For KZ Tandingan, success once meant finally being able to pay her own bills without asking her parents for financial support.
But after years of performing on local and international stages and taking on opportunities she’d once only dreamed of, the singer has come to see success as something that goes well beyond financial stability.
In an interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) during the Coke Studio Philippines Season 10 concert on November 7, 2026, KZ reflected on how her definition of success has changed since she started her career in the music industry at the age of 20.
Now 34, KZ, who rose to fame after winning the first season of The X Factor Philippines in 2012, admitted that her ambitions back then were largely centered on achieving financial independence.
"Noong 2012 siguro or 2013, I felt like success was kapag kaya ko nang bumili ng condo [unit].
"Kaya ko nang magbayad ng kuryente ko at tubig na ako lang at hindi na ako humihingi sa magulang ko," she recalled.
"Noong time na yun, ang definition ko lang ng success ay pera. And then kapag may album na ako, ayun na yun," she said.
Read: KZ Tandingan admits she’s not ready to be a mother yet
As the years went by, however, KZ's experiences allowed her to see success from an entirely different perspective.
"But noong, eto na, noong tumatanda na, habang tumatagal ako sa industry at nagkakaroon ako ng chance na ikutin ang mundo, mas na-realize ko na ang success is when you're able to just do the thing that you love doing the most with the people that you love the most. Ayun siya."
KZ'S FIRST BIG PURCHASE
But KZ has not forgotten the moment she first felt that she was finally making it on her own.
When PEP asked about the first thing she bought with her own earnings, the singer said she made a down payment on a condominium unit after winning The X Factor Philippines.
At the time, she was staying with fellow singer Martin Nievera, who served as both a judge and a mentor on the now-defunct singing competition.
"Yung napanalunan ko, first thing that I bought, I think nag-down payment ako sa condo kasi nahihiya na ako na nakikitira ako kina Sir Martin Nievera," she said.
Read: Martin Nievera to KZ Tandingan and TJ Monterde: “Did you do a Matteo Sarah?”
KZ took home a PHP4 million cash prize and a recording contract with Star Music.
She could still remember the feeling of opening the door to her own unit for the first time: "So ayun nung first time kong binuksan iyon, sabi ko, 'Success!'"
KZ'S JOURNEY
Long before she became known as Asia's Soul Supreme, KZ was a young aspiring singer from Digos City, Davao del Sur, who dreamed of helping her family through music.
Read: Meet the Final 12 of The X Factor Philippines
For KZ, auditioning was also a chance to challenge ideas about who belongs in the music industry: "Gusto ko pong sumali sa X Factor hindi lang para tulungan ang pamilya ko, kundi para patunayan na ang industriya ng musika sa Philippines ay hindi lang para sa mga magaganda, sa mga makikinis ang balat, sa matatangkad, sa mga biritero’t biritera."
Winning the competition opened doors for KZ, giving her opportunities to showcase her vocal abilities and versatility beyond the reality show.
In 2013, she was tapped to interpret "Scared to Death," an entry in the Himig Handog songwriting competition. The song placed fourth in the competition.
The following year, she returned as an interpreter for Edwin Marollano's composition "Mahal Ko O Mahal Ako," a song that became an important milestone in her career.
Read: KZ Tandingan Recalls Dark Phase
She once again joined the competition in 2021, lending her vocals to Danielle Balagtas' "Marupok," which was named Best Song in Himig 11th edition.
But perhaps one of the biggest milestones in KZ's international career came in 2018, when she competed in China's Singer 2018 as a weekly challenger.
Her rendition of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" immediately made an impression, earning her first place in her debut episode in Week 5 and putting her alongside some of the competition's biggest names, including British singer Jessie J.
Read: KZ Tandingan debuts in China's Singer 2018; beats Jessie J
KZ continued to compete in the singing competition until her elimination in Week 9, following her performance of Lorde's "Royals."
She later returned for the show's Breakout Round, where she performed a Tagalog and Mandarin rendition of Freddie Aguilar's "Anak."
Read: KZ Tandingan becomes regular contender in China's Singer 2018
Although she failed to secure a spot in the grand finals, her journey in the competition was far from over.
Read: KZ Tandingan proud to make history in China's Singer 2018
KZ was invited back as a guest performer during the grand finals, where she joined Jessie J and the late Hong Kong-born American singer Coco Lee for a performance of "Bang Bang."
Read: OPM artists celebrate KZ Tandingan's number one spot on Singer 2018