Most teens spend their formative years figuring out what they want to do with their lives. Jessica Sanchez, however, was already giving the world a preview.
Going from singing in front of a television audience to commanding some of the biggest international stages is a rather wildly productive use of a teenage dream.
That dream would reach extraordinary heights in 2025, a pinnacle year for Jessica.
At 30, she claimed the winning title on America’s Got Talent, welcomed her first child, and entered a new decade of her life with two milestones that would have been enough to define an entire career, or a lifetime.
To think Jessica Sanchez has gone as high as she can is to mistake one summit for the whole mountain range.
PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) catches up with Jessica during her recent visit to the Philippines for its November 2026 cover shoot, held at Okada Manila's Chairman Lounge, where the view takes in the play of water at The Fountain and the expanse of Manila Bay.
The singer has nothing but praise for the property, primarily for its elaborate interiors and chandeliers, describing her stay as extravagant and beautiful.
Since returning to the country a couple of weeks ago, she has traveled to Boracay and Ormoc with her husband, Rickie Gallardo, and their daughter, Eliana.
THE TALENT
Singing has been part of Jessica's life for as long as she can remember.
Although she admits, spending years pursuing a career in music has not always meant having an uncomplicated relationship with it.
During her America's Got Talent journey, Jessica revealed that she had fallen out of love with music after doing it for so long.
Returning to the competition 20 years later, however, helped her rediscover what she had once enjoyed about singing.
Becoming a mother further changed her perspective.
"Oh, yeah, tremendously," she tells PEP when asked how her relationship with music has evolved.
"I feel like I've been singing for my whole life, so it's been like a roller-coaster ride. It's like a love-hate relationship throughout the years."
"Coming back to AGT, and then also after having my baby, it's grown into such a healthy relationship, me and music, healthier than it's ever been."
Jessica approaches singing these days with gratitude for the opportunities that come her way and for the chance to set an example for her daughter.
That perspective has also changed what she wants her music to do.
Her vocal runs and high notes first made audiences take notice.
Now she wants her songs to give voice to feelings she can’t quite put into words.
"One important thing for me is beyond the vocal riffs and all that. I like to translate emotion and the message through my music," Jessica explains.
Her goal is to establish a connection with listeners and make them feel something through her songs.
Having started writing her own music, she finds that the experience has become more meaningful because the material comes from a personal place.
One special release is "Two Lines," a song she put out while pregnant and competing on AGT.
Its title refers to the two lines on a pregnancy test, and its message is dedicated to her daughter.
Although the track has a laid-back, acoustic sound, its significance is anything but ordinary for Jessica.
"It means so much to me because, you know, it's about my baby girl and she's just, like, my world."
Growing as an artist has also meant allowing herself to experiment with different sounds.
Jessica recalls how, when she was younger, she often gravitated toward the big diva songs associated with karaoke, specifically those that demanded impressive high notes.
Now, she is more interested in exploring different tones and musical styles instead of relying solely on belting.
What comes with that inclination, though, is having to accept that a versatile voice comes with its own challenges.
Audiences have suggested that she explore R&B, pop, ballads, country, and rock, leaving her with plenty of directions to consider and mull over.
"I'm like, ‘What is going on?’ So, I'm trying to please everybody. But, I really have to stay true to myself and to, you know, what was I listening to when I was a young girl, and go back to my roots, of what I used to love."
Experimenting with music and keeping up with changing trends does not mean losing the qualities that make her recognizable as an artist.
She cites Rihanna as an example of someone who has explored different sounds while maintaining a distinct musical identity.
That balance is something she continues to work on as she discovers the kind of artist she wants to become.
THE WOMAN
Away from the stage, Jessica depicts herself as a completely different person.
Performing calls for energy and engagement with others. At home, she prefers a much mellower atmosphere.
She even jokes that while her husband Rickie Gallardo is the social butterfly, she is the "hermit crab."
She quips: "I am very homebody. I like my space with my family. I'm a very quiet person. I like to read and, like, do puzzles. I'm like a grandma."
Motherhood has made her home life even busier, largely with her daughter Eliana keeping her occupied.
The transition has also changed how Jessica sees herself as a woman. She admits that the expectations women face in the entertainment industry, including its beauty standards, sometimes made her feel insecure.
"After I gave birth, it kind of broke me out of my shell. It taught me how strong I am, and it really made me appreciate a lot of things that I didn't realize about myself."
Her daughter has also become a reminder to practice the self-love she hopes to teach her: "When I'm feeling insecure, you know, how do I want to set an example for my daughter, you know, how to love herself?"
Jessica wants Eliana to grow up seeing her mother appreciate her own beauty rather than constantly measuring herself against other people's expectations.
Despite the changes motherhood has brought, some aspects of Jessica's personality have remained consistent.
She labels herself as naturally timid and humble, saying she still finds it surreal that she has been given the platform and opportunities she enjoys today.
Her thrill-seeking spouse, meanwhile, has helped her become more adventurous and sociable. Previously afraid of heights, Jessica has even gone skydiving with him.
Taking care of herself has also become more important, although her schedule now revolves largely around her daughter.
She considers Pilates an essential part of her routine, saying it makes her feel feminine and strong. Skin care, massages, foot massages, and getting her nails done also count as her personal moments of relaxation.
"I think taking care of myself is, you know, having her spend time with her dad and then me breaking away doing Pilates. Like, Pilates is, like, everything to me... or even getting dressed up makes me feel like I take care of myself."
Her enthusiasm for home life is quite palpable when the topic of organizing and decorating comes up.
Jessica enjoys hosting family gatherings and is expressly gleeful about putting together a Christmas party when she returns to the United States.
She has also developed an interest in scrapbooking and other crafts, embracing what she calls becoming a "crafty mom."
Cleaning has even become a personal activity she enjoys.
Jessica says she likes putting on worship music while organizing her home, finding the experience therapeutic rather than treating it as another household chore.
Rickie has suggested hiring someone to help with the cleaning. She prefers to do it herself because she likes to keep her belongings arranged a certain way.
"I'm not OCD," she clarifies.
"It just makes me feel good. I feel like I'm taking care of my home. I don't know, it just feels clean to me. It's my break away from the stage, so I feel like I'm being productive at home as well when I'm cleaning and organizing."
On managing her finances, Jessica admits she had a lot to learn after achieving success at a young age.
She grew up in a family that didn’t have much money and says she initially struggled to manage the large sum she received after American Idol.
"My family, we didn't grow up with a lot of money. So, I feel like when you come from that kind of background, it's really easy to, like, burn through it, you know? You don't have the value of money stuck to your core. You're just kinda like, ‘Oh my gosh, I got all this all this blessing,’ and you kinda don't know how to handle it."
She recalls having to get the hang of it with the help of her mother, who helped her handle her finances during those early years.
Today, Rickie takes charge of most financial decisions, with Jessica referring to herself as the saver and her husband as the investor.
She also spends much of her shopping budget on clothes, bags, and shoes for Eliana.
"When I do these kind of photo shoots, people dress me anyways. And usually when I perform, I wear the dress once anyways, so I'm like, ‘You know, there's no reason in spending a lot for myself anymore.’ Plus it's fun dressing my baby," she says.
Faith is another important part of Jessica's everyday life.
Although she was raised Catholic, she says she began developing a deeper personal relationship with God as a born-again Christian around five years ago, with Rickie's guidance along the way.
She now considers her faith a foundation for her life and wants it to become an important part of her daughter's upbringing as well.
"I wouldn't be here without my faith. I was a completely different person back then, and I give all the credit to God."
Between raising her daughter, keeping her voice in shape, taking care of herself, and meeting the demands of the entertainment industry, Jessica often finds it hard to make time for everything.
Parenthood, she admits, has tested her patience and required her to develop a strength she did not know she had.
But even with all the demands that come with the life she once fantasized, she wouldn't trade it for anything.
The fine print, as she has learned, is that even the most fulfilling ambitions come with their share of difficult days.
"I always think about, you know, when I was younger, this is the life that I dreamed of. And so every single moment, even though it's hard, I'm like, this is what I wanted."
JESSICA SANCHEZ IS STILL RISING
Looking back at her younger self, Jessica has a simple message: They made it.
She says she never imagined that her career and personal life would bring her the opportunities and blessings she enjoys now, especially the backing she continues to receive from Filipino audiences whenever she visits the country.
"I wish I could tell her we did it, and God has provided more than we could ever imagine, ask, or think."
Jessica’s journey has had its share of difficult periods, however.
She credits her faith with helping her through some of her lowest moments, particularly when she felt she had nowhere else to turn.
Her husband, Rickie, has been a major source of support for the family.
He has always been there to reassure her whenever she has doubted her abilities or struggled with insecurities.
"He has really been my rock throughout my career," she says.
Being Mexican-Filipino has also become an increasingly important part of Jessica's identity.
Jessica grew up close to her Filipino relatives and immersed in their culture, but she says her connection to her roots deepened on her first trip to the Philippines after American Idol.
Experiencing the reception of Filipino audiences made her want to understand and embrace her heritage even more.
Since then, she has made an effort to return to the country as often as possible, nurturing a connection that has perpetually aged through the years.
Jessica is bringing that connection into her music as she works on her first Tagalog EP.
The project gives her room to explore another side of her artistry and offers fans a chance to hear her in a new way.
She confesses to being able sing in another language more naturally than speaking it, as she finds it easier to follow melodies and musical phrasing.
Nevertheless, she is excited about it and sees it as a way of expressing her appreciation for the Filipino audience that has boosted her for decades.
"I'm really excited to do it and give back to, you know, show my love and support to everybody out here for all of the years that they've showed up for me."
Her growing connection to her Filipino heritage is something she also hopes to instill in Eliana.
Motherhood has given Jessica a different perspective on her own upbringing, mostly her relationship with her Filipina mother, Editha Bugay-Sanchez.
Instead of focusing on what she might have wanted to change about her childhood, she has learned to approach her parents' decisions with greater understanding.
She honors the fact that her mother was also experiencing parenthood for the first time with her, and had to cope with raising a child with the resources and circumstances available at the time.
"Now that I'm older, too, and now that I'm a mother, I try to have grace," she explains.
Jessica says she is grateful for the relationship she continues to have with her mother, who has been a helping hand to her throughout her career.
It taught her to extend the same understanding to herself as she raises Eliana.
"I try to have grace and, you know, I'm just really grateful that I turned out the way that I did. And my mom is still in my life, and I love her so much."
When asked to describe this singular chapter of her life in one word, Jessica chooses "strength."
For her, it is the strength that comes from her faith, her belief in herself, and the challenges of motherhood.
It is also the strength required to persevere through rough patches, even when she does not always feel prepared for them.
"It's just kind of buttering up and like building up strength in just the very small places that I feel like I need it."
With a Tagalog EP in the works and more of her story still unfolding, Jessica has every reason to look forward to the seasons up ahead.
The accomplishments that once seemed like distant dreams are now part of her life, but they have not diminished her appetite one bit.
Still soaring toward the next crests, Jessica Sanchez is writing her next chapter in her own voice.
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
EXECUTIVE EDITOR, SHOOT PRODUCER: Karen Pagsolingan
PHOTOGRAPHY: Stephen Capuchino
CREATIVE DIRECTION: Nikko Tuazon
TEXT/INTERVIEW: FK Bravo
STYLIST: Rolee Umali
STYLIST’S ASSISTANTS: Ricci Leonardo
HAIR: Donna Esmillo
PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANTS: Joshua Navato
VIDEO: Rommel Llanes, Kim Benedict Manalo
BILLBOARD PRODUCER / OOH EDITOR: Rommel Llanes
SOCIAL MEDIA: Nikko Tuazon, Allyanah Calinao
Shot on location at the Chairman’s Lounge in Okada Manila
SPECIAL THANKS to Carlo Orosa of Stages Talents; Allan Altera of A-List Talent Booking Agency; and Jvan Manansala, Faye Ycay, Godwin Domingo, Kristine Bibat, Aaron Ang, and Jason Esguerra of Okada Manila
LAYOUT 1:
Brown silk halter top and wide leg pants from Karimadon Philippines
LAYOUT 2:
Teal green halter dress from Karimadon Philippines
LAYOUT 3:
Black blazer with white corset designed by Jaydie Dela Cruz of Jwash&Jhaydie’s
LAYOUT 4:
White Iridescent embellished corset gown designed by Vee Tan of Vee Tan Studios
