As stephn, Ian Veneracion Strips Away Celebrity With ‘Searching for stephn’ EP

Ian Veneracion has spent four decades in the public eye. But his latest project is an attempt to become a stranger. The veteran Philippine actor and “ultimate leading man” has officially launched a musical parallel to his career under the moniker stephn, marked by the release of his introspective debut EP, Searching for stephn.

Following an intimate press conference in Manila, Billboard Philippines sat down with the artist to discuss the psychological heavy lifting behind the name change, his acoustic evolution, and why he is finally ready to unmask.

The Psychological Hack: Dropping the “E”

The most immediate question regarding the project is the moniker itself, stephn, in lowercase. It is a stylized version of the first half of his birth name, Stephen Ian. For Veneracion, dropping the “e” is a deliberate attempt to bypass the “celebrity bias” that he says often follows established actors into the recording studio. He explains that he has always identified as Ian since he was a child, making the “Search for stephn” a functional tool for self-discovery.

“On the surface level with the audience, what I’m hoping happens is that people hear it with fresh ears,” Veneracion says. “If someone tells you, ‘Uy, pakinggan mo ’to, kanta ni ganito (Hey, listen to this, it’s a song by this person),’ you already start forming ideas, you already have a bias. But if it’s something unfamiliar, someone you don’t know, you listen differently. So I’m hoping it works that way.”

Beyond the audience’s perception, the name serves as a compass for his own creative output, allowing him to question what his “taste” actually is before the noise of world influences took hold. 

He describes the process as a “journey into a primordial“ version of himself. 

“I’ve assigned this creative side — whether I’m painting or making music — to this primordial character, or the ‘little me,’ Stephen. My mom used to say ‘Steh-fen,’ my dad would say ‘Stee-phen,’ so I can’t really know. And that’s what I like about it — I don’t know.”

“I Walk Alone”: Sentimental Freedom

The lead single, “I Walk Alone,” features a pop-acoustic sensibility, pairing rhythmic, John Mayer-esque guitar work with a contemplative lyrical core. When asked if the track serves as a metaphor for solitude or independence, Veneracion notes it is a blend of both. He describes it as a kind of sentimental freedom where one realizes that, even with the closest people in life, a person can never be fully understood.

“Your experience is really only for your own eyes and ears, from your own perspective,” he says. “Two people can watch the same movie and come away with completely different interpretations and emotional responses. So what more with life — taste, sound, visuals? It’s all very subjective. That’s what makes it both special and, at the same time, a little sad. That’s my take on it.”

Receiving the Frequency

Veneracion, who is also an accomplished painter and a pilot, and speaks in a reflective, intellectual, and philosophical manner, views his music not as a product of “math or logic,” but as a process of “listening” to the world around him. He describes himself more as a “conduit” than a traditional songwriter, noting that he doesn’t believe ideas necessarily come from the individual. Instead, he sees artists as “receivers of frequencies” shaped by mood, body chemistry, and environment.

This observational approach allows him to write from perspectives far removed from his own celebrity status. 

“I can write a song about anything. Even a plant,” he says, pointing to a potted plant. “For example, how does a plant feel if it’s never touched, always ignored, never rooted properly, never fully experiencing sunlight? I can write from that perspective. Parts of myself will come out in it, but it’s not about me. It’s about imagining what that experience feels like.”

Parallel, Not Rebranded

This new era is a significant departure from his previous discography, which saw him navigate the industry as “Ian.” He first established a musical footprint with romantic OPM ballads and successful covers like “Afraid for Love to Fade,” eventually transitioning into more experimental territory with the two-part Beyond Bullsh#!t sessions in 2024. While those earlier works were about breaking out of a mold, this new project goes further into the core.

But Veneracion is quick to clarify that this isn’t a permanent departure from the screen, but a “parallel existence.” He views this as an “expansion” and another aspect of himself that the public hasn’t seen. 

“It’s not really a rebrand — it’s parallel. I’m already an actor, people have seen me grow all these years, since I was five. This isn’t another mask. It’s actually unmasking. It’s going to a more raw version of that aspect of myself — one that’s not pressured by expectations, celebrity, or anything like that. It’s just pure play and creative work.”

Listen to stephn’s new EP, Searching for stephn, below: