Greyson Chance Proves That He’s Back—Bolder and Better

Greyson Chance Proves That He’s Back—Bolder and Better

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Greyson Chance’s Manila Tour showed us the true essence of self-love.

It was back in 2011 when Greyson Chance first performed here in Manila. Several people went to his show and witness the child star to showcase his raw talent on singing and playing the piano. But while he rose to fame because of his Paparazzi cover of Lady Gaga that time, this 2019, we may as well assume that he has seriously come a long way in his music journey.

Now that he’s back after his hiatus, Greyson has no-holds-barred on expressing his true self. Compared to his previous album where everything is arranged for him, this time, he’s the one composing his music. He is now letting people have a glimpse of his real-life through his music—whether it’s his relationships, taking a leap of faith, or youth in general.

The Rebirth

What made him come back to music? Greyson shared to MEGA Man that the album per se was the sole reason why he came back to music. “I felt when I had originally left, I was just creatively exhausted and unhappy with what was going on with my career,” he explained.

Then when he started attending university, he said that all the pressure was taken away. So as he removed all the factors affecting his music, he just focused on himself. “Once I was just able to sit back on my piano again, I kinda had an intimate moment—with me and [my] music,” he said.

“[The] album just came out really naturally. It started raining and then I felt such joy within my work again. I knew when I started writing this way, I have to write a record. I have to do this,” Greyson added.

So lo and behold, when he went back to Manila to promote his latest album Portraits, everyone in the audience felt so much depth and maturity in his music. With his music’s authenticity, boldness, intensity, perhaps it’s safe to assume that his new album is his rebirth.

After all, when he opened his show with his song seasons 19, you’ll notice his coming-of-age. You’ll get an honest look into how he has already grown—emotionally and mentally—through the years. As his pre-chorus says, he’s “not looking back to rewrite [my] fucking past.” Then in the second verse, he says when “season ends, another begins.” And honestly, that gave us an honest depiction of how life is. People and mistakes come and g0—and with that, we grow.

Your Safe Space

Greyson Chance was only 16 years old when he first came out to his family. But it took three more years before he came out to the public via an Instagram post. And he made that decision all for his fan from Arkansas.

In his interview at the Ellen Show, Greyson shared that he resonated immediately with his fan who messaged him. And he just wanted to help him find the courage and confidence to do it. So right before he boarded the plane, he wrote a message and posted it on his Instagram.

In Manila, he also showed us how proud he was to be gay. While he was performing on stage, he suddenly stopped playing and went directly to his fans who were holding up a huge pride flag. After which, he raised it up high, making the crowd go wild. According to Greyson, apart from being on stage and performing, “what I want to do with my platform and on being a musician is I want to create a safe space at my show.”

That’s why every concert of Greyson actually serves as a means of escapism. “I really do feel like a servant to our fans and some people in general… where they can come in the venue and they can feel a sense of nostalgia, a sense of euphoria, a sense of ecstasy. Where they can get away from their lives for a second,” he explained.

In our interview with Greyson, the young star also shed light on the pressures facing LGBTQI+. “There’s such a pressure on LGBTQ+ right now across the world. And it’s like we’ve given everybody this series of steps like how you need to do it. You need to like this show, this Gaga record or wear these clothes. You have to have these all sort of things,” he said.

“[But] the truth of the matter is that every person’s story is individualistic and unique to them. So it’s not always about the culture. It’s always what you have to do for yourself,” he expounded. “So I tell the fans all the time, you know it’s okay to be inspired and be influenced by other people. But don’t let it dominate your life.”

In the long run, Greyson’s last message to everyone is that we are strong. “We’re built to be strong. We’re built to endure a lot of things,” he added. “So I just like to remind my fans this (which I also like to remind myself all the time): you just need to be confident and be bold in your life, and lean on people that love you.”

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