MANILA — Her family name undoubtedly spells showbiz royalty. However, while the other Barrettos who joined showbiz earlier made their respective mark in acting, young singer-songwriter Claudia Barretto opted to shine in the music spotlight.

With Taylor Swift as her strongest inspiration, Barretto loved songwriting ever since she was a kid. The former, as everyone knows, is a Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter.

“People always wondered if it was a deliberate choice to kind of veer away from the acting,” Barretto told ABS-CBN News. “Growing up, it was just so natural. It just felt like music was the only thing I wanted to truly pursue.”

Barretto insisted she was really drawn to music and singing. “Not to set myself apart. Growing up, I was always drawn to singing. It just came so naturally. It has always been my passion. It was just natural that I just gravitated to music.”

She also dreams to do musical collaborations with local artists. “Honestly, I think we have some of the most talented music artists in the Philippines,” Barretto maintained. “Everyone sings. Everyone is musical.

“I’m open to collaborating with everyone whoever wants to collaborate with me. At the same time, I’m also exploring different kinds of music right now. It’s a fair balance between music on my own and collaboration with other musicians.”

Coming from a family of esteemed showbiz personalities, Barretto first entered showbiz as a pop and R&B artist in 2017, when she released her debut single, “Stay,” written by Moira de la Torre.

Barretto subsequently came out with other earlier singles like “You,’ “Finally Found It” and “Sinking,” which she herself wrote. Then, in 2018, she released a self-titled EP (extended play) and another one in 2020.

She represented the Philippines in the Thai film “Friend Zone” and sang in Filipino for its music video, where she was joined by other young musicians from all over Asia including China, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand.

“My entrance into the industry is not very traditional,” Barretto admitted. “I have family members before me, but we have different passions. I just use it as a motivation to do good. I try to emulate the hard work that they put in, so I will also deserve the attention.”

Recently, Barretto started her new journey as a solo artist. She joined Viva Records’ stellar roster of talents. “I just kept on thinking that in light of this new partnership with Viva, I will really be able to produce the work that I want to achieve,” Barretto asserted.

“I’ll just be more mobile. I’ll be able to do more of what I love and do more as a new artist. Viva and I are very compatible. I’m very hopeful and excited to work with Viva more closely.”

With her new partnership with Viva, Barretto feels she’s opening doors to different kinds of opportunities. “I never say never,” she declared. “Of course my passion still lies in music. I want more of what I do to have something to do with music.

“What’s most different right now is that, I’m really just want to work hard to improve my performances, my music, the way I express myself. It’s all about improvement for me and I think Viva is a very good fit. I’m just so excited.”

The young talent will also welcome film opportunities and is open to delve into acting. “Wherever life takes me,” Barretto said. “If the opportunity comes and I’m prepared to act, maybe I’ll give it a shot. If not, I’m okay to doing whatever it is that I feel called to do.”

Even in her future acting endeavors, Barretto is not closing her doors. She still wants the type of projects that are closely associated with her music.

“When I think about acting opportunities, usually what comes to mind is hopefully in a music video I can do a short film that’s based around the story of the songs that I write. Right now, that’s where my head is at.

“Of course, I’m open to different ideas and trying out new things, especially now that I feel like I’m more prepared to take on more responsibilities when it comes to my career. My dream is be able to act in some of my music videos to make it more wholistic.”

Barretto simply trusts the people around her. “I trust Viva and I trust their guidance,” she granted. “Whatever they think will help me and will be good for me, it will be wise to follow who know more than I do,” she granted.

So young and accomplished, Barretto is apparently bracing herself for bigger things to happen this year in her singing career.