Delulu, Determined, and Doing It Her Way
What happens when a pink-loving, Sanrio-obsessed content creator stops playing it safe and starts using her voice? For Filipina-American artist, comedian, musician, and content creator, Chrissa Sparkles, it led to an entirely new chapter, one rooted in authenticity, advocacy, and unapologetic self-expression.
Born and raised in Los Angeles by Filipino immigrant parents, Chrissa has spent her career carving her own path. From accidental classical voice major to TV host, fashion designer, viral content creator, stand-up comedian, and now musical comedy artist, she has continually reinvented herself while staying true to who she is. Through humor, music, and storytelling, Chrissa tackles everything from Filipino identity and generational expectations to politics, people-pleasing, heartbreak, and healing.
In this candid conversation, Chrissa opens up about growing up Filipino-American, navigating career pivots, finding the courage to speak out despite cultural pressures to stay quiet, and transforming some of life's most difficult experiences into art. We also talk about her debut musical comedy solo show, DELULU, the power of representation, reclaiming our stories, and why being "delusional" enough to believe in yourself might just be the key to living out your purpose.
Get ready to laugh, reflect, and feel inspired by a creator who is proving that you don't have to fit into someone else's mold: you can create your own stage.
1. Tell us about yourself.
Chrissa Sparkles: Hi I’m Chrissa Sparkles! My parents are both from Manila and immigrated to Los Angeles in the 1980s with my older brother. We all live in Los Angeles and are very close! I am LA born and raised, and still currently live here.
I went to community college as an accidental classical voice major (showed up to an audition thinking it was musical theatre, but surprise, everyone sang 6 minute Italian arias!) and dropped out of school after a couple years to pursue acting full time. My parents, oddly enough, encouraged me to quit school after I came home crying from missing too much school for auditions and callbacks. Six months later, I pursued a career in on-camera hosting, leading me to my first tv job hosting a K-Pop TV Show for MNET America - and I’ve just been a content creator since then carving my own path. I’ve dedicated my career to being myself without having to mold myself as an actor for casting directors, but rather creating my own opportunities.
2. What is a Comedy Songstress/Musical Comedian?
Chrissa Sparkles: I am first and foremost a musician, who happens to write comedy songs with a pop sensibility. I’m truly a musical theatre kid and singing is my truest form of expression - and writing comedy to express my feelings through music has been such a joy to explore in my adult life. I’d consider myself a content creator, I’ve been in this industry for a very long time - but I’m truly an artiste.
3. How did you get into what you’re doing today?
Chrissa Sparkles: I’ve always had a desire to perform since I was a little girl, but discovered in the 8th grade that I could sing after reluctantly joining the school choir as my only available elective. I pursued musical theatre throughout high school and college, giving it a go professionally after school. I later decided to be an on-camera TV host where I could be myself, with pink hair and tattoos, wearing whatever I want, and that led me to working with brands like Hello Kitty, tokidoki, Care Bears, etc. The following I had garnered from my love of Japanese style fashion and cute culture inspired me to start a clothing line, where I first premiered my collection on Dolls Kill back 2017 for Valentine’s Day (sold out immediately!) I started designing Barbie clothes for myself and found my own audience through that, working with Trixie Mattel and making outfits for Kacey Musgraves.
I went through a divorce in 2022 and exploring comedy was my way of processing my breakup. I started doing standup seriously, I wrote these Barbie comedy sketches that went viral and changed the trajectory of my career from being a designer to an artist.
I started writing songs because I wanted to sing, on my own terms, and 4 years later - I closed my clothing business and here I am producing and writing my own songs, leading to headlining my first tour! I get to say what I want, sing what I want, and share it with people who feel so seen by my stories fostering really meaningful connections with my fans in a new way.
What’s cool is that I’m bringing back my design work with amazing merch that I’m so excited about, and fortunately my audience has great style and shares my love for cute aesthetics with funny statements. My knowledge as a clothing business owner and content creator has truly prepared me for the business of being a comedian/music artist and I’m so grateful to feel so prepared for this next chapter because of it.
4. Where do you get your inspiration for your content?
Chrissa Sparkles: I’m a very visual person and I’m someone who sees a world around my art before I even create it, which I think comes from my experience as a clothing designer producing photo/video shoots for my collections and this desire to create my own world through all the content I make. It HAS to look cute - that’s a non-negotiable for me. Me? Basic? A death sentence, haha!
For my comedy content, I pull from my lived experiences and what we are collectively experiencing as a society. I used to be weary of “using my voice” and taking sides my whole life, but these days using art as my way of expressing my point of view, poking fun at how awful everything is, makes life more bearable.
5. You describe yourself as making songs and content about our “political climate as a Disney princess”. A lot of content you make is really deep and political, but you deliver it in a comedic, light hearted approach – this is opposite from Filipino culture that is non-confrontational. How did you get the courage to do this? And how did you decide to take this approach?
Chrissa Sparkles: That’s such a great observation! I’ve worked really hard to redefine my belief systems and narratives that were passed down from my parents. As immigrants, their fear of being seen, not rocking the boat, fly under the radar so you can exist like every respectable citizen. As I’m developing my solo show DELULU, exploring how I find my voice. I still find it challenging to use my voice through my work. To take a stance can feel like I will be punished for my actions and every fear my parents had for themselves, and for me, will come true. I just can’t live my life any other way - I’m a recovering people pleaser who wants to find joy in being my own authentic self, even if that doesn’t make everyone happy.
6. Talk about losing jobs and opportunities because of your rebrand and political content that you make?
Chrissa Sparkles:I’ve been a content creator for 15 years, always having to be the aesthetically pleasing pink loving girl who loves everything “cute.” I never took a stance about anything because I was working with family friendly brands, and that’s how I paid my bills for many years. Since then, I’ve grown and evolved as a person, and as an artist, to start using my voice - and it’s something I haven’t anticipated in a long time, to worry about rejection for work because of my beliefs.
Again, this is where I have to deprogram my fear of speaking out and taking a stand, because I can feel my parents hovering over my shoulder saying “I told you so.” But, I can’t imagine making my art about anything else. It’s a tough position to be in because I love the art that I make, but how can this be sustainable to make a living? And it’s unfortunate that companies and brands “play it safe” to not discriminate against their audience. So I’m learning to carve my own path by developing my own IP with my show DELULU, shaping my comedic voice, and creating the opportunities that I want to attract the people that align with my values.
7. What do your parents and family think about what you’re doing?
Chrissa Sparkles:My parents are overall very proud of me. They see how hard I work and that I’m growing successful at what I do - from going through a divorce and closing my business to taking comedy and music seriously. I’ve gone through so much in a small amount of time! They love hearing about my shows on tour and love to give my input on my merchandise. My mom loves product design and my dad loves marketing and the business aspect. Both my lolos (grandpas) were entrepreneurs in their own right, so it skipped a generation! I bet they’d be my business managers for my clothing line full time if they could, haha.
When my song “f**k ice” started to gain traction last year, their fears of being seen and targeted by the wrong people started to kick in real fast. It was hard for them to be excited about their daughter taking a stand and making a song that people united through, but rather feared so much for my safety because I stood out too much with my work. To be honest, I don’t know how most of my family feel - some I’m close with and are very liberal, my biggest cheerleaders, and other parts of my family truly lay low. For the same reason that all Filipinos do…to be non-confrontational. Either way - I’m proud to be the voice for other Filipino millennials who are finding their voice within our culture. We’re breaking generational cycles!!
8. You call out: “It’s only cool when White people say it’s cool”. What are your thoughts on cultural appropriation and what can we do about this? I keep laughing about your joke about you “never thought ube would rhyme with your boob!”
Chrissa Sparkles: That song is one of the few songs that I wrote in literally 30 minutes, recorded, edited, and shared within 2 hours thinking nothing of it. I didn’t think it would pop off the way that it did! It’s interesting to think about appropriation because on one hand, growing up Filipino and bringing rice and steamy lumpia to school was something I was ridiculed for. Also, ho would eat LAUSD pizza!? Bless my mom for hooking me up and I was too ashamed as a kid to eat my lunch. But now it’s something exotic and special for people to enjoy because White people say it’s cool.
But on the other hand, I see this through my parents eyes and they’re STOKED that people know what ube is! That recognition is sheer pride for being Filipino and that people know about their culture. It’s like seeing a half Filipino person on TV and claiming them as one of ours. The pure excitement and curiosity they have of what other people think about our food and our culture is so fascinating to see. Perception is a big part of Filipino culture - especially as an immigrant in a new country. But I think that representation is so important, and I wish the credit and profits were going towards the individuals, companies, and cultures that created these “phenomenons.”
9. Tell us about your upcoming tour DELULU. What is it about and what can people expect from you?
Chrissa Sparkles: Thank you for asking because I am SO excited about this project! My debut musical solo show, DELULU, is an original musical comedy exploring themes of how I learned about love, exploring my Filipino identity, and how I found my voice in this political climate. It’s a collection of songs that has turned into this story of my evolution as a divorcee turned artist/activist.
I hope people leave laughing so hard they pee their pants, feel emotional and reflect on their own journey, and leave feeling empowered to create change in their communities. I’ve developed this show on my own for the last two years up until recently, bringing my director Laurie Magers on board, a Filipina writer/performer/activist to help me shape my story. It’s been really cool to meet all the Filipino/AAPI girlies who share my same story - and I want to be the representation I wish I had when I was younger.
10. What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into entertainment?
Chrissa Sparkles: Be a self starter. Use social media as an outlet to play and attract the opportunities you want (which is something I constantly have to remind myself.) Create your own world and invite people into it. Think of the things that brought you imminent joy as a child that still lights you up as your current self, and lean into that spirit.
I’ve always loved singing, I loved watching music videos by my favorite pop stars, and I always loved to laugh - and I’m so grateful to be pursuing that now on my terms.
11. As a fellow Sanrio lover, let’s talk about your obsession with Hello Kitty/Sanrio?
Chrissa Sparkles: Wow, we go way back! It all started with my mom - My Melody is one of her favorites. Some of my earliest memories of Sanrio are my Dad taking me to the Sanrio Store at the Eagle Rock Plaza in LA every single Friday and he’d give me a budget of $1 to spend. I went for a small eraser, or the 15 cent gum that lost its flavor in 10 seconds.
My cousins loved Sanrio and I got all their hand me downs, but my 5th birthday was the BEST because it was our dinner table full of Sanrio containers, toys, accessories. I was in heaven! And working for Sanrio throughout my 20’s was an absolute dream come true for my inner child.
To be honest, I’m still mad at my brother for having a Little Twin Stars cake for his FIRST BIRTHDAY in the Philippines (he’s a decade older than I am) and every year, I’d had the Toffee Crunch cake from Red Ribbon?? I know that cake slaps and it’s a classic, but I’ll never let it go!!!
12. How can folks and our community support you?
Chrissa Sparkles: I would love to see the community come out to my shows! I’ll be in San Francisco, New York, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis through the rest of the year!
It’s been such a joy to share my story with people our age because we haven’t had stories of First-Gen Filipino American experiences being told. We tried so hard to be “American” and fit in growing up that our shame diminished our culture.It’s beautiful to see us all reclaiming it in a way that reflects our narrative and how we’ve grown. Hell yeah therapy! It’s been a true honor to share my work with other Filipinos and the AAPI community and feeling like we’ve all had the same universal experience.
Follow me on Instagram and share my work with your friends and family! They can find me on Instagram @chrissasparkles, Tiktok @thechrissasparkles, Youtube @chrissasparkles - and for more info on my shows, check out my dates at ChrissaSparkles.com.
