Jessica Sanchez first captured national attention as a 10-year-old competitor on the inaugural season of “America’s Got Talent” in 2006. Six years later, at 16, she became the runner-up on “American Idol.” Now 29, the San Diego native is married, expecting her first child, and returning to the stage where her journey began.
After a significant step back from the spotlight following the commercial disappointment of her 2013 debut album, “Me, You & The Music,” Sanchez has redefined her relationship with her career.
“Back then, music felt like a job. Now, I’m at a place where music feels like something I’m blessed to be able to do,” Sanchez said ahead of her return performance on “America’s Got Talent,” nearly two decades after her first appearance. “It’s not like: ‘I have to do this.’ It’s: ‘I get to do this’.”
This new perspective was hard-won. Signed to a major label while still a homeschooled high school junior, Sanchez struggled to develop her identity under the intense pressure of the music industry. The world of pop music, driven by image and fleeting trends, proved challenging for the young singer.
Following her “Idol” success, Sanchez’s career reached impressive heights. She performed for President Obama at the White House, appeared on a PBS National Memorial Day Concert telecast, and sang at the Democratic National Convention. With guest roles on the hit series “Glee” and representation from a top booking agent at Creative Artists Agency, her future seemed bright.
However, by 2014, just a year after her album’s release, she had parted ways with Interscope Records. Her relationship with CAA also ended. While she released several singles in subsequent years, only 2016’s “Stronger Together” made a notable impact on the charts. The more she tried to establish an artistic niche, the more demoralized she became.
“Being so young, I sort of got lost in the business a little and I kind of fell out of love with music for a while,” explained Sanchez, who now lives in Houston with her husband, Rickie Gallardo. “I felt like music became a job where there were requirements I had to meet as a woman in the industry — and as a Filipino woman in the industry. You go through a lot of rejection.”
Feeling insecure, she made a conscious choice to retreat. “I had to take a step back and figure out who I was. I immersed myself in family and faith,” she recalled. The move from Los Angeles to San Diego, and later to Irvine, helped her find stability. “I may not be exactly what the labels want or what the industry wants. I’m more quiet and timid, and I feel like that’s okay. I don’t have to win the approval of everybody.”
Her current focus is reflected in her listening habits. “I mostly listen to worship music,” she said. “So, that’s on my playlist, 24/7, and I’m singing along and praising the Lord in my kitchen and the car.”
Returning to “America’s Got Talent” marks a full-circle moment. “I’m completely different now,” Sanchez stated. “I’ve grown, I’ve matured and know who I am as an artist and young woman. With the years of experience I now have, my voice and tone have matured. So, I’m excited to do this familiar thing in such a different way. I’ve done it before, but it feels brand new.”
Reflecting on the whirlwind of her “American Idol” experience—which included landing in a helicopter at an empty Petco Park and being greeted by cheering crowds on the USS Midway—she admits it’s all still surreal.
“Honestly, it’s still unreal,” Sanchez said. “I look back on the footage of all those things, and I was so young then that I didn’t fully digest it. Now, it doesn’t feel like my identity will be shaken. I know who I am and music is just part of my journey.”
