Darren Lyndon Espanto (born May 24, 2001) is a Filipino singer, actor, and television personality. He made his first television appearance on YTV's reality TV competition, ''

The Next Star ''The Next Star'' is a Canadian reality competition television series that was broadcast on YTV. It was hosted by Adamo Ruggiero (seasons 1–5) and Carlos Bustamante (season 6–7). The series involved a competition to find the most talented s ...

,'' in 2012 and rose to prominence after joining

the first season ''The First Season'' is a Canadian drama film, released in 1989. The film stars Kate Trotter as Alex Cauldwell, a woman in British Columbia who, following the death of her fisherman husband Frank (Dwight Koss), tries to support herself and her dau ...

of '' The Voice Kids Philippines''. He was signed to

ABS-CBN ABS-CBN is a leading Philippine media and content company. It serves as the flagship media brand of ABS-CBN Corporation, a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation. Once the country's largest free-to-air television network, ABS-CBN has since ...

Star Magic ABS-CBN Center for Communication Arts, Inc., doing business as Star Magic (formerly known as ABS-CBN Talent Center), is a Philippine talent agency owned by ABS-CBN Corporation based in Quezon City, Metro Manila. Founded in 1992, Star Magic ha ...

talent agency and has since developed a successful music career in the Philippines. In 2024, Espanto joined the cast of presenters on ''It's Showtime''.

Personal life

Darren Lyndon Espanto was born in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

, Canada on May 24, 2001. He is the first child of Filipino registered nurses Marinel Gonzales and Lyndon Espanto, who emigrated to Canada from

Nueva Vizcaya Nueva Vizcaya, officially the Province of Nueva Vizcaya (; ; Pangasinan: ''Luyag/Probinsia na Nueva Vizcaya''; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital and largest town is Bayo ...

province in the Philippines. Espanto also has a younger sister, Lynelle. He speaks

Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...

. Espanto started singing at the age of three. As a toddler, he serenaded his parents with the tunes like

Hakuna Matata "Hakuna matata" () is a Swahili language phrase. In English, it means "no trouble" or "no worries" and "take it easy" (literally ''hakuna'': "there is no/there are no"; ''matata'': "worries"). The 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios animated film ...

from

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical coming-of-age drama film directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, produced by Don Hahn, and written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. Produced by Walt Disney ...

. When his family realized his talents, they urged him to pursue singing as a career. On April 16, 2024, Espanto told

Boy Abunda Eugenio "Boy" Romerica Abunda Jr. (; born October 29, 1961) is a Filipino television presenter, publicist, and talent manager. Known as the "King of Talk", Abunda has presented several talk shows centered on the Philippine entertainment indus ...

Fast Talk with Boy Abunda ''Fast Talk with Boy Abunda'' is a Philippine television talk show broadcast by GMA Network. Directed by Rommel Gacho, it is hosted by Boy Abunda. It premiered on January 23, 2023 on the network's Afternoon Prime line up. The show is streaming ...

that he had a one-year "

puppy love Puppy love, also known as a crush, is an informal term for feelings of romantic love, often felt during childhood and early adolescence. It is an infatuation usually developed by one's looks and attractiveness at first sight. It is named for its r ...

" for

Kyline Alcantara Kyline Nicole Aquino Alcantara Manga (; born September 3, 2002) is a Filipino actress and singer. She began her career as a child actress after finishing top ten in the talent search program '' Star Circle Quest''. She is best known for her r ...

, romantic feelings for Ylona Garcia, and in ''a relationship'' with

Cassy Legaspi Maria Cassandra "Cassy" Villarroel Legaspi () is an American-born Filipina actress, commercial model, host, endorser, brand ambassador, vlog content creator, and a showbiz royalty. She is the daughter of Filipino actor, director, endorser, and ...

. He claimed he only had a

friendship Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. Althoug ...

with AC Bonifacio. Darren confirmed to

that he and Legaspi had "romantic feelings" with each other. In August 2024, Espanto underwent an emergency

appendectomy An appendectomy (American English) or appendicectomy (British English) is a Surgery, surgical operation in which the vermiform appendix (a portion of the intestine) is removed. Appendectomy is normally performed as an urgent or emergency procedur ...

Education

Espanto, along with the other ''The Voice Kids'' finalists, received a ₱350,000 scholarship fro
Eton International School
Upon moving to the Philippines, he attended Eton International School and later began homeschooling unde
The Homeschool of Asia Pacific
where he completed his senior high school with honors. In Grade 11, he was awarded with second honors. In Grade 12, he graduated with first honors and received two special awards, the Achiever Award and the Excellence in Music and Arts Award.

Career

At age 10, Espanto won during the Main Edition Finals of the ''Pinoy Singing Sensation'' competition in

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

on August 20, 2011.

2012–2013: ''The Next Star''

In 2012, ten-year-old Espanto auditioned for the fifth season of YTV's reality television ''

'', singing

Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is known for his three-octave tenor vocal range, live performances, R ...

' "

Grenade A grenade is a small explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a Shell (projectile), shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A mod ...

". One of the judges,

Keshia Chanté Keshia Chanté Harper (born June 16, 1988) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, television host, actress, humanitarian, and businesswoman. As a teenager, Chanté released her singles "Unpredictable," "Bad Boy," "Does He Love Me," "Shook," "Been G ...

, got emotional and told him that his voice was 'unbelievable' and 'controlled'. Judge

Mark Spicoluk Mark Spicoluk is a Canadian content creator, yoga instructor, musician, podcaster, and entrepreneur. He is best known as co-creator and yoga teacher for the lifestyle brand Boho Beautiful, his time as bass player with Avril Lavigne, and as the v ...

, on the other hand, stated that he 'lacked stage presence'. Nevertheless, after Chante asked him if he was ready, she and

Tara Oram Tara Oram (born April 28, 1984) is a Canadian country music recording artist and TV personality. She was a top six finalist on the fifth season of ''Canadian Idol'' in 2007. In 2009, Oram received the "Rising Star" Canadian Country Music Awar ...

said yes, earning him the 'golden ticket'. He reached the competition's Top 6, the youngest finalist in the show's history to do so. His performances on the show included renditions of

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

's " Only Girl (in the World)" and

Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, d ...

's "

Payphone A payphone (alternative spelling: pay phone or pay telephone or public phone) is typically a coin-operated public telephone, often located in a telephone booth or in high-traffic public areas. Prepayment is required by inserting coins or tel ...

" among others. He also had his own single and music video entitled "Gotta Give A Little Extra", as well as two other singles, "Now" and "Oh Oh Santa" with the other five finalists. Ultimately, he lost to 14-year-old Brooklyn Roebuck, after singing his own single during the finals. In 2013, Espanto was cast in a guest-starring role on YTV's ''

Life with Boys ''Life with Boys'' is a Canadian teen sitcom that aired in Canada on YTV from September 9, 2011 through August 27, 2013. The sitcom stars Torri Webster, Madison Pettis, Nathan McLeod, Michael Murphy, Jake Goodman, and Sandy Jobin-Bevans. The ...

''. It was his first acting job.

2014: ''The Voice Kids''

During the auditions of the inaugural season of

's ''

The Voice Kids ''The Voice Kids'' is a version of '' The Voice'' TV series franchise in which children participate. Versions The first such variation was '' The Voice Kids'' from the Netherlands, which was followed by other international variants: : Franchise ...

'', Espanto performed

Jessie J Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical '' Whistle Down the Wind ...

's "

Domino Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also called '' pips'' or ''dots'' ...

". Coaches

Sarah Geronimo Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo-Guidicelli ( ; born July 25, 1988) is a Filipino singer and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Sarah Geronimo, Her accolades include a Billboard Women in Music, ''Billboard'' Women in Music Award, an ...

and

Bamboo Mañalac Francisco Gaudencio Lope Belardo MañalacVIDEO: "It's Francisco, that's my great-grandfather, then Gaudencio, that's my lolo, then it's Lope, then it's Belardo Mañalac." / (; born March 21, 1976), popularly known as Bamboo Mañalac or simply ...

both pressed their buttons for him, vocalizing that he 'can be groomed to be a recording artist, a total package'. Although Espanto revealed that he was Mañalac's front act during one of his concerts in Canada, he chose Geronimo as his coach, stating that she could help him a lot in the music industry. Espanto advanced to the finals after singing

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...

's "

One Moment in Time "One Moment in Time" is a sentimental ballad by American singer Whitney Houston, written by Albert Hammond and John Bettis, and produced by Narada Michael Walden as a promotional song for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. It was re ...

" during the live semi-finals. He received the second-highest number of votes, after

Lyca Gairanod Lyca Jane Epe Gairanod (born November 21, 2004) is a Filipino singer and actress. She won the first season of '' The Voice Kids Philippines'', where she landed a recording contract with UMG Philippines She subsequently made her first tele ...

Lea Salonga Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga, ( ; born February 22, 1971) is a Filipino singer and actress. Known primarily for her work in theatre, she has starred in musicals on Broadway and in the West End. Her accolades include a Tony Award and a L ...

commented that Espanto was phenomenal, while his mentor, Geronimo, stated that he was 'a winner and a complete package'. He also sang " Somebody To Love" by

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...

alongside other Star Magic artists. In the finale, during the first round which was a power ballad theme, Espanto performed

Basil Valdez Basil Salvador Valdez (; born November 8, 1951) is a Filipino singer. He has received several Tinig Awards and the 1991 Tanglaw ng Lahi Award from Ateneo de Manila University. Biography Valdez recalled in a 2024 interview that his impromptu ...

's song "Ngayon" where he received a standing ovation. Lea Salonga left a warning to older performers, saying: "To every person Darren idolized, this is a warning to all of you: this kid will outshine you someday".Translated from the Filipino language: ''"...Sa lahat ng iniidolo ngayon ni Darren, ito ay isang babala sa inyo: ilalampaso kayo ng batang ito balang araw"''. Once again, Geronimo praised him and said that despite his talent, Espanto never showed superiority and instead listened to his coach. On the final round of the competition, Espanto accompanied himself with a piano during his performance of "You Are My Song" while having a duet with the original singer

Martin Nievera Martin Ramon Razon Nievera (born February 5, 1963) is a Filipino singer and songwriter. Known for his contemporary love ballads and on-stage personality, he is celebrated as one of the most important figures in local Filipino music. With a care ...

, where received another standing ovation. At the end of the competition, he once again came in second after Lyca Gairanod.

Performances

2014–2016

In 2014, Espanto said that he will not go back to Calgary, Alberta, and that he was staying in the Philippines to try acting and do a project with his coach and mentor,

. In August, Espanto became a part of ABS-CBN's training and management center

. On September 11, Espanto's rendition of

's "

" topped the Philippine charts of Apple's iTunes store, while his rendition of

's " Somebody to Love" placed second. He then staged his first solo concert at the Music Museum; a repeat of the concert was staged on December 19, 2014. On October 25, he made his

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

debut as the headliner at the Fourth The Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York Awards, which celebrated

Filipino American History Month Filipino American History Month (FAHM) is celebrated in the United States during the month of October. In 1991, Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) board of trustees proposed the first annual Filipino American History Month to ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. On November 18, his rendition of "

O Little Town of Bethlehem "O Little Town of Bethlehem" is a Christmas carol. Based on an 1868 text written by Phillips Brooks, the carol is popular on both sides of the Atlantic, but to different tunes: in the United States and Canada, to "St. Louis" by Brooks' collabora ...

" topped the iTunes chart, while his rendition of

's "

" placed second, in which the two were the only local songs to be included on the top 15. And on November 29, Espanto signed a record and management deal with

MCA Music Inc. (Philippines) UMG Philippines Inc. is a record label based in the Philippines and served as its regional branch of the multinational music corporation, Universal Music Group. Formerly known as MCA Music, the record label previously retained the now-disconti ...

. A week after, he and the other three finalists of ''The Voice Kids'' (

Juan Karlos Labajo Juan Karlos Labajo (; born February 5, 2001) is a Filipino singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Labajo rose to fame at age 13 when he finished third in the first season (2014) of ''The Voice Kids''. He is the frontman and primary songwri ...

, and Darlene Vibares) held a concert at the

Philippine International Convention Center The Philippine International Convention Center (; PICC) is a convention center located in the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasay, Philippines. The Brutalist facility has been the host of numerous local and foreign conventions, ...

. He also released his first solo album, "

Darren Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "oak tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come fro ...

", with

. It debuted at number 1 at the Philippine charts of Apple's iTunes Store upon its release on December 8. In January 2015, Espanto performed

Trina Belamide Katrina "Trina" Belamide is a Filipino songwriter and record producer. According to the ''Manila Times'' she has written songs for most of the Philippines' top recording artists. Career Belamide began taking piano lessons at age 8 and started ...

's "

Tell The World of His Love "Tell the World of His Love" is a 1995 contemporary Christian song composed by Trina Belamide and was used as the theme of the World Youth Day 1995 which took place in Manila, Philippines. The event also coincided with the second visit of Pope Jo ...

" (the theme for

World Youth Day 1995 World Youth Day 1995 () was a Catholic youth festival that took place from January 10 to 15, 1995, in Manila, Philippines. It was the first time for an Asian country to host the event. Pope John Paul II presided over the event, marking his seco ...

) during

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

's visit to the Philippines. On May 29, Espanto performed at the

Mall of Asia Arena The SM Mall of Asia Arena, also known as the Mall of Asia Arena or the MoA Arena, is an indoor arena within the SM Mall of Asia complex, in Bay City, Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines. It has a seating capacity of 15,000 for sporting events and ...

for his birthday concert making him the youngest performer to stage a solo concert in the said venue. On November 18, Espanto was one of the singers performing at a

state dinner A state banquet is an official banquet hosted by the head of state in their official residence for another head of state, or sometimes head of government, and other guests. Usually as part of a state visit or diplomatic conference, it is held ...

for a delegation from Mexico. Also in November 2015, Espanto was chosen to perform the official theme song for the

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economy , economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Following the success of Association of Southeast Asia ...

(APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting titled, "This is Only the Beginning", composed by Mr.

Ryan Cayabyab Raymundo Cipriano Pujante Cayabyab (born May 4, 1954), known professionally as Ryan Cayabyab (), is a Filipino musician, composer and conductor of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). He was the Executive and Artistic Director for several years fo ...

. In 2016, Espanto released his sophomore album "Be With Me". The album contains 11 songs from the singer, two of which are his original compositions. On July 31, 2016, Espanto opened for the Philippine leg of

Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and businesswoman. Gomez began her career as a child actress, appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), a ...

Revival tour The Revival Tour was the second solo concert tour by American singer Selena Gomez, in support of her second solo studio album '' Revival'' (2015). The tour began in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 6, 2016. The tour was ...

2017-2019

On May 4, 2017, during his Twitter party, Espanto surprised his fans with a deluxe edition of his sophomore solo album entitled ''Be With Me,'' to be released the following day. Be With Me (Deluxe Edition) contains 5 bonus tracks: "I’ll Be There" with Jed Madela, Acoustic versions of "7 Minutes" and "Alam", the viral hit, his cover of Sia's "

Chandelier A chandelier () is an ornamental lighting device, typically with spreading branched supports for multiple lights, designed to be hung from the ceiling. Chandeliers are often ornate, and they were originally designed to hold candles, but now inca ...

", and a stripped version of Young Hearts with Malaysian pop singer Nik Qistina. In 2018, Espanto made his acting debut in

The Hows of Us ''The Hows of Us'' is a 2018 Filipino romantic comedy-drama film directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina and starring Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. They were recognized as ''Phenomenal Box Office Stars'' and were given the Golden Jury Award an ...

. Espanto also became a member of the teen pop group ASAP G! Other members of the group are Isabela Vinzon, Jayda Avanzado, Ylona Garcia,

Jeremy Glinoga Jeremy Eriq Glinoga, (born September 14, 1999), is a Filipino musician, host and an actor. He rose to fame when he became a finalist in the first season of the Filipino reality singing competition '' The Voice Teens'' in 2017.Citations on Glino ...

and

Kyle Echarri Kyle John Paradillo Echarri (born June 20, 2003) is a Filipino singer and actor. He first gained recognition as a semi-finalist in the second season of the talent competition show ''The Voice Kids'' in 2015. Echarri released his debut album ' ...

. The group formed on June 3, 2018, and disbanded in November 2018, when the show was reformatted into ASAP Natin 'To. In 2019, Espanto was part of The Aces concert with fellow singers

Lani Misalucha Lani Bayot Misalucha (; born Lani Dimalanta Bayot (born August 3, 1969) is a Filipino singer. Known for her vocal range, powerful, emotive vocals and ability to sing opera arias, she has been referred to as " Asia's Nightingale". Her music h ...

and

Jonalyn Viray Jonalyn Roxas Viray (born November 15, 1989), known mononymously as Jona, is a Filipino singer and songwriter. She was catapulted to mainstream prominence after she emerged as the first grand champion of ''Pinoy Pop Superstar''. She was the l ...

. The trio performed in Cebu, Davao, and Manila (at the

Araneta Coliseum The Araneta Coliseum, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Smart Araneta Coliseum, is an indoor multi-purpose arena, sports arena that is part of the Araneta City in the Quezon City#Cubao, Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines. ...

). Espanto and Viray, so called the Pair of Aces, also conducted a tour in Canada (Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto) in the latter part of the year. On April 12, he also appeared as the only Filipino guest performer in the grand finals of

Singer 2019 The seventh season of the Chinese television series Singer ( zh, 歌手; previously titled ''I Am a Singer'') was broadcast on Hunan Television between January and April 2019. ''Singer 2019'' was produced by Hong Tao, and its music director ...

in China. This was followed by the release of "

A Whole New World "A Whole New World" is the signature song from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney's 1992 animated feature film Aladdin (1992 Disney film), ''Aladdin'', with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. A duet originally recorded by singers B ...

" on May 24, wherein he and Morissette collaborated to perform the rendition of the song as part of the Philippine promotion of the movie ''

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...

'' as handpicked by

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

. On November 25, the theme song for the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit titled "Side by Side" was launched, where he participated as one of the 11 ASEAN singers representing each member country. And on November 29, he released his single "Sasagipin Kita" which he wrote himself, also under

where it debuted at number 1 on the Philippine charts of Apple's iTunes store on the first day of its release.

2020-2023

On May 24, 2020, Espanto celebrated his 19th birthday through an online benefit concert entitled ''"D Birthday Concert from Home"''. The concert was streamed live via Espanto's Facebook page and garnered around 12,000 viewers and 251,000 views. Through this event, he was able to raise P838,206.69 which was donated to his home network,

''Pantawid ng Pag-ibig'' program. On June 12, 2020, Espanto, in his capacity as UNDP Philippines Youth Advocate, became part of

United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...

's #Mission1Point5 climate action global campaign in coordination with The Good Co. via its social media platforms (@thegoodquote) with millions of followers worldwide. On June 14, 2020, Espanto joined the iWant ASAP Online show as host along with the iWant ASAP squad,

Robi Domingo Robert Marion Eusebio Domingo (, born September 27, 1989) is a Filipinos, Filipino VJ, actor, dancer, and host. He first gained fame as a reality show contestant by joining and ending up as the first runner-up of the reality competition series ...

Maymay Entrata Marydale "Maymay" Entrata (; born May 6, 1997) is a Filipino actress, singer, model and television host. Having achieved mainstream success across television, music and fashion, she came to prominence after winning the reality show '' Pinoy B ...

and

Edward Barber (actor) Edward John Abellera Barber (born July 15, 2000) is a Filipino-British actor and host who came to prominence in 2016, after joining the reality television series '' Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7'', where he placed fourth. Barber started his fil ...

, weekly episode of which airs every Sunday. On July 31, 2020, Espanto and Jayda Avanzado released a collaboration for the track revival "Sana Tayo Na" under Star Music followed by the release of the official music video on the same day. On August 12, 2020, Espanto, also in his capacity as UNDP Youth Advocate, was invited as a keynote speaker for the International Youth Day Youth Forum 2020 with the theme ''"Building a Better Normal with the Youth"'', in coordination with IdeasPositive. This event was streamed live via the Facebook Page of Ideas Positive and partners. On October 23, 2020, Espanto as UNDP Youth Advocate, together with Ria Atayde, hosted the UN75 anniversary celebration in the Philippines with the theme ''"UN75 2020 & Beyond: Shaping the Future Together"'', which was streamed live via the UN Philippines's FB Page. On November 13, 2020, Espanto released his Christmas single, "Believe in Christmas", under

. The song reached the number 1 spot of Apple's iTunes store Philippine charts just two hours after its debut. The official music video was released a week after and hit more than a 100,000 views within days after its upload on YouTube. On February 13, 2021, Espanto released his cover of LANY's song entitled, "If This Is The Last Time", as part of a project with various artists under

, in coordination with

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

. On February 20, 2021, Espanto and

AC Bonifacio Andree Camille "AC" Lapidario Bonifacio (; born December 13, 2002) is a Filipino-Canadian dancer, singer, vlogger and actress known for being the first ever grand champion of Filipino TV dance competition '' Dance Kids'' along with Lucky Anche ...

joined the

Your Face Sounds Familiar (Philippine season 3) The third and final season of ''Your Face Sounds Familiar (Philippine TV series), Your Face Sounds Familiar'' was a singing and impersonation competition for celebrities based on the Spanish version of the Your Face Sounds Familiar, same name. It ...

family as online hosts via the KaFamiliar Online and other digital platforms, weekly episode of which airs every Saturday and Sunday. On April 18, 2021, Espanto did a homecoming production on ASAP Natin 'To where he was formally launched as "Asia's Pop Heartthrob" Darren. On May 28, 2021, Espanto released his newest single written and produced by Zack Tabudlo with the title, "Tama Na", under

. The song climbed to number 3 of Apple's iTunes store Philippines in the first two hours of its release. On June 9, 2021, Espanto was launched as the main host for the weekly online show for TNT PH called TNT PopShow, along with co-host Adrianna So. On June 19, 2021, Espanto has successfully held a sold-out digital concert called ''"Darren: Home Run (The Comeback Concert)"''. A re-run of this event was made available on June 20, 2021. Also on June 20, 2021, Espanto and his team released the official music video of "Tama Na" which secured the top spot of music videos on Apple's iTunes store Philippines a day after its release, and reached Top 10 of YouTube's trending videos in music on its first week. On July 11, 2021, Espanto was the special guest performer on the 2021 Bb. Pilipinas' Coronation Night where he performed ''"Together We Fly"'' composed and re-arranged by Ms. Chochay Magno. On August 27, 2021,

Star Music Star Music (also known as Star Records and corporately as Star Recording, Inc.) is a Philippine record label owned and operated by ABS-CBN Corporation. It was formerly a separate company operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corpora ...

released the ''"

Marry Me, Marry You ''Marry Me, Marry You'' is a Philippine television drama romantic comedy series broadcast by Kapamilya Channel. Directed by Dwein Baltazar and Jojo Saguin, it stars Paulo Avelino and Janine Gutierrez. It premiered on the network's Primetime Bida ...

"'' official soundtrack album which includes tracks interpreted by various artists including Espanto who interpreted the main OST of the series also entitled ''"

"''. The song skyrocketed to number 10 of the Apple's iTunes store on the day of its release. On April 1, 2022, Espanto released his latest track, "Pabalik Sa'yo" under UMUSIC Philippines. The track and the lyric video claimed the No. 3 and No. 1 spots of Apple's iTunes store Philippines an hour after its release. On April 26, 2022, Espanto was part of the special guests of P-pop group Calista's debut concert ''Vax to Normal''. Espanto is also part of the ''EZ Mil: Panalo Homecoming Tour 2022'' which kicked off on April 29, 2022, at the New Frontier Theater. On June 9, 2022, Espanto is one of the Southeast Asian artists who collaborated with English music sensation,

Calum Scott Calum Scott (born 12 October 1988) is an English singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence in April 2015 after competing on the ITV (TV network), ITV talent contest ''Britain's Got Talent (series 9), Britain's Got Talent'', where he perform ...

for the version of Scott's track, ''"Heaven"''. The song climbed to No. 2 of iTunes store Philippines immediately after its release. On June 11, 2022, Espanto is also one of

Anne Curtis Anne Curtis-Smith (; born 17 February 1985) is an Australian-born Filipino actress, television host, entrepreneur and model. Known for her versatile work in film and television productions, she is one of the most successful and highest-paid Fi ...

' guest artists in her ''Luv-Anne: The Comeback Concert'' held at the Resorts World Manila. In July 2022, Espanto was part of

Vice Ganda Jose Marie Borja Viceral (born March 31, 1976), known professionally as Vice Ganda (), is a Filipino comedian, actor, host, singer and television personality. He is considered one of the most successful entertainers in Philippine show business ...

's ''Fully VICE-cinated US Tour 2022'' which includes performances in California, Seattle and New Jersey. On July 8, 2022,

Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...

Philippines was launched and it will house known recording artists, including Espanto. The same date, the teaser for ''

Lyric and Beat ''Lyric and Beat'' is a Philippine musical teen drama streaming television series. Directed by Dolly Dulu, the series premiered on August 10 to September 23, 2022, on iWantTFC. This series pays tribute to the "20 years of music" of ABS-CBN Musi ...

'', a musical series under Dreamscape Entertainment was released which stars Espanto among the main casts. The series premiered on August 10, 2022, on iWantTFC. Among the series' soundtracks, ''"Pagbigyang Muli"'' and ''"Duyan"'' interpreted by Espanto reached No. 5 of iTunes store Philippines' Top Songs a few hours after their release. In 2023, Espanto performed in various events such as New Year's Eve (SM Mall of Asia) and Chinese New Year Countdowns (Chinatown), and national festivities. On February 21, 2023, Espanto was launched as the newest Hurado in ''"Tawag ng Tanghalan"'', a segment of ''It's Showtime'', a daily noontime show airing on

Kapamilya Channel Kapamilya Channel () is a 24-hour Filipino pay television network owned and operated by ABS-CBN Corporation, a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation. Its headquarters is located at the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center in Quezon City and serves ...

and A2Z Channel 11.

2024

As of 2024, ''It's Showtime'' moved to

GMA Network GMA Network (an acronym of its legal name, Global Media Arts and commonly known as GMA) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine commercial broadcast network, serving as the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network (company), ...

replacing

TAPE Inc. Television and Production Exponents, Incorporated (also known as TAPE, Inc. or simply TAPE) is a Philippine television production company. It was founded in 1981 by Romeo Jalosjos Sr. and Antonio "Tony" Tuviera. After the last episode of '' ...

's '' Tahanang Pinakamasaya'' before expanded it broadcast into

All TV All TV (stylized as ALLTV and known on-air as ALLTV2) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine free-to-air Terrestrial television, broadcast television network serving as the flagship property of Advanced Media Broadcasting System (AMBS) ...

nearly two months later and Darren was introduced as one of the hosts of the show at the contract signing.

Charitable work

On April 15, 2020, the

(under its Philippine office) launched Espanto as its first-ever celebrity Youth Advocate to promote its SDGs, focusing on climate action, biodiversity conservation and youth empowerment. On September 29, 2021, Espanto was reappointed as UNDP Philippines' Youth Advocate for the SDGs for a second term, focusing on climate action, biodiversity conservation and youth empowerment. On January 16, 2022, Espanto was the featured performer on the ''"By Request (a Benefit Concert)"'' series launched by

for the victims of Typhoon Odette, where a total of P464,000 donation was raised.

Filmography

Television

Digital

Film

Discography

Studio albums

Special albums

Singles

Promotional singles

Legacy

Dubbed as “''Asia's Pop Hearthrob''” by various media outlets, Espanto was the youngest artist to headline a sold-out solo major concert at MOA Arena. He has accumulated over 70 awards and recognitions including 15 Wish Music Awards, 8

Awit Awards The Awit Awards are music awards in the Philippines given annually by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI) to recognize the outstanding achievements in the music industry. The word "Awit" means "song" literally in Filipino ...

, 8

Myx Music Award The Myx Music Awards, currently known as the Myx Awards, are accolades presented by the cable channel Myx to honor the biggest hitmakers in the Philippines. The awards ceremony is held annually and occurs most commonly in March, and broadcast ...

s, 8 Push Awards and 7 EdukCricle Awards. He performed for

during the 2015 Papal Visit in UST. He has also headlined a gala at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York and performed for presidents and dignitaries during the

ASEAN Summit The ASEAN Summit is a biannual meeting held by the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in relation to economic, political, security, and socio-cultural development of Southeast Asian countries. In addition, it serves ...

s and

APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economy , economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Following the success of Association of Southeast Asia ...

. He was recently appointed as the first celebrity Youth Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Espanto is one of the country's most successful & top-selling artists of the decade,

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

reported that his self-titled debut album “Darren” has been certified 2× Platinum in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, selling over 30,000 units in the country, while his sophomore release “''Be With Me''” sold 15,000 units (certified Gold) respectively.

Chart performance

Concerts

As Concert Headliner

As Supporting Act or Guest Performer

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Espanto, Darren 2001 births Living people ABS-CBN people Canadian children's musicians Canadian male actors of Filipino descent Filipino child singers Filipino pop singers Filipino television variety show hosts Male actors from Calgary MCA Music Inc. (Philippines) artists Musicians from Calgary Naturalized citizens of Canada Singers from Alberta Star Magic The Voice Kids (Philippine TV series) contestants 21st-century Filipino male singers 21st-century Filipino singers