Actress and singer Maris Racal’s latest single, “Perpektong Tao,” is not quite like her other songs.
Music videos for songs like “Pumila Ka” and “Ate Sandali” see Racal sporting quirky pastel fits, soft polished makeup, and highly choreographed dance moves. In these earlier tracks, we see a more confident Racal singing about commanding attention and taking charge in a relationship. But “Perpektong Tao,” released on January 18, features a much darker and grungier side of the artist. In the video, which Racal directed and produced herself, the singer is bathed in dark lights, dressed in a messy all-black garb, and posed in perpetual anguish for the camera. Other key visuals of the music video include Racal angrily burning paper, hiding in poorly lit tunnels, and being tormented by a shouting, angry mob — an obvious allusion to the flak she got from the scandal she figured in last year involving co-star Anthony Jennings. (TL;DR: Jennings’ ex-girlfriend publicly shared screenshots of salacious texts between Racal and Jennings.)
After having spent the last of 2024 distancing herself from the issue, obviously, Racal is gunning for a revamp.
As if the title doesn’t make it clear enough, “Perpektong Tao” is a more-than-obvious response to the issue she was embroiled in. “Ang hirap maging / Ang hirap maging / Ang hirap maging perpektong tao,” Racal wails in the video. For Racal, this is an effort to reshape her public image, one that allows for human mistakes.
Is The Revamp Working?
Artists’ efforts to reinvent themselves after figuring in a scandal will inevitably spark division, and Racal’s attempt is no different. Just as her earlier screenshot drama triggered an X (formerly Twitter) frenzy, “Perpektong Tao” launched debates among online users about whether the music video is a fitting response to Racal’s mistakes.
“This is her apology and if you can’t forgive her, then don’t,” reads a tweet from one X user taking Racal’s side of the argument. People in support of Racal and “Perpektong Tao” argue that the music video serves as an apt apology. Even less adamant supporters note how the public’s reaction to Racal’s involvement was excessively harsh. “Nobody is indeed perfect, and I don’t believe anyone expects her to be,” reads one tweet.
However, many argue that the music video feels too on-the-nose, suggesting it borders on self-serving rather than genuinely reflective. “Apology pero naka-music video? She’s capitalizing her ‘mistake’ and turning it into some kind of career arc,” reads a tweet from a user more critical of Racal. “Pinagkakitaan un[sic] pagiging ahas,” reads another tweet.
Several of the main arguments from this side of the camp are centered around how Racal seems to be leveraging the scandal for personal and monetary gain, turning what should be a humbling experience into a marketing opportunity. By turning her apology into a commercial product, critics argue, Racal risks trivializing the seriousness of her actions, suggesting that her choice to revamp is more about image rehabilitation, and less about taking real accountability.
Artists and Their Rebrands
What Racal is trying to do here with “Perpektong Tao” is not new. Celebrities love a good revamp, often using personal missteps or scandals as a springboard for reinvention. Think Taylor Swift and how her chaotic, edgy-ish reputation album stemmed from #SnakeGate (in which Kanye West and Kim Kardashian called the singer a snake; Swifties got aggressive, and Taylor felt the need to get angsty on her next album). Think Ariana Grande’s recent transformation into a wholesome, real-life version of Glinda — a rebrand that coincided with the release of Wicked and the public revelation of her affair with current boyfriend (and actor in the Spongebob Squarepants musical), Ethan Slater.
Celebrity rebrands have long been a tool for navigating public controversy and shifting narratives. When a scandal hits, a carefully crafted reinvention can reshape the conversation, turning a tarnished image into something more palatable to audiences. What Racal is attempting to do with her music video is a familiar celebrity move. However, it may be too soon to say whether or not her revamp is working. With the internet still divided on the genuineness of “Perpektong Tao” — which, coincidentally, dropped less than a week after the release of Netflix’s Incognito, which stars both Racal and Jennings — Racal’s post-controversy narrative is still a work in progress.
Celebrities love a good revamp, often using personal missteps or scandals as a springboard for reinvention.
But should the onus to revamp herself fall solely on Racal? It’s important to remember that the scandal involved three parties, yet the narrative seems to be disproportionately focused on Racal. The pressure to reinvent and apologize is often placed on celebrities following scandals, but it’s worth questioning whether the public should bear some responsibility for how they receive these attempts at redemption. Ultimately, Racal’s revamp may not just depend on her sincerity, but on whether the public is willing to accept her evolution.
