Cebuano rapper TREV reminisces on his TOTGA with ‘Heart’s a Mess’

CEBU, Philippines —  When I was invited by Cebuano rapper TREV to the premiere party of his latest single “Heart’s a Mess” months back at the From Here Playground at Crossroads Cebu, I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity.

In college, I wrote about the 21-year-old thrice for Today’s Carolinian, the student paper of the University of San Carlos (USC). He was still distributing his music independently when I first featured him in February 2021.

I featured him again on April 2021 when he was signed by Warner Music Philippines and made his major label debut with the release of “Damages” featuring Australia-based Filipino artist Sin Santos.

My third feature on him in December of the same year was mostly a news feature on his single “Lose Me.” An interview didn’t take place from what I remember because we were both busy finishing our academic obligations.

The two occasions I interviewed him took place virtually. So his recent music video (MV) premiere party was the first time we met face-to-face. When I arrived at the venue, he immediately recognized me and introduced me to his colleagues. “This is Jay-r Aguja from Today’s Carolinian. He works for The FREEMAN now!”

When I first interviewed TREV, he was a freshman marketing student at USC. Now on his third year, he’s determined to earn his diploma despite how increasingly busy life has been.

“I don’t know how I will do it, but I will make sure I will graduate next year [2023],” says TREV, who is from Talamban, Cebu City.

Outside his TREV persona, Trevor Gonzales Sederiosa is also a working student, taking on jobs related to his university program. When he was still an independent artist, he wrote his own press releases with every music project he dropped – putting into application the marketing skills he learned into promoting his craft.

Heart on his sleeve

Influencing Sederiosa to become an artist was his love for hip-hop, a genre he started becoming a fan of in eighth grade. Among his favorites: Brockhampton, Meechy Darko, J.I.D., and Juice WRLD.

Notably, the type of hip-hop music he fell in love with was more on the style that Kid Cudi and Kanye West would make in their prime – the kind where vulnerability was openly embraced at a time when gangster rap acts such as 50 Cent and Lil’ Wayne dominated the scene.

“Kid Cudi and Kanye paved the way for other artists to show their feelings on hip-hop tracks,” he told me back in 2021. “I feel like any topic that I can think of, whether it be about my success or my downfall, you express them into hip-hop.”

It’s no surprise that his latest release “Heart’s a Mess” would be another composition where TREV puts his heart on his sleeve. The song is about him missing someone that meant a lot to him. Simply put, his TOTGA (The One That Got Away).

TREV was inspired to write about one of his exes when he heard a beat which had “sad guitar chords” made by his producer-friend Snare.

“When you hear these guitar chords, you start missing someone really special to you, or could I say, still special to you,” he explained to the crowd at the MV premiere party.

“This really special girl ticks all the boxes for me. Unfortunately, because of our busy lifestyles, it didn’t work out. The song is called ‘Heart’s a Mess’ because it’s about regret, or finding someone special but down the line, it doesn’t work out.”

Wearing a mask

The MV faithfully adapts TREV’s lyrics visually which featured him and his on-screen partner Sophia Lindsey depicting the highlights and the downfalls of his former romance. One of the prominent aspects was the recurring scenes with doughnuts, which played a significant part in his relationship with said ex.

“I asked TREV personal things that meant a lot to him in that relationship and what they did together, so that’s why Dunkin’ Donuts was a big thing in the music video,” said MV producer Jive Bedonia, adding that it wasn’t a product placement.

Another highlight were the nightclub scenes – shot in Trademark Cebu at the 88th Avenue commercial complex – as some featured TREV upside down to symbolize how he felt during the relationship.

“That scene stuck out to me because when you go over a breakup, people tend to show they are not sad,” Bedonia said. “That was TREV’s mask when he was in Trademark. He wore that persona that he was alright but really, he was not.”

JC Lavilla, the MV’s director, recalled that the production process was “smooth” and that they did a “good job in post-production.” He thanked TREV for telling his story, which allowed him to bring it to life in the MV.

TREV is anticipating a busier 2023. He played a preview of one of his unreleased songs “Be with You”, set for release this year. The upcoming track that he worked on with American producer Pootie Earl contrasts with the sentimental vibes of “Heart’s a Mess” with its upbeat melody that could make its way to clubs in Cebu, and even possibly in Metro Manila.

TREV expressed gratitude for the support from those who graced his MV premiere event, which included Cebuano music artists Vincent Eco and Sepia Times.

“It’s an amazing community that we have here tonight because these are different people from different industries coming together to watch this simple music video.”