Darren Espanto is indeed one of the biggest acts in Philippine music, having made a permanent mark in the industry with multiplatinum albums, sold-out concerts, critically acclaimed performances and a catalogue of No. 1 singles. Officially considered as one of the most successful Filipino male Pop-R&B artists of the last decade, he has amassed more than 100 million streams on Spotify and millions more in views on YouTube together.

Known for his incredible vocal chops, stellar stage presence and boyish appeal, his immense success cannot be confined in recording alone, rendering him one of the most exceptional talents of his generation to date.

Still only 20 years old given a lifetime worth of achievements, there's no stopping Espanto from continuing to improve his craft. With many years ahead of him, imagine what else this musical prodigy can accomplish?

His feet still firmly planted on the ground, the singer nonetheless insists he was far from the phenomenon the public thought him to be when he started his career seven years ago.

'The Darren before was just a kid on TV - very shy, kulang pa sa confidence sa sarili niya, sa pag-pe-perform, and of course, the songs that I used to sing were more of 'pang bata',' he reminisced.

He knew he had much to work on all around - from his singing to his image - and he gladly put in the hard work.

'My physical appearance, as well as my sound, is a lot more mature today. The Darren that people heard from 'The Voice Kids' in 2014 didn't go through puberty yet, and now we're here,' he chuckled.

'But more importantly, the Darren now is a lot more sure about what he wants to do in terms of his career and all his decisions in life, be it as an artist and a person,' he added. 'Now, the songs that I sing are songs that I want to perform and want to give my own spin on, as with the rest of my personal life.'

Asked what keeps someone like him going and going, the ever grateful talent winner look to his family, friends and fierce 'Darrenatics' fans in taking his musical passion to the next level.

'You can't take the passion out of me; it runs in my blood. I can't see myself not doing this ever in my life. Ever since I was a kid, this is what I've always wanted to happen to me and now that I have it, I just want to stay driven. I want to stay creative and create new music, and develop my craft even more.'

Leaving his teenage persona behind, Espanto is all set to showcase his transformation as a singer-performer the digital concert 'Home Run' on June 19 and 20.

With an edgier repertoire and vibe, he also considers the show his 'comeback.'

'It's called 'Darren Home Run' because in the past seven years parang naikot ko na po lahat ng bases in the music and concert scene in the Philippines. So, it's kind of like I hit a home run in this show. I just came back from Canada [where he was born and raised] so I'm very excited to perform again,' Espanto explained.

Initially scheduled last May 30 and 31, the concert was rescheduled after the singer was exposed to Covid-19. Needing to complete quarantine, he emerged free from the virus and with all the more energy to resume rehearsals and other preps for the ABS-CBN Events and MCA Music collaboration.

His first major solo virtual concert, 'Home Run' will be directed by Paolo Valenciano who has successfully mounted the earliest digital productions of Espanto's senior OPM stars. Along with Valenciano, TV direction will be provided by Jon Moll and musical direction by Soc Mina, with choreography by D Grind.

'This is a more mature Darren na makikita niyo sa show. Rehearsals palang sobrang excited na ako na makita ng tao what we have prepared para sa kanila,' the digital concert sphere's man of the moment enthused.

Of course, one of the concert's highlights will be Espanto's performance of 'Tama Na,' his latest hit single that lyrically speaks of unrequited love in an uncharacteristic pop, hip-hop and R&B sound for the singer.

'I really liked the song instantly because it's a sound that people haven't heard from me before. It's also a genre I've always wanted to try,' he added.

Without needing to say it, that's how Espanto stays on top of his game. He takes risks rather than keeping safe with his tried and tested formula.

'They'll definitely see a more mature Darren here. But there will still be a mix of familiar songs which were personally chosen by me and are close to my heart. May relation sila with my journey throughout the years sa showbiz so they will definitely be there along ones that I haven't done before. It's all very exciting and pangmalakasan,' he promised, using the popular Filipino catchphrase.

Tickets for 'Darren Home Run: The Comeback Concert' are still available for purchase via KTX.ph, iWantTFC, and TFC IPTV. Meanwhile, his latest single 'Tama Na' is available for streaming on various digital music streaming services.