James Reid

James Reid is no stranger to the public spotlight, but the Filipino Australian is now tapping into a new era of his artistic career, stronger than ever before. Despite being the renowned artist, actor, and fashion icon he is in the public space, Reid's story is more than just his public image. His story feels incomplete without sharing the meaning behind his work and how he got to where he is today.

His early experiences living in the buzzing streets of Sydney and Manila shaped his worldview and laid the foundation for his current journey of self-discovery and artistic growth. While he has long been in the public eye as an actor, having gained recognition for works like the Philippine television drama series On the Wings of Love, it is music that has allowed Reid to truly discover himself.

His single, “Sandal,” dropped on August 30th, taking listeners back to his musical roots while keeping true to his current style. “I originally started my singing career with Tagalog music, and that’s what I was also mostly known for besides acting. With ‘Sandal,’ I wanted to create something truly authentic to me by fusing my past and present sounds, OPM [Original Pinoy Music] with modern sensibilities.”

Before “Sandal,” Reid made powerful use of introspection into the truth of emotional connections through his single “Hurt Me Too,” which was released in May. “The song is about relationships—friendships that have ended and passed and have moved on,” he reflects. The song brims with metaphors, with lines like "Used to be like diamonds and gold / And now we're like fire and smoke" that illustrate the potential for change in relationships. He explains, “The visual I was seeing was how well diamonds and gold go well together, but then [with] fire, I imagine a candle. When you blow it out, [it] becomes smoke like they don't really exist together. One comes after the other. When one ends, the other one begins.”

With “Hurt Me Too,” Reid shows a different side of himself as he explores his emotions and identity. It embodies a more solemn tone, reflecting the versatility of heartache and the dynamic healing process after it. “I think that [formative] moment was after I overcame depression,” he reflects, pausing before he continues. “My songwriting changed because I realized there's a place for all your emotions. There's a reason for everything that you're feeling and everything that you're going through, and I think that perspective helps to not only deal with your emotions but [also] helps you make sense of it. That's what I do when I write. I like to make sense of what I'm going through, my past, my memories, and my stories, and it became a really powerful tool.”

Reflection truly is a powerful tool and Reid’s use of it is the key to his art. “When you know a lot of musicians, you see their personality and [that] the music they create is a reflection of who they are,” he shares. “It's like your inner sound. Inside me, there's a little bit of funk. Very beachy. Laid back. It's a combination of where I'm from and who I am. When you hear music that people create, you feel like you can really hear their soul.”

While Reid is deeply in tune with his inner self, he feels no urgency for his sound to revolutionize the music industry; rather, he seeks to first work within the fluid sequences of his own style. “To be honest, I don't think my music is changing the world,” Reid confesses. “That's not why I created it. I make music to really understand myself, and it helps me be a better person. I don't think any one person is going to change the world, but starting with yourself is a pretty good place to start.”

While music is often believed to be derived from direct intention, Reid’s heart is at the helm of every lyric, every tune, and every beat. He describes a surrender to the emotions and memories that surface during songwriting, and the organic piece that follows is true to the authentic process he strives for. “As I get new experiences, the songs change, and my songwriting style changes to the point where I feel like I'm not even in control of what I'm going to write about,” he says. “I hear a song or I start with guitar chords. Whatever it is I start with, it triggers an emotion. It triggers a memory. It triggers a place. And then it kind of starts painting itself. Sometimes it feels like I'm not in control. It's whatever experiences want to come out.”

Reid has often been labeled as “careless” by both himself and his critics. As he admits, “In my career, I was known to be a little bit of a rebel. I wasn't exactly fitting in with the standard of what it meant to be an artista [star] in the Philippines. A lot of people used to comment like, ‘he's so careless.’ Blah, blah, careless this, careless that.”

Rather than distancing himself from the comment, Reid embraced it, becoming the president and founder of the record label company Careless Philippines. “Careless, I feel, has always been trying to push the envelope a little bit,” he explains. “Careless is always taking risks and always moving forward. So more music, more fun, more love.”

In addition to his acting and music career, Reid has made a name for himself as a fashion icon. He is active on the fashion week stage with his appearance at Sabato De Sarno’s Spring/Summer 2025 men’s fashion show at Triennale Milano. He describes his personal style as refined and eclectic. “I see myself as an old soul, so I really love retro-inspired looks and vintage pieces,” he reveals. “I also grew up on the beach, so I'm very laid back. Bohemian but also very classic. It's something that's constantly changing as time goes on.”

Reid dresses as he sings—with a unique blend of authenticity and spontaneity to his inner persona. Both are timeless and, in fashion’s case, speak to a meaning beyond the threads. “I think what's cool about clothes and dressing up and fashion is that sometimes they can describe you better than you can with words,” he fondly shares. “When I'm wearing a certain outfit [or] when I'm dressed up a certain way, it describes me in a way that I don't think I can put into words.”

Words are more than letters on a page or lyrics in a song, and James Reid is more than just a fashion icon, musician, and CEO. He is a storyteller, constantly navigating the complexities of his identity, emotions, and lived experience. He is at peace with this search, knowing that the process itself is just as valuable as the actual reward. In a world of confines, Reid breaks new ground with both his label and his music, showing that carelessness and labels are not words of rejection; rather, they are experiences of opportunity—those that Reid has wholeheartedly seized and shared with himself and the greater Asian community.