Insider Spotlight
The announcement coincided with Shure’s 100th anniversary celebration and its partnership launch with JB Music, where Nicole performed as the brand’s featured artist before formally taking on the ambassador role.
Why it matters
The partnership underscores a shift toward artists whose credibility is rooted in live performance and cross-border appeal.
Nicole’s career reflects that trajectory. Beyond local stages, she has performed internationally, including a residency at Café Carlyle in Hong Kong and a landmark appearance in Taipei as the first Filipino artist to perform at Smith and Wollensky. These stints highlight how Filipino talent continues to gain traction abroad.
The big picture
Shure and JB Music converge on a shared mission — equipping artists with reliable tools to elevate their sound.
For Nicole, a scion of the Laurel clan that has producers, singers and thespians, that reliability is essential to expression.
“Reliable gear is a big factor—it makes me breathe and sing easier,” she said.
She now performs with the Super 55, an upcoming release that builds on Shure’s heritage of iconic microphones.
Between the lines
The collaboration also reflects shifting audience tastes in the Philippines. Jazz, standards, and vintage-inspired performances are seeing renewed demand, particularly among younger listeners drawn to intimate venues and speakeasy culture.
Nicole has been at the forefront of that movement, navigating a genre shift that once drew skepticism but now defines her artistic identity.
“Both the local and global music scene is embracing a resurgence of the classics and jazz influences in modern music, Here in Manila, there have been so many “jazz nights” and speakeasies popping up across the metro, younger crowds stumble in ordering martinis and classic cocktails singing along to standards in dimly lit bars— like the olden golden days, It is an unexpected renaissance of the jazz age influence right about a century later with the quirks and complexities of modern day Filipino style— the perfect blend of old meets new.”
The bottom line
Nicole’s appointment signals how Filipino artists are blending heritage, reinvention, and global reach — with brands like Shure and JB Music amplifying those stories to wider audiences. —Ramon C. Nocon | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
