{{Short description|Filipina singer (born 1991)}} {{Infobox musical artist | honorific_prefix = | name = Zendee | image = | alias = | birth_name = Zendee Rose Japitana Tenerefe | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|06|21}} | birth_place = General Santos, Philippines | instrument = Vocals | years_active = 2011–present | genre = Pop music <br/> Original Pilipino Music <br/> Rhythm and blues | label = Warner Music Philippines<br />MCA Music Entertainment Group | website = www.zendeesinger.com }} '''Zendee Rose Japitana Tenerefe''', known mononymously as '''Zendee''', is a Filipina singer & also a host. She rose to prominence after a video of her singing a karaoke version of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" was put on YouTube by Yuan Juan a.k.a. youngjay0918.<ref name="Inquirer">{{cite news |url=http://entertainment.inquirer.net/64968/next-big-thing-zendee-wows-em |title='Next big thing': Zendee wows 'em |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer|date=October 28, 2012 |access-date=December 17, 2013}}</ref> Known on YouTube as the "Random girl of SM Megamall" she gained a following and went on to sign with the record label Warner Music Philippines. Prior to her discovery, she had already participated in numerous singing competitions in the Philippines.
==Personal life== Tenerefe was born in General Santos in South Cotabato province until she moved to Manila to audition for the ABS-CBN talent search ''X Factor Philippines''. She failed to go far in the local version of ''X Factor'' but still made efforts to continue singing.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/11/15/12/zendee-opens-x-factor-ph-failure |title=Zendee opens up on 'X Factor PH' failure |work=ABS-CBN News |date=November 15, 2012 |access-date=December 17, 2013 |archive-date=January 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140121082017/http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/11/15/12/zendee-opens-x-factor-ph-failure |url-status=dead }}</ref> Tenerefe also won as the Gensan Pop Idol in 2007, an annual competition every Tuna Festival.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2012-08-15 |title=YouTube Random Girl comes home to GenSan |url=https://gensantos.com/youtube-random-girl-comes-home-to-gensan/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=GenSan News Online |language=en-US}}</ref>
Tenerefe is in relationship with Archer Perez, a shoutcaster, esports event host and content creator, since February 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-28 |title=28th, A night to remember |url=http://www.facebook.com/share/p/ndGAAGoHMFbbrb9B/?mibextid=oFDknk |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Facebook |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Discovery and viral video== On July 28, 2012, a video called "Random Girl" was uploaded to the video site YouTube by youngjay0918 a.k.a. Yuan Juan.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne9lqMbOSv8 |title=And I Am Telling You (Random Girl)(SM Megamall) |publisher=YouTube Channel youngjay0918 |date=July 28, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ph.she.yahoo.com/she-sightings--zendee-rose-japitana-tenerefe-a-k-a---random-girl-at-sm-megamall-.html |title=SHE Sighting: Zendee Rose Tenerefe a.k.a. "Random Girl at SM Megamall" |publisher=Yahoo! Philippines |date=August 11, 2012 |access-date=December 17, 2013 |archive-date=January 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123191724/http://ph.she.yahoo.com/she-sightings--zendee-rose-japitana-tenerefe-a-k-a---random-girl-at-sm-megamall-.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The video showed Tenerefe performing karaoke at the SM Megamall, Philippines. Her singing brought attention from viewers around the world and immediately became a viral video. The original video got over 2 million views in three months.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/10/26/12/random-girl-ph-performs-ellen |title='Random girl' from PH performs on 'Ellen' |work=ABS-CBN News |date=October 27, 2012 |access-date=December 17, 2013 |archive-date=November 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126090744/http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/10/26/12/random-girl-ph-performs-ellen |url-status=dead }}</ref> The video prompted the GMA Network magazine show, ''Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho'' to look for her and when she was found they featured her in one of their episodes.<ref name=":0" /> She admitted later that she sang in public to try and gain people's attention.<ref name="Inquirer" />
Another video of her singing at the same event was uploaded to YouTube where she sings "And I Am Telling You" from the musical ''Dreamgirls''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne9lqMbOSv8 |title=And I Am Telling You (Random Girl)(SM Megamall) |publisher=YouTube |date=2012-07-28 |access-date=2020-04-28}}</ref>
==Musical career== After Tenerefe was identified she began to be invited to TV shows. Her most "global" exposure was her appearance on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' after being invited by Ellen DeGeneres herself.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ellentv.com/episodes/halle-berry-and-zendee-rose-tenerefe/ |title=Girl nails Whitney Houston song on grocery store karaoke machine |publisher=Ellen |date=September 18, 2012 |access-date=December 17, 2013 |archive-date=December 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217082134/http://www.ellentv.com/episodes/halle-berry-and-zendee-rose-tenerefe/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Tenerefe is the fifth Philippine-raised singer to be invited after global superstar Charice, Ramiele Malubay, Rhap Salazar and Journey frontman Arnel Pineda.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 13, 2021 |title=LIST: Filipino talents featured on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' {{!}} ABS-CBN News |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/13/21/list-filipino-talents-featured-on-the-ellen-degeneres-show |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618092112/https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/13/21/list-filipino-talents-featured-on-the-ellen-degeneres-show |archive-date=2021-06-18 |access-date=2024-06-26 |url-status=live |website=ABS-CBN News}}</ref> She also met singer Jason Mraz and was the opening act in one of his concerts.<ref>[http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/309922/opinion/blogs/all-access-zendee-meets-jason-mraz All Access: Zendee meets Jason Mraz] GMA News. May 25, 2013</ref> Zendee released her debut album, ''I Believe'', in 2013. It has 10 songs and an acoustic version of her song "Runaway".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/i-believe/638565946 | title=I Believe by Zendee }}</ref> Her second album, ''Z'', was released in 2015.
==Discography== '''Albums''' * ''I Believe'' (2013) * ''Z'' (2015)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Showbitz |first=Manila Standard |date=2015-12-07 |title=Viral star Zendee's new album |url=https://manilastandard.net/mobile/article/193803#google_vignette |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=Manila Standard |language=en-US}}</ref>
'''Singles''' * "Runaway" (2012) * "Cutie Uyyy" (2021)
==Shows and guest appearances== {| class="wikitable" ! Year !! Title !! Character/Role !! Note(s) |- | 2023 || ''Mukhang Perya'' || Co-host || |- | 2023 || ''Sino'ng Manok Mo?'' || Co-host || |- | 2023 || ''Pera o Bayong'' || Co-host || |- | 2021–2022 || ''Sing Galing!'' || Online Digiverse host || |- | 2021 || ''Lunch Out Loud'' || Guest performer || |- | 2020 || ''Eat Bulaga: Bawal Judgmental'' || Contestant || Together with Marvin Fojas |- | 2019 || ''Tawag ng Tanghalan: Celebrity Champions'' || Celebrity contender || Batch 2 contender |- | rowspan="4"|2012 || ''Party Pilipinas'' || Guest performer || |- | ''Magpakailanman: The Zendee Life Story'' || Guest || Role portrayed by Louise delos Reyes |- | ''Headstart with Karen Davila'' || Guest || |- | ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' || Guest || |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
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Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:English-language Filipino singers Category:Filipino Internet celebrities Category:Filipino television personalities Category:Filipino women pop singers Category:People from General Santos Category:People from South Cotabato Category:Visayan people Category:Warner Music Group artists Category:21st-century Filipino singers Category:21st-century Filipino women singers