The speakeasy bar inside White Rabbit Building in Poblacion is dimly lit when Zack Tabudlo walks in, taking his spot in the VIP area. At 23, he’s already lived multiple lives in music — three full-length albums deep, fresh off joining Mercury Records’ stacked roster, and now headlining Levi’s and 88Rising’s Road to FAM showcase. The singer-songwriter should be riding high, but there’s a restlessness in how he carries himself, like someone who knows the work never really stops.
“I think it’s really important that we show kind of like this diversity when it comes to the music at any event,” Tabudlo tells Rolling Stone Philippines. His words come out direct and unfiltered, much like his music, whether it’s the aching vulnerability of his ballads or the sweat-drenched energy of his live shows. Rain or shine, in massive arenas or small provincial venues, Tabudlo performs like each show might be his last.
The road to this moment hasn’t been simple. He remembers 2022 clearly, that fragile period when live music was tentatively returning after the pandemic. His first solo headlining show in Alabang, where it was a free homecoming gig for friends and family, still stands out. “Alabang was always like home to me in a way,” he says. “A lot of experiences when it comes to friendship and just relationships and my family as well kind of revolved around the south. Performing for the first time in [Alabang Town Center] and having all the songs sung by one of my friends whom I grew up with. My whole line of family was there as well to support. So it was just nice to see how the roots supported my music when I went home.”
From those humble beginnings, Tabudlo’s world expanded rapidly. Tours across North America and Southeast Asia followed, his music finding unexpected audiences far beyond the Philippines. “Ever since I released my first album, everyone’s just showing their love ever since with everything that I’ve been creating,” he observes. “It’s really nice how there’s sort of like this empowerment that’s going on with like this Asian movement. It started around K-pop and everything, and now it’s like it just shows how much people support Asian music now.”
Then came the quiet period. After establishing himself as a prolific artist who seemed to constantly have new music on the horizon, Tabudlo stepped back. Social media went silent. Spotify ads disappeared. Fans wondered where he’d gone. The answer arrived without warning one evening with “Diving,” a track that felt both familiar and entirely new.
Released under Mercury Music, making Tabudlo one of the few Filipino artists on their roster, the song represented a careful balancing act. “When we launched ‘Diving’ with Mercury, it was always sort of like a debate with my team and like my U.S. team on which one to release first when it comes up,” he explains. “And so it’s really important to kind of navigate towards something that would balance the scene outside of the Philippines and at the same time locally. And we just felt like ‘Diving’ was in the right moment to be released.”
The track’s reception proved the gamble correct. More than just another single, it was a statement; That incident alone proves that Tabudlo could evolve without losing what made him special in the first place.
The magic of collaboration
His creative curiosity extends far beyond his own music. Ask him about the current P-Pop wave, and he’ll eagerly discuss his encounter with rising girl group KAIA. “That was also the time I told them that I wanted to make a song for [KAIA],” he says, grinning at the memory of their meeting at a Cagayan De Oro concert. “I just found it very fascinating how they’re kind of capturing their sound sonically and how they’re being marketed right now as a girl group that has this very street Y2K style [whereas] I’m a big fan of NewJeans, myself. And seeing how P-Pop kind of evolves into that spectrum of music. I’m just very stoked to do something with that.”
This collaborative spirit has guided him through three distinct albums: 2021’s EPISODES followed by 2023’s ZACK: For All and 3rd Time’s A Charm. “There’s definitely a lot of pressure along the years of me making music, especially going forward with things in my second album, where it was very experimental for me,” he says. “I’ve done a lot of crazy shit with that album, like changing the way I built myself, my outfits, the songs I’ve written. I had to go through [the] very sketchy shit I had to go through to release that shit [and] to get to the artist I am today. That was still a very important part of my life.”
When the conversation turns to what’s next, he doesn’t offer grand pronouncements or carefully crafted soundbites. He just smiles. “It’s just I’m really enjoying everything,” he says. The music will speak for itself.
As the night wears on at Cheshire, the energy in the room shifts. The Road to FAM showcase looms, and Tabudlo’s demeanor changes subtly, where the thoughtful interviewee gives way to the performer ready to take the stage. He’s weathered the pitfalls of fame, the exhaustion of constant touring, and the scrutiny that comes with success. Yet here he remains, not as a polished industry product, but still, deep inside, the same kid who used to cover Justin Bieber songs with his dad’s old acoustic guitar, treating every song like it matters.
