BANGKOK — We’re not sure how to define her whether as a vendor, a streamer, or an actress. But for ‘Guitar – Phromporn Phrommaphirom‘, she ‘knew it’ that she has achieved her dream of becoming a singer, marking the first step in her journey.
At 13, Guitar spent her free time after school as a live DJ on the Talk Talk platform. She started with a small salary of 500-1,000 baht, which grew to 100,000 baht by the time she was 15 or 16 years old. Even woke up at 4 am and live-streamed whenever she could to build a fan base.
During her time as a DJ, she began interacting with her audience through various means, including singing. By the age of 16, she started covering songs by her favorite artists and posted them on her YouTube channel, ‘Guiitarima’. This helped her gain recognition as a girl who enjoyed covering popular songs.
“I began live streaming on social media platforms for the first time and earned hundreds of thousands of baht per month. When I was 16, the Talk Talk platform closed. Other platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok started to grow, which gave me a chance to reach a larger audience. My viewers increased from hundreds on Talk Talk to thousands on these new platforms,” she shared confidently.
On Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, Guitar not only interacts with her fans and shares her daily activities but also covers popular songs and tells short stories of movies she has watched. This has helped her followers see more than just her singing.
Today, Guitar’s success as a streamer has led her to be invited by the Faculty of Management Sciences at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University to give an inspiring lecture to students. This is a testament to her achievements as a content creator on online platforms.
At ages around 16-17, Guitar faced significant changes in her life. After struggling with various singing contests and dealing with family business issue, she had to transfer schools. Adapting to the new environment was challenging, so she decided to focus on becoming an actress after attending a casting for a series. This led her to change her look from a young girl to a more mature appearance with curly hair.
“However, the series was never re-recorded, so I chose to use this look to enter the Miss Teen Thailand contest, where I made it to the top 50. I think my unique personality set me apart from other contestants. Although I didn’t win, the contest opened doors for me in the casting industry as an advertising actress,” she said.
Guitar added, “I feel more confident with my curly hair than with my straight hair because straight hair made me feel like I had to conform to trends. With my curly hair, I can be myself, which is my natural look.”
Being a Miss Teen Thailand contestant helped Guitar land her first acting role in the 2020 horror film ‘Who Haunted Forest,’ where she played a supporting role alongside Naek-Charlie Trairat. Their shared love for music led to Guitar contributing to Naek-Charlie’s hip-hop single ‘Maeng Wan,’ bringing her closer to her dream of becoming a singer.
Between 18-19, as Guitar’s life shifted towards the pageant world and acting, she also ventured into business due to her own skin problems. Using a secret Thai herbal formula from her mother, she created the brand Maertar. The brand, which includes a variety of products, achieved significant sales on e-commerce platforms, thanks in part to Guitar’s promotion of the products through her streaming channels.
Guitar was determined to become a singer. She had the chance to train with a record label for several years, but due to opportunities in advertising and acting, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided to leave the trainee position. Instead, she became a freelance artist, continued acting, and ran her skincare brand, all while hoping to release first song someday.
Despite her successful acting roles and the thriving skincare business, Guitar faced language barriers that led her to pursue language studies in England at age 20. “Living in England for nearly a year helped me mature. London is a place of opportunities, and I met music producers who broadened my understanding of different music styles. It was also when I started writing lyrics inspired by my experiences there,” she said.
The inspiration for her lyrics, combined with the help of ‘Look Peach The Voice’ to refine the song, and produced by ‘Ben (benlussboy)’, culminated in her first single, ‘Knew It.’
“Knew It” is based on her personal experiences with love and disappointment during her time in England. The song reflects her fear of being hurt again after previous betrayals. Guitar explained,
“The song’s message is about opening up to love but being afraid of getting hurt. It’s about the struggle of wanting to love but fearing disappointment. At times, I felt numb and believed that
any new relationship would end the same way. Despite wanting love, I was afraid of starting over.”
“This song is an R&B track that blends Thai and English lyrics. It has a melody and lyrics that truly reflect who I am, which is why I chose it as my debut song as an independent artist, released through my own YouTube channel.”
Although “Knew It” is an R&B song, which is her favorite style, Guitar’s look reminds us of many Diva singers. She admires the singing styles of Diva artists like Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. However, when it comes to life and style, Rihanna is the artist she looks up to. For Thai artists, she would love to collaborate with Da Endorphine and Palmy Eve Pancharoen.
Guitar explained that she chose “Knew It” as her debut song because, without the restrictions of a record label, she has the freedom to release music that best reflects who she is. With advice from a music producer, she felt this song was the perfect choice for her debut. However, she doesn’t limit herself to just R&B. She hinted that in the future, she might explore rock music or Diva-style songs as well.
“The thing that brought me to this point is my speaking skills,” Guitar said confidently. Her ability to communicate is clearly reflected in the variety of content she shares on her guiitarima account across various platforms, which has led to income generation and business expansion. Another aspect of Guitar’s charm is her versatility in entertainment.
“People remember me differently some as a streamer, some entertainer, some a vendor, some as a movie reviewer, and some as a singer. I see these as the colors of being an artist. For me, being an artist is about creating art, and art has no boundaries. The same goes for music. Even though I love R&B, it’s not the only genre I enjoy because I believe I can be any kind of artist as long as I can entertain the audience.”
Guitar’s confidence shines through as she shares, “I think I got to this point because I’m good at speaking.” Her enthusiasm and self-assurance were evident throughout the conversation. When asked about the future, she compared her journey to Whitney Houston’s song “I Have Nothing.”
She explained, “Five years ago, I had nothing, and now I have something. In the future, I want to be someone that everyone remembers. I want to be an iconic figure that people recognize, no matter what they remember me.”
When asked whether she would prioritize being a singer, streamer, or vendor, Guitar responded, “For singing, I see it as a job that brings happiness to both me and my listeners because I want to be a creator of happiness. As for being an entrepreneur, I view it as a way to generate income for my family and to expand into other ventures that will also bring joy to my fans who follow me.”
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