’ My goal is just to perform properly and prove to everyone that I’m good, that we’re all good.) 

With Eurovision Asia just a few months away, there’s only one thing Carmelle wants people to remember about her when they watch her in Bangkok: that she is good at what she does. 

“‘Yung audience din kasi ng Eurovision, pangmalawakan na siya. So, gusto ko na makilala ako as someone na galing ng Pilipinas na magaling. Kahit papano, siguro mag-open din ‘yun ng door na mas makilala ‘yung ibang artist din na magagaling dito sa Pilipinas,” she said. 

(The audience of Eurovision is huge. So, I want people to know me as someone from the Philippines who is talented. In one way or another, I also hope it opens doors for even more talented Filipino artists to be recognized, too.) – Rappler.com

Eurovision Asia 2026 is set to take place on November 14 in Bangkok, Thailand.