James Reid wears a polo t-shirt, pants and loafers from Gucci on the cover.

James Reid has always managed to reinvent himself. He has never lost that effortless magnetism, whether under the burning stage lights, in front of a camera, or behind the scenes as a creative force. Photos from his recent Instagram posts gave a glimpse of what this new chapter looks like: a cosy bedroom bathed in tones of warm hues, a guitar propped in a corner, and a half-written notebook on his bed. The intimate and symbolic scene sets the tone for jgh — short for just got home — Reid’s latest EP. While its interpretation is anyone’s guess, the title is perhaps a reflection of Reid’s deeper journey: a return to himself, his roots, and his most authentic artistic expression.

Jacket, Gucci

This past year has been a whirlwind for this Filipino-Australian artiste. Between his wave-making EP release and the highly publicised return to acting in 2025 were complications related to his independent record label Careless Music, involving the now-dismissed business partner Jeffrey Oh. Still, Reid is not distracted and has managed personal growth and professional evolution with a calmness that stems from knowing who he is. In this exclusive interview with Men’s Folio, Reid reflects on the highs and challenges of 2024, his creative process, and the balancing act of rediscovering his artistic identity while preparing for his next big chapter.

“This year has been an absolute rollercoaster. Probably the most polarising year I’ve had yet. But it’s mostly positive,” Reid admits, which is telling from an artiste who has spent a decade navigating the shifting tides of entertainment and personal growth.

Sweater, jeans, boots all Balenciaga

In 2024, Reid has been many things, juggling from musician to entrepreneur and everything in between. His schedule has been unrelenting, but he embraces it with characteristic charm. “I’ve been rocking all my hats,” he laughs. Between completing jgh, managing Careless Music, and preparing the ground for his acting return, Reid has approached the year with what he calls a “full send” mindset. One of the most fateful moments of the year definitely came when Randomantic — a song he dropped nearly a decade ago (nine years to be exact) — went viral and reignited interest in his early discography. “It’s wild,” he says. “That song always meant something to me, so seeing it connect with a new audience years later is like a love letter from the past.” It is a moment that underlines one recurrent theme in Reid’s life and career: embracing the cyclical nature of growth and creativity.

But it has not been easy. Reid is frank about the challenges of trying to manage public expectations with the pursuit of personal fulfilment. “There are some things you just can’t control, and I’ve learnt to accept that,” he says. “It’s easy to get lost in everyone’s opinions, but my goal is to focus on how far my talents can take me. Everything else is just confetti.” That mentality has been the driving force behind jgh, a project representing a return to his roots as a singer-songwriter, and a celebration of self-expression.

Jacket, shorts, all Emporio Armani

For Reid, jgh is not merely an EP but a framing of his current state of mind. “This EP is me trying to capture who I am musically, lyrically and personally,” he says. With its introspective musings and carefully layered music, the project does feel like intimate contact between Reid and his listeners.

Among them, Mirasol, which means sunflower in Tagalog (the song is written in Tagalog, Reid’s mother tongue), is about love, patience and resilience. It blends vulnerability with optimism. “Every flower must grow through the dirt,” Reid shares, borrowing from one of his favourite expressions. “The best messages in songs originate from someone’s pain or what they’ve learnt from it. And the best people are those who have overcome their darkness. I see love when flowers, songs and people are in bloom,” Reid added when asked how the song resonated with him beyond platonic and romantic love, but also love for his creative pursuits, and even self-love.

Vest, jeans, all Polo Ralph Lauren, Socks, Stylist’s own

Writing in Reid’s mother tongue was not just an artistic decision, but also a way of reconnecting with his heritage. Three of the six-track EP were written in Tagalog, while a fourth was a mix of English and Tagalog. “It’s a bit of both. I wanted to bring together the different elements of my past and present,” Reid says. “It’s a way of honouring where I’ve been while showing where I’m going.”

But jgh is not all about looking inward. Reid’s ability to weave personal anecdotes with broader reflections on love and identity sets the EP apart as one of his most cohesive works to date. “I don’t mean to sound selfish, but it’s not the releasing of the music that excites me — it’s making it,” he admits. The love for creating is palpable in every note from jgh, which almost feels like an unfiltered look into Reid’s artistic soul.

For fans of Reid’s acting, 2025 promises to be an exciting year. It has been five long years since he vanished from screens, but he will be back, and this time with a point to prove. “It’s exciting,” he says, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of stepping back into the world of film and television. “I’m in a much better headspace now than when I stopped acting.”

The break from acting was not simply a career choice but for Reid to take a necessary journey in growing up. As he points out, “It’s taken years, but finally, I think I have come into my purpose and figured where I am going in this life. I’m an artiste. Music and acting are play, and I work for those I love.” Instead of separating music and acting, this newfound understanding has reformed his feelings toward both mediums, allowing the two to be complementary expressions rather than competing ones for him. Though Reid remains tight-lipped about the characters and projects he is keen to take up, he reveals his curiosity about how he fits into this new chapter. “The acting landscape has changed much since I was last on screen five years ago. I’m curious how this will unfold.”

Shirt, pants, all Saint Laurent

Of course, it will not be easy balancing his renewed acting career with his musical ventures, but with a palpable ambition tempered by a grounded understanding of the sacrifices and challenges ahead, Reid feels undaunted. “I’ll balance both somehow, with difficulty perhaps,” he says with a laugh when quizzed about managing both aspects concurrently. “But now feels like the right time to make it all happen.”

As the year winds up, Reid talks of times with loved ones and goes over the journey. “I’m just trying to soak up these moments before I shoot off into space,” he says, half-jokingly but wholly sincere. The reminder is there in the way he speaks so fondly of those anchoring him: people, passions, even home — each a special place of comforting familiarity. What makes Reid so utterly unique in an industry often favouring flash over any semblance of substance lies in his commitment to authenticity in all things: his approach to music, acting and entrepreneurship alike bespeaks openness to attract fans worldwide.

Shirt, Ferragamo

With Christmas around the corner, the self-confessed firm believer of Santa Claus muses about jgh’s release as a timely gift to his fans. “I would be over the moon if people considered jgh a gift. Instead, I see this EP as a gift to myself and the fruit of my self-development and my love for making music,” Reid contemplates earnestly.

With jgh serving as milestone and manifesto, and his return to acting on the horizon, Reid is entering 2025 as a reinvented, born-again artiste. Reid’s story is one of growth, resilience, and the quiet power of staying true to oneself — a narrative that feels both timeless and timely in a world, as he puts it, where everything else is just confetti.

Photography Chee Wei
Creative Direction & Styling Izwan Abdullah
Interview Asaph Low
Fashion Coordination Manfred Lu
Grooming & Hair Kenneth Chia
Styling Assistant Vanessa Grace Ng

Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our December/January 2025 issue.