On the “Your Face Sounds Familiar” Valentine’s Day episode, Jason Dy hit the iconator and transformed into Cardi B for a stage-shaking performance of the Afro-Latina icon’s “I Like It,” and we didn’t just like it—we loved it. The act earned him another trophy as the show’s 10th weekly winner.
As soon as he stepped out into a gorgeous multi-colored ensemble (tying the whole look with matching yellow boots that were so adorbs) the judges were already stunned with the accurate physical transformation. And then Jason opened the number lying on the stage, with the camera taking a cinematic top shot. Midway through the routine, he slipped off his skirt to reveal a form-fitting bodysuit underneath (the pom-pom detailing was very Cardi-coded, of course).
We, at ABS-CBN Studios, caught up with Jason after his win. According to him, the number was a recreation of Cardi’s 2018 American Music Awards performance and he was hands-on throughout the preparation, wanting to stay as faithful as possible to the original. In fact, he personally pitched some of the staging ideas (including the opening sequence) and coordinated with the wardrobe team on specific costume elements (such as the detachable skirt inspired by the reference).
WATCH: Jason Dy channels Cardi B in a bold and electrifying performance
He's glad that the “YFSF” team was very open to his suggestions. Breaking down his process, Jason shares that he first made sure the song would stick in his memory by playing it on loop, which really helped since the opening had him lying on the floor with no view of the teleprompter, meaning zero room for guesswork.
Unlike the ballads he usually performs, hip-hop jams such as “I Like It” demand precision in every lyric. “I had to memorize the song talaga. Mahirap siya i-memorize kasi maraming words, eh. It’s a rap, eh,” he recalls. “Kami kasi ng mga seniors, sanay kami sa muscle memory na kahit hindi namin alam ’yung words, nadadala kami sa melody ng kanta. So, naaalala namin ’pag hindi kami masyadong pamilyar. Pero ito kasi talaga, words are important kasi it’s a rap song.”
Even the pauses had to be carefully studied to avoid running out of breath mid-verse. Of course, he also worked on Cardi's Bronx accent for that sharp 'New York' bite.
Once the song felt automatic in his system, he went down a Cardi rabbit hole online to study her moves and personality. He watched her live stages, interviews, and even her viral memes to soak up that 'Cardi' attitude.
Jason put the same level of effort into the choreography timing, making sure every move — even the exact moment he had to rip off the skirt—was precise enough to prevent stage blunders. During rehearsals, he had his runs filmed and flipped the videos so he could mirror the moves down to the last detail, while keeping in mind mentor Nyoy Volante’s pointer to find that sweet spot between femininity and swag, because Cardi may be sexy and playful, but she still has that rapper edge.
It also helped that he listens to a lot of her music. He’s a huge Cardi fan himself, hence the excitement. But at the same time, he battled fear and anxiety or what he describes as “impostor syndrome,” that nagging feeling that makes you question if you’re really good enough for the job.
“Feeling ko hindi ko kaya. Feeling ko hindi kaya ng skill set ko. Kasi siyempre, unang-unang mahirap mag-rap. Pangalawa, ang hirap gayahin nung icon na napunta sa akin. Tapos, gender switch pa,” Jason opens up. “Minsan, I’m very critical of myself, masyado akong perfectionist. Masyado akong dapat, ‘Ay, ’yung last performance ko, may igaganda pa, eh.’ So, nauuna na ’yung, ‘Baka hindi ko magagawa.’”
But then again, the antidote to fear is preparation. When you put in the work, the unfamiliar starts to feel certain and you gain a sense of control over the whole thing.
Before stepping into the iconator, he silenced the nerves with a short prayer, asking for self-awareness and focus. Jason reminded himself he’d already done the work and just had to let the rest happen, trusting that whatever would come up onstage was already out of his hands. Even the small worries (like tripping on the stairs with his costume’s long train, tiny details that could throw off his timing if he lost focus for a split second) were included in that prayer as well.
The Prince of Soul also leaned on his friends and co-performers’ encouragement, while hyping himself up to just do his best even if this particular number came with more pressure than usual. "Every performance naman is always like that. But I think ito kasi ang daming challenges, ang daming mga balakid na dapat ma-overcome," he reflects. "So, ako, 'pag binibigyan ako ng challenge na mahirap, either feeling ko hindi ko kayang gawin, or gagalingan and I'm gonna give my one hundred percent para magawa."
Besides, he really wanted to do good, hoping Cardi herself might see the performance and like it.
Catch Jason’s amazing transformations on “Your Face Sounds Familiar,” airing weeknights, 7:15PM on Kapamilya Channel, ALLTV2, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL) and iWant.