People weren't lying when they talked about the power of the Filipino throat chakra. Lo and behold, here comes another Filipino singer-turned-K-pop Idol, JL Gaspar. By securing the first place in the Korean survival show Universe League, the Philippines once again takes pride in the remarkable talent of Filipinos in the entertainment industry, specifically when it comes to singing.
With a big dream and a mic in hand, JL pushed his way through the tedious process of debuting as a K-pop idol. Despite the obstacles that he faced as a Universe League contestant, he persevered until the end and will now be following in the steps of his fellow Filipino idols who are products of survival shows and have successfully debuted, such as KATSEYE's Sophia Laforteza, UNIS' Elisia, UNIS' Gehlee, and more.
JL's achievement as a singer might already be interesting enough to capture your attention, but there’s another thing about him that's also worthy to take note of. JL was born and raised in Muntinlupa City, a certified Muntinlupeรฑo. That's right, he's the best representation of the tagline "Muntinlupa, Nakakaproud!". Who could have guessed that our next idol would come from the land of our very own?
There's no doubt that we should partake in celebrating his victory; however, we should also remember to appreciate his efforts in pursuing his dream and his gradual rise to fame. After all, success is obtained through hard work and sacrifices. With that said, let us dig deeper behind JL Gaspar's road to becoming an idol and learn who this star really is.
INTRODUCING, JL GASPAR
Born on April 21, 2004, Jay Lawrence Gaspar is currently a 20-year-old who decided to share his immense talent in performing. Beginning his career in the Philippines, JL is an artist under a Filipino-based company, SBTown, which is known for its artists, including YGIG. [1]
Growing up in the city of Muntinlupa, JL spent his high school days in Muntinlupa National High School and was part of the Supreme Student Government when he was in 10th grade [2]. The official Facebook page of both the city government of Muntinlupa and his former school offered their congratulatory greetings, expressing their pride and joy towards the artist’s accomplishment.
Furthermore, JL is not only making headlines locally but also on a national level. After securing the top spot in the Universe League, he has been continuously featured in several articles. The Filipinos, together with JL’s fans, recognized his exceptional talent and showed their support for the star’s skyrocketing career.
FROM P-POP TO K-POP
Before joining as a contestant in the Universe League, JL’s quest for achieving his K-pop ambition began when he trained in the span of four years to become a member of PLUUS, a P-pop boy group launched by SBTown in March 2023. [3]
While JL was still an active member of PLUUS, they were able to release songs, including their mini album “+.Y.M.”. Then, a year after PLUUS’ debut, JL parted ways with the P-pop group to participate in the Universe League.
In the said survival show, JL’s opening statement went along the lines of, “From a small stage back home in the Philippines, with dreams bigger than ever, I made my way to Korea, the heart of K-pop. Standing on that glittering stage, just imagining it makes my heart race. I’m ready to take on the world. This is my destiny. And I’m going to shine.”
True to his words, JL is. During his first group performance in the Universe League, his all-rounder quality stood out and wowed both the mentors and the audience. With the combination of his capabilities as a singer-dancer throughout the competition and a whopping vote count exceeding 3 million, JL certainly shone brightly and is now set to debut in the K-pop group AHOF after finishing the survival show in first place.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR JL
Now that he has successfully proved his talent to the world, the only thing left for JL is to dominate the K-Pop stage. Following his victorious feat in the Universe League, JL is one step away from living his ultimate idol dream.
The singer will soon start his K-pop career as a member of the boy group AHOF, which stands for All-Time Hall of Famer. Alongside other international artists from South Korea, China, Taiwan, Australia, etc., JL’s activities in AHOF will be managed by F&F Entertainment. [4]
Although an exact debut date hasn’t been announced yet, AHOF is planned to kickstart in 2025. In light of this, a new door is once again opened for JL, with much greater opportunities waiting for him as an artist.
With the continuous support JL receives from his fans, his standing as an idol gradually increased. By executing great performances and exerting efforts, he did not disappoint the viewers and gave them even more reasons to support him.
Starting as a local artist to becoming a rising star in K-pop, JL is definitely making big waves in music. There is no doubt that he will make it far in whichever path he chooses for his career. His charismatic nature in performing, together with his overflowing potential, are just some of his many strengths that paved his way to success.
From national to global stages, JL is sure to win more hearts with his charm and skills. One can only imagine what wonders he will be able to bring to the K-Pop community.
As we reflect on JL’s path to achieving his dream, his passionate, hardworking, and committed traits are all brought to light. The star, using the talents that he was blessed with, built a name for himself slowly but surely.
Still, just like the rest of us, JL was once a dreamer too. And the reason why he’s in his place now is because he took risks, grabbed opportunities, and did his best to achieve his goals. His story implies that no dream is too big for someone who is willing to chase it. Take it from JL, for as long as you’re determined, nothing is impossible.
REFERENCES:
[1] Laipionne. (2024, July 17). PLUUS Members Profile (Updated!) - KPop Profiles. Kpop Profiles. https://kprofiles.com/pluus-members-profile/
[2] Muntinlupa National High School - Supreme Secondary Learner Government. (2025, January 26). ๐-๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐: ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐! Facebook.com. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19GHt7VSFa/?
[3] Ann Jenireene Gomez, & Ann Jenireene Gomez. (2025, January 24). PLUUS member JL Gaspar to debut in global K-Pop group ‘AHOF.’ Daily Tribune. https://tribune.net.ph/2025/01/24/pluus-member-jl-gaspar-to-debut-in-global-k-pop-group-ahof
[4] Nicart, L. (2025, January 25). JL of P-pop group PLUUS set to debut in K-pop group AHOF. Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2025/01/26/2416864/jl-p-pop-group-pluus-set-debut-k-pop-group-ahof
[5] HxTOxP. (2024, December 14). UNIVERSE LEAGUE ์ ๋๋ฒ์ค๋ฆฌ๊ทธ - Introduction + Audition (JL) [Eng Sub] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs-yR24A4Kw
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