A love of music led Denise Julia to a career in content creation with millions of followers at just 19 years old.
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In just a few years, Denise Julia went from an aspiring young musician to a breakout star with viral hits on social media. And no, we aren’t talking about that Denise Julia. This story is all about Denise Julia Alberto, the young TikTok star who’s known for posting song covers on social media.
While dozens of creators do the same thing she does, Denise Julia has stood out from the crowd with her effortless talent and bubbly personality, all to the tune of 4.6 million followers on TikTok alone. It’s an impressive feat considering that she has to balance that with the rigors of being a student, all while having the same name as one of the country’s hottest new R&B stars.
THE MUSIC LIFE
Denise Julia doesn’t sight a particular moment in her life that made her fall in love with music. Instead, it came to her naturally as she lived with a family that breathed music. “Since every single one of my grandparents has a deep love for music and every family gathering we had, you could expect a full band and a stage where all of my lolos and lolas sang and played each of their instruments,” she shares.
@deniseejuliaa angas 🥲🥲 #fyp #jujicovers #sabihin ♬ original sound – Denise Julia – Denise Julia
Being in the constant presence of music naturally shaped how she saw herself. It didn’t take long for this “connected” artist to realize that a music career was a possibility. “As a result of seeing Disney musicals like High School Musical and Camp Rock as a child, I like to simply burst out into songs and associate my moods with them.”
THE TIKTOK STAR
It was in 2020 that she took the next step of her musical journey as she joined TikTok and began posting hit song covers on the platform. But what exactly does it mean to deliver a great song cover? For her, it’s all about the emotions. “Getting into the song and acting as if you’re the artist who wrote it and is going through whatever the song is about is key to delivering the best covers.”
@deniseejuliaa Replying to @hoops_y LOVE by keyshia cole #fyp #jujicovers ♬ original sound – Denise Julia – Denise Julia
There was no guarantee that Denise Julia would experience success on TikTok. After all, she was competing with hundreds, if not thousands, of creators who did the same thing as her. But not only did she find her voice, but also an audience in the millions as she frequently scored viral video after viral video. “I certainly did not anticipate it to be this big, but building an audience has always been a goal of mine,” says Denise on her success on TikTok. “Even as a little girl, I really enjoyed performing and empowering others with what I had to offer.” Her rise on the platform is a development she does not take for granted.
@deniseejuliaa brownout na uhaw pa huy #fyp #jujicovers #uhaw ♬ original sound – Denise Julia – Denise Julia
“I still find it difficult to comprehend that millions of people follow and are familiar with me, which is why I continue to feel honored and surprised whenever I get recognized in public. In light of this, I want to express my gratitude to my devoted fans, who refer to themselves as the “JUJI Fam” and have supported me since 2020. To me, they have already become family.”
PRESSURES OF THE SPOTLIGHT
At just 19 years old, Denise Julia Alberto has experienced a breakthrough in social media that many young creators can only dream of. But with a big audience and following also comes pressure, something the young creator is all too aware of. “Knowing that millions of people may be watching me and ultimately discovering my flaws makes me feel a little more self-conscious about how I present myself to the media,” she reveals. Still, she doesn’t let the weight of her platform get to her because, after spending a few years as a content creator, she’s learned to value herself as an artist and human being.
@deniseejuliaa Replying to @_rawrryssaa be nice 😔😔 #fyp #jujicovers #snooze ♬ original sound – Denise Julia – Denise Julia
“As I immerse myself more in this social media environment, I’ve come to understand that the right people who really love and support you will always be there for you. I don’t receive many hate comments, but when I do, I like reading them, even if they might not be good for me. That’s because I’ve established a solid foundation for myself, one that prevents hateful comments from affecting me.”
Any social media user, whether they are a big creator or just a regular user, will experience the occasional hate comment. It (sadly) comes with the territory. But what Denise did not expect was that she would be dealing with a bit of an identity crisis. If it isn’t already clear, Denise Julia, the content creator, also shares the same name as Denise Julia, the rising Pinay R&B star.
As Denise Julia’s NVMD was rising on the charts, Denise Julia Alberto started getting comments mistaking her for the musician. As she recalls, “It didn’t bother me at first when I found out that I had someone na same name as me sa industry, but when people started to mistake me for her or the other way around, I won’t lie; I was unsatisfied with myself.”
The constant comparisons between the two Denise Julia’s left the content creator feeling like all her efforts were in vain. But a sense of purpose and passion redirected her to the right path. “I also understood that those who think I’m someone else simply don’t pay enough attention to the people they watch and listen to on social media, and that I shouldn’t take it personally because the people who genuinely support me have never let me down and have loved and supported me throughout this entire journey.”
And if you’re wondering, yes, the two have talked to each other, but only briefly on social media. “She had previously released a song that had been accidentally shared to my YouTube Music Channel. She even apologized and fixed it as soon as she could.”
GETTING THAT CPA
When Denise Julia was younger, she had a healthy diet of Disney musicals, which is appropriate when you think that her life somewhat mirrors that of Hannah Montana. On social media, she’s an established content creator. But when she logs off, she’s a 19-year-old accountancy student. It’s a development Denise admits has made for some awkward moments at school.
“I felt a little overwhelmed when I returned to my in-person classes. At school functions, students would approach me for a photo or exchange lengthy stares and whispers with their peers.” Luckily, her social media star power hasn’t translated to being treated as an outcast in school. “I believe that most of my classmates at school treat me equally because I try my best to make them feel comfortable naman with the energy I give off.”
With the success Denise Julia has made for herself on social media, she could have chosen to drop school and pursue content creation full-time. It’s a dream many Gen Z aspire for themselves. But that isn’t the case for Denise. Instead, she’s focused her energies on her main priority in life, which is school, while still putting in that work to tend to her responsibilities as a content creator.
“Surprisingly, I LOOOOVE studying! I believe that my love and enthusiasm for my chosen degree, a BS in Accountancy, is the reason why I am so “masipag” when it comes to studying, as friends and some viewers of my study vlogs have noticed. Since I try to manage my time properly and establish my priorities—which remain to be my studies—balancing school and producing content hasn’t been a challenge for me.”
STAR ON THE RISE
With a music talent, a focus on getting her CPA title, and a level of maturity that you often don’t find among 19-year-olds, Denise Julia Alberto has a bright future ahead of her. And aside from posting covers on TikTok, she’s also gearing up to release her original songs in the future. As she reveals, she has “a ton” of unfinished tracks in her vault. All she needs is the right producer to work with her in the studio.
“Finding a producer that could help me in creating, polishing, and working with my songs would be really beneficial. Writing lyrics come easy to me since I have no trouble putting my thoughts into words; all I need is help mixing and producing!”
@deniseejuliaa back to december szn 🥹🥹 #fyp #jujicovers #backtodecember ♬ original sound – Denise Julia – Denise Julia
Since she was three years old, Denise has been singing covers and filming videos. Needless to say, being a content creator is a career path she intends to follow. “I believe that being in front of a camera—singing, dancing, or even just talking—comes naturally to me because I was made for it. Since making videos, singing, and providing entertainment for others truly fills my heart, I pray to God every time that I get to do this for the rest of my life.”
Above the fame, following, opportunities, and attention social media has brought her, what matters most to Denise Julia is the positive impact she brings to people. “It fills my heart knowing that through my videos, I get to cheer people up or make their days and even motivate them in a lot of ways. One of the reasons I keep doing what I do is the possibility of making a difference in someone’s life and maybe influencing it positively.”
@deniseejuliaa Replying to @jaymwaaa MAHIWAGANG MIC #fyp #jujicovers #wonderfultonight ♬ original sound – Denise Julia – Denise Julia
And while being a content creator isn’t the walk in the park some people assume it to be, Denise Julia wants people to know that, if you put in the work, the rewards will be worth it. “Being a social media content creator isn’t easy. It’s absolutely not a 9-to-5 job wherein you become physically exhausted, but it sure can be mentally and emotionally harmful. But I will forever be grateful that I have been blessed with the platforms I have and the opportunities I get. Being able to spoil my parents and give back to them has always been my goal and because of the blessings I’ve received, I have been able to do that little by little.”
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