Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo had a different dream in mind when she was a little girl — she wanted to be a pop star.

The beauty queen made the revelation in her interview with Metro.Style, which has featured her as its latest cover girl.

“We are a family of singers… And I’m always the vocalist,” she shared, adding that her relatives play different musical instruments.

“I love singing! We have that kind of bonding. When there’s always like an event or a celebration, we always have a karaoke,” she added.

When asked what she usually sings in the karaoke, Manalo mentioned two of the country’s power belters, Regine Velasquez and Sarah Geronimo.

“Since we are a very traditional family, my uncle would always make me sing [songs by] Regine Velasquez. If not, it’s Sarah Geronimo, and I grew up loving Sarah Geronimo,” she said. “So yeah, those kinds of music were what I would listen [to] or play… ‘To Love You More’ was what I sang first of Sarah Geronimo’s music.”

Another all-time favorite song of hers is “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole, with Manalo saying she loves performing it for her parents.

While she grew up as a singer, life had other plans for Manalo, who went on to work as a professional model, and eventually enter pageantry.

She first joined Miss World Philippines in 2017 and finished in the Top 15, before winning the Miss Universe Philippines 2024 crown.

As for her preparations for the upcoming Miss Universe competition, Manalo said she has been working on her runway walk and communication skills, with the latter being honed by meeting new people.

“I want to give back to the Philippines. So whatever it is that I’m [preparing] for, it’s promoting the Philippines in so many ways,” she said.

Manalo is aiming for the Philippines’ fifth Miss Universe crown, after Catriona Gray (2018), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), Margie Moran (1973), and Gloria Diaz (1969).

Her predecessor, Michelle Dee, finished in the Top 10 of last year’s edition of Miss Universe in El Salvador, on top of winning special awards.