Embodying what her generation is known for—that relentless fight-til-the-end spirit—Alexa Ilacad was determined to give her 'opponents' a good fight in "Your Face Sounds Familiar: The Grand Showdown."
"When I accepted the show, my goal was to reintroduce myself to people but this time as a performer,” said Alexa, who started In showbiz as a kiddie commercial model and child actress. And she couldn't be more proud of the journey, because she can look back and say she poured every ounce of her talent into every single transformation. "I gave it my all."
For Alexa, she deserves to win because, as viewers themselves have noted, she's consistent and she never settles for half-baked performances. "Week after week, you see my heart on stage, and I think that's winner material."
In turn, every fiber of effort and artistry she brought to the competition was met with an outpouring of love and appreciation from viewers, with her transformations trending almost week after week. And even at the finish line, she made sure her finale act was repost-worthy as she took on Shakira, who, much like her, is an empowering woman.
Alexa wanted to close her “YFSF” stint by flexing her combined singing and dancing skills in full force, and by truly living up to her title as a Gen Z Total Performer. And who better to do that through than Shakira. Mentors Klarisse De Guzman and Nyoy Volante didn't have to work too hard to coach her either, confident that she'd slay on again— apart from a few pointers on vibrato and focusing on the belly dancing.
Alexa set the stage on fire with her with sultry, magnetic movements, dressed in a red belly dancing costume, with fringe that caught every sway of her hips. Her vibrato was strong, sounding so much like Shakira, and not once did she break character throughout the entire sing-and-dance spectacle.
After the performance, Alexa was met with loud cheers and applause from the audience, the jurors, and her friend Darren Espanto, who came to watch in the studio. The gratitude was written all over her face, teary-eyed as she reflected on how "YFSF" made her see her ‘tapang’ or bravery. "Sometimes I'm not sure why I'm here and why I joined the competition going up against such amazing people but tinapagan ko," she said.
The judges, too, watched her grow all season. Ogie Alcasid noted that he's seen Alexa's vision for executing numbers—and that takes real guts "'Yung apoy mo ay sobrang maliwanag. Kitang-kita ka namin. Ang galing galing mo," he told her.
Gary Valenciano validated that Alexa had indeed succeeded in reintroducing herself as an artist. The OPM icon thanked her for the inspiration she's given her fellow Gen Zs, too. "You gave your heart and your soul," said Gary,"Hindi lang entertainment ang naibigay mo sa amin but you gave a lot of people inspiration that a young one like you can come out, reintroduce herself as a performer, and succeed in doing so."
"YFSF" also revealed a surprise when Pepe Herrera made an appearance. Pepe was one of the season's performers but had to withdraw midway to focus on his mental health. He was back to support his friends and to present Alexa with a special tribute called the "Todo Na 'To" Award, because for Alexa, "pwede na" is never an option. Every transformation got the maximum level of passion, talent, and effort she had to give.
Tomorrow, April 12, the "Your Face Sounds Familiar" Season 4 Grand Champion will finally be crowned. Catch the finale episode on ABS-CBN sa ALLTV2, Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, and iWant.