Fresh from a candid guesting on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, Gen Z crooner Rob Deniel opened up about the moments that shaped his journey—equal parts wide-eyed fandom and high-stakes artistry.

Speaking with host Boy Abunda, Deniel revisited a childhood memory that still makes him smile: lining up for a photo with hometown hero Alden Richards, back when the latter’s star power was at full tilt.

“Opo. Sobrang grabe po ’yung name na Alden Richards nung time na ‘yun eh. So nung nalaman namin na pumunta siya sa subdivision namin, parang nagka-tsismis na so pumila kami sa labas ng bahay no’n.”
(“Yes. Alden Richards’ name was really huge at that time. So when we found out he came to our subdivision, word spread, and we lined up outside the house.”)

It’s a snapshot of innocence—before stages, spotlights, and expectations—when admiration was simple and dreams felt close enough to touch.

That same honesty carried into Deniel’s recollection of a far more daunting chapter: accepting the challenge of mounting a musical tribute to Ogie Alcasid by revisiting OPM staples “Nandito Ako” and “Ikaw Sana.” For a young artist still carving his identity, the pressure was real.

“Nakakakaba po sa totoo lang. Nung time na ’yon parang hindi ko alam kung tatanggapin ko po ’yung offer na magbigay ng tribute for Sir Ogie [Alcasid], not because hindi ko siya idol pero ’yung pressure na kakantahin ko siya sa harap niya tapos parang hindi ko alam kung paano ko ipu-pull off ’yung performance.
Pero ayun, thankful naman ako sa team, sa banda ko, na sila talaga ’yung nag-push sa ’kin po na ituloy natin ’to, na gawan natin ng sariling rendition.”
(“It was really nerve-wracking, honestly. At that time, I didn’t know if I should accept the offer to give a tribute to Sir Ogie Alcasid—not because I’m not a fan, but because of the pressure of singing in front of him and not knowing how I would pull off the performance.
But in the end, I’m thankful to my team and my band, because they really pushed me to go through with it and create our own rendition.”)

The confession underscores a defining truth of Deniel’s rise: confidence didn’t arrive overnight. It was built—note by note—through trust in collaborators and the courage to reinterpret classics without losing himself.

From lining up outside a neighbor’s house to standing tall before OPM royalty, Rob Deniel’s story is less about the leap and more about the steady steps in between—where nerves become fuel, nostalgia becomes grounding, and a new voice learns how to sing in its own key.