WITH his good looks and talent, a Cebuano singer, who became a crowd favorite as soon as he stepped on the “Pinoy Boyband Superstar” stage, was one of the three lucky aspiring boy band members who made it through ABS-CBN’s newest talent contest that premiered last Saturday.
Niel Murillo,17, charmed his way into the hearts of the four judges as he serenaded them with the song “Mahal na Mahal” during the Saturday auditions. Judges Vice Ganda, Sandara Park, Yeng Constantino and Aga Muhlach made a standing ovation and danced to his performance.
It was not a surprise that he was able to get the nod of the four judges.
“Great job! I am so proud of you and to your family,” said Vice Ganda.
“I’m speechless. You sing so well. You are so special. I think you can be in YG,” commented Sandara Park.
“I’m happy that you sing so good. I saw in you the Pinoy Boyband Superstar,” said Aga Mulach.
“You touched and hit my heart with your performance. I really wanted you to succeed. I wanted to see you again,” remarked Yeng Constantino.
On social media, many netizens expressed for the young Cebuano talent, including no less than the “The Voice Kids” judge and Broadway star Lea Salonga.
“Fell in love with @boybandNiel tonight. Great face and great voice! Good luck!,” Lea tweeted Saturday night.
Niel also captivated the female audience in the studio, getting a 96 percent approval rate from them, that eventually allowed him to perform before the four judges.
In “Pinoy Boyband Superstar,” based on the Latin-American singing competition series La Banda, the aspiring boy band members have to go through the live audience, get at least 75 percent of approval before performing live in front of the judges.