SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
JAMES REID
It has been four years since MEGA last crossed paths with James Reid. Back then, he was one half of the most prominent love team of the time, with several projects lined up and a fast-rising career desired by many. Now, at the colorful and festive country of Brazil, James joins us in an exclusive tell-all of his recent and future travails—his career in music, his relationship with Nadine Lustre, and his much-awaited plans for the future, the artist ingénue speaks up, sharing his truth with no reservations.
James starts, “A lot has happened since Greece. Probably the biggest change was me leaving Viva and being 100% hands-on with Careless. That’s definitely been the biggest change. It’s been crazy. I’ll tell you that it’s very difficult. But it’s been a really good learning experience for me. I’m kind of taking things to my own hand—besides taking care of myself and my own career.” An iconic superstar of his generation, James has lived much of his life under the watchful eye of the public—and with it, the burdens of its praise and scrutiny. A successful career spanning nearly a decade is something that most artists can only dream of, and James has nothing but gratitude for the life that he has been blessed with. Yet like most young artists who have spent a huge majority of their career on a well-drawn blueprint, the desire to break away from the mold can prove too tempting. And James took his leap of faith.
“I felt that I had some things that I wanted to do. And my ideas were different from Viva’s (his former management agency). So I decided it was best that I take control of my career. We’re still on good terms. But I don’t know, I had a different vision of where I would be in my career and a lot of it was to do with music. I really wanted to push it further and I wanted to see how far I can take this,” James tells us. The decision was a bold and unexpected move that astonished both fans and critics. With his departure from Viva, the agency handed him his music label—then known as Careless Music Manila—and with it, the management duties. Now the chairman of the recently independent label, he takes on a gargantuan task—one that he is more than willing to
