Empowerment anthems can so easily teeter toward platitudes, but not when you have the lyrical breadth that Alex Bruce does. In her new single “Gabriela,” the hip-hop artist lays claim to her own lane, calling out male arrogance and critics without much game to their name. And while she’s at it, she bounces from the metaphorical to the direct, from street taunts to pop culture callbacks.
In one bar, Bruce warns the all-talk scrubs, “Kung puruhan kita nang makita mo,” then later evokes Beyoncé: “Ladies, you know who run the world, we do.”
She plays with double meanings in different ways, too—sometimes through a cheeky innuendo like, “Talking too loud, eh di ka naman equipped / Boy, why you still talkin’ when I got the bigger?” or, my favorite, with an allusion: “Iba nang era ‘to, ibang Eba na kausap mo / Kakagatin ko ‘yung ahas kesa sa mansanas / Subukan mo lang ako.”
By now, it’s clear that the song title is no random choice. It takes its name from Gabriela Silang, the Filipina revolutionary whose “strength and courage to stand her ground,” which the rapper hoped to channel in her own way.
Here, the 19-year-old former child music prodigy talks to Lifestyle Inquirer about “Gabriela” and why she no longer feels the same pressure to prove herself.
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“Kakagatin ko ‘yung ahas kesa sa mansanas / Subukan mo lang ako” is also one of your favorite lines from the song. Why?
I think that’s one of my favorites because it’s a reference to Eve, but I kinda flipped the whole story. Instead of the apple, she’s choosing the snake. I just thought it was a cool way to play with that imagery.
You said the song is about “trusting yourself even if other people don’t.” Did that come naturally to you, or did you have to work on it?
I definitely had to work on it. I wasn’t always confident-confident, and I still have moments where I question myself. I think the difference now is that I don’t let those moments decide what I do. I have learned to really trust myself even when I’m not completely sure.
Your song is also featured on the soundtrack of “Bilyarista,” which made its world premiere at the International Film Festival of India last November. It follows a young woman in the male-dominated world of billiards. Did you see a connection between the film and “Gabriela”?
Yes! I think both are about women being sure of themselves in spaces where they aren’t always expected to be. That’s something I really connected with, and it’s honestly so, so surreal seeing my music become part of someone else’s story because I’m used to telling my own through my songs.
You started out when you were 12. What feels most different about Alex then and Alex now?
I think I know myself a lot better now. When I was younger, I was still discovering everything at the same time—my sound, my identity, even myself outside of music. I’m still figuring things out, obviously, but now I trust my own choices a lot more.
What did you feel you had to prove back then that you don’t anymore?
Probably that I was more than just a young girl who could rap. I felt like I had to prove that I was serious about it. Now I don’t feel like I have to explain myself as much. I can just do the work.
You pointed out that confidence is seen differently in men and women. Have you experienced that yourself, in hip-hop or in everyday life?
Yes. I think a confident man is usually seen simply as confident, while a confident woman can be called intimidating or “too much.” I have experienced that, but I have learned not to adjust myself just to make other people more comfortable. And I would rather be honest about who I am.
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How do you think things have changed for women in Filipino hip-hop since you started? Who do you look up to?
I think there’s definitely more space for women now. There have always been women in Pinoy hip-hop, but I think we’re seeing more of us get heard and really own our space.
I have always looked up to artists like Ate Ruby Ibarra because of how confidently she represents herself and where she comes from. And seeing more girls come into the scene now makes me really excited for where it’s going.
What are you hoping to explore next? Anything fans should look forward to?
For now, I just want to keep experimenting. I don’t want to feel like I have to stick to one sound or one version of myself. I have a lot of things I want to try, and I’m really excited for people to hear them.
