At the inaugural Filipino Music Awards on October 21, Filipina drag queen Maxie Andreison — or Maxie, for short — graced the evening with a performance of her two tracks, “Tado” and “Halika Na.” The winner of the third season of Drag Race Philippines stole the show, performing alongside 16 backup dancers that turned the mainstage into a kinetic, drag superstar spectacle.
The Filipina drag queen first stepped into the spotlight at age 13, performing as himself, Jayvhot Galang, in a ballad-belting performance on Wil Time Bigtime that quickly went viral. The gig landed her the titular role in Maxie the Musicale, and after years of performing onstage as her drag persona, Maxie finally got the mainstream recognition when she was crowned the Philippines’ Drag Superstar on Drag Race Philippines Season 3 in 2024.
Rolling Stone Philippines caught up with Maxie after her FMA performance to get her thoughts on how her career has changed ever since her Drag Race Philippines win, how Drag Race Philippines: Slaysian Royale is changing Philippine drag for good, and why Regine Velasquez is her biggest musical influence.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
How has life changed for you since you won Drag Race Philippines in 2023?
Ang daming nagbago sa buhay ko after winning Drag Race Philippines. I was just a singer back then. Alam nila, singer lang ako. Jayvhot Galang pa lang ako: 13 year old stunner pa lang ako from that noontime show. Noong nanalo ako ng Drag Race, mas nakilala nila ako bilang isang drag queen, mas marami pa pala akong kayang gawin.
Sobrang financially, physically, and mentally ang daming nagbago…. [pero] I think ayon naman ang importante sa career na ito: kailangan din kumita ka at the same time. Hindi lang pwede mahal-mahal mo ‘yong ginagawa mo.
At the same time, I’m so blessed na mahal ko ‘yong ginagawa ko, nakakatulong ko sa pamilya ko.
“Nangibabaw sa akin na magaling talaga ang mga Filipino diyan. Kailangan lang talaga namin ng magandang opportunity.”
Your viral ballad moment on Wil Time Bigtime kick-started your career at such a young age. Looking back, is there anything you would have changed about the start of your career?
Wala akong dapat baguhin, kasi kung hindi ko napagdaanan ‘yong mga [challenges], hindi ako matututo at hindi ako magbabago. Alam mo ‘yon: failure is our future. And kailangan mong i-experience ‘yon para sa development mo. Parang mas aware ka na, na kilala mo na ang sarili mo dahil sa mga experience. Llahat naman ‘yon, ‘yong mga pinagdaanan ko, ay nakatulong sa akin.
You once said that Regine Velasquez would be your dream collaborator. What about her resonates most with you, and what would a collaboration sound like?
Siyempre, siya ‘yong isang magandang representation of singers from the Philippines. Reyna siya ng mga bakla! And I’m from that [community], you know? So sobrang ganda siguro noong magagawa ng aming music — ang kabaklaan ko at ang reyna ng kabaklaan!
Is she your biggest influence?
Vocally, yes. At ‘yong professionalism niya… idol ko ‘yon sa kanya. Siya ‘yong pinakamalaking bituin sa universe, tapos siya ang pinakahumble. So ‘yan, minamahal ko sa kanya.
“Alam mo ‘yon: failure is our future. And kailangan mong i-experience ‘yon para sa development mo.”
[Pero] ang daming nakainfluence sa akin ng music, eh.My father is a music lover. So every time na may day off siya, nakikinig siya o nanonood siya ng concerts.
Madami akong inspirations: Beyonce, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, sila talaga ‘yong naka-influence sa akin.
What are your thoughts on Slaysian Royale and how it’s impacting the Filipino drag scene?
I’m so gobsmacked — gobsmacked???
Every year talaga siyang nag-e-evolve, noh? At kita mo talaga na kayang-kaya ng mga Filipino ang mga international [drag queens]. Kayang-kaya ng mga sisters na magpakita rin ng gilas sa international stage, na… marami sa kanila, mahusay talaga. Nangibabaw sa akin na magaling talaga ang mga Filipino diyan. Kailangan lang talaga [natin] ng magandang opportunity.
And now, with what [Slaysian Royale] did… feeling ko nakatulong din naman ‘yon para sa mga international fans na makita kung gaano talaga kagaling ang Filipino.
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