Jake Zyrus Opens Up About Adjusting to His Deeper Voice Post-Transition

While he has stepped back from Philippine show business, Jake Zyrus continues to pursue his career overseas. The Filipino singer, who began his gender affirmation procedures in 2017, has been making music from Los Angeles. In the lead-up to his newest slate of songs, Jake addressed his fans and spoke candidly about adjusting to the new quality of his voice.

Through a vlog, Jake answered a series of questions about his artistic process and how his transition has been going. "I'm gonna be honest with you guys, it took me years to finally get that confidence and motivation to release this EP," he shared, explaining why he chose to release six songs first. One of the tracks is notably a reedition of "Pyramid," a song he admits "changed [his] life" when it was released in 2010.

Along the way, Jake realized that the physical changes his body was going through were also contributing to how he approached his craft. "In the beginning, it felt like I went through puberty all over again as a trans man," he says.

"Na-feel ko na 'yung technique na ginagamit ko kinda felt the same, but again maybe my voice kinda stabilized now throughout the years," the singer adds. For most transgender men, undergoing hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) entails taking testosterone, which thickens and lengthens the vocal cords, resulting in a deeper voice.

Despite the changes he has experienced, Jake has gained greater autonomy over his work. "I was able to take control. I was able to actually do everything myself," he declares. Compared to a decade ago, he now enjoys more freedom as a songwriter and, broadly, as a creative.

"Kakaiba lang 'yung feeling if ikaw 'yung may hawak ng lahat kasi parang... you have freedom to do whatever you want... doon ko na-realize na 'yun pala 'yung kulang. I needed to be in control because I know what I want."

With his new EP on the way, he emphasizes that he hasn't disregarded where his career began. Rather, it has empowered him to continue expressing his most authentic self through music. "Whether pre-transition or now [during] transition, everything felt the same to me technique-wise. It was quite a journey. I hope you guys will like it," he says to his listeners.

Jake is set to release his upcoming EP titled Roots on November 21.