Playing From the Heart: Buboy's Path to His Own Sound

Buboy’s story is rooted in love and curiosity, shaped from an early age by both family and culture. His name, a Filipino nickname meaning “younger brother,” reflects his upbringing as the youngest of three, raised alongside two older sisters who helped guide him through the chaos and lessons of childhood. From singing One Direction in the car to learning how to play guitar, his sisters were his first supporters, nurturing a love for music that carried into high school, where his family continued to stand behind his passion and dreams.

Photo by Josianne Keenan

When he started making music, he had little to no music experience. He decided to learn to play guitar and based most of his music around this. Buboy cites his Filipino background as “a definite inspiration” for his music; he loves the romanticization of music and how intimate it feels. He takes influence from this by making his music deeply personal and full of love. From the way he plays the guitar to his vocal delivery on tracks, everything is intentional and made to ignite emotion. A great example of this is his first full body of work, “Sixteen,” an EP that goes into depth about Buboy’s experience in love. It's honest and powerful, a story that many can resonate with and reflect on. 

An additional impact that his Filipino culture has had on his artistry is his love for live performances. Buboy explains, “live shows are encouraged.” he reminisces on his family cheering him on as he performed for them in the living room at just 10 years old. Buboy carried this love with him into adulthood, doing live shows nearly 2 times a month. One of his longest stretches of shows was last spring when he went on his “Don't Waste Your Fridays” College Tour, performing all around the country at schools like UCLA, USF, and his own school, UF. He elaborates on this love for live shows by sharing “I feed off the crowd's energy, and it's a special moment when I get to share my music with others, it makes me feel free.” Buboy is a full-time student as well as all his band mates; the balance between music and school may be difficult to balance sometimes for the artist, but he describes it as “a lot of fun, but a grind for sure”. He studies Film and visual studies and wants to apply this more often this year to build a world around his music and make something that nobody would expect. 

Photo By Amanda Laferriere

Some other goals he has for this year are to find his niche sound, he wants to experiment in new ways, and to find his own lane without judgment. He reflects on times where he would compare himself to other artists and how it made him “discouraged and not authentic to myself”, he wants to leave this habit in the past and make music in a way that challenges. He also wants to focus on training his voice to sing in a way that is healthier to help preserve his voice, as he wants to do more live shows in 2026. Outside of music, he wants to get his body right and enjoy more movies. Buboy doesn’t want to be put in a box; he’s a strong soul who challenges himself to be better in life and in music.