On Cover: Janine Teñoso

Tagaytay City, Philippines — Janine Teñoso has always been known for her voice — soft, serene, and unafraid to cut through silence in the sweetest way possible. But beyond the stage, there is a quieter Janine, one who finds strength not in spectacle but in spaces of comfort. Stepping out of our usual studio for this month’s cover, we explore this more intimate version of the artist: cozy, reflective, and firmly in control of her own narrative.

Asked what makes a space feel safe for her as an artist, Janine’s answer is simple but revealing. “All the things that represent who I am,” she explains, pointing to her room filled with vinyl, instruments, and small mementos that keep her grounded.

Her relationship with music, however, runs deeper than comfort. Long before stepping under stage lights, she was already carrying responsibilities few children her age could imagine. “I started singing when I was six,” she recalls. “For a time, it was the only thing keeping us alive, providing food on the table.” Music was never just passion; it was survival — her safety net and, eventually, her greatest anchor.

That weight carried into her early years in the industry. At 17, still finding her footing, Janine often said yes out of obligation rather than conviction. “I didn’t really know who I was then,” she admits. “And I lost my willpower to say yes to the things that serve me and no to the things that don’t.” It took years, and the forced stillness of the pandemic, for her to reset. With the world on pause, she turned inward, leaning into songwriting not just as an outlet but as a compass for what she wants.

The music that followed — from her first EP crafted in isolation to Apat na Buwan, which marked her first year of independence at 23 — is arguably her most vulnerable yet. “Whatever I’m going to be singing live has to be truthful to me,” she explains. And her listeners have felt that truth. Messages continue to pour in from fans who find their own lives mirrored in her songs, heartbreaks navigated, growing pains endured, milestones reached.

For Janine, this resonance is never taken for granted. “It’s always a bonus,” she reflects. “These songs started as something deeply personal in my bedroom. To know they can heal someone else — that’s impact.”

Still, she draws a clear line between who she is off stage and who she becomes under the spotlight. In private, she is quiet, reserved, almost shy (still funny on both, as she says; we agree!). On stage, a switch flips, and the performer takes over — energized, engaging, magnetic. What unites these sides is her humor and humanity, keeping her artistry from ever feeling manufactured.

If she had to describe her journey in one phrase, it would be slow burn. Not a burst of instant stardom, but a steady, intentional unfolding. Since her teenage debut, she has embraced the privilege of patience; room to make mistakes, to discover, to refine. “There’s so much more to learn about myself,” she says. “And that’s exciting.”

Looking ahead, Janine isn’t concerned with charts or accolades. What she wants is simpler, yet lasting. “Ten years from now, I want to be remembered through my songs,” she says.

And that is where the real Janine Teñoso rests: not only in the power of her voice, but in the quieter moments of her life through her survival, growth, and truth. A slow burn, sure. But it’s steady, luminous, and she’s lighting her own path forward.

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Artist JANINE TENOSO Creative Director JAS RICO Cover story JAS RICO Photographer DWIGHT LUNA JOVELYN MATEO Videographer DWIGHT LUNA  Produced by THE NEW HUE Location RAFFI'S WAY

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