Marlo’s struggle with mental health inspires new music

Singing straight from the heart is what Marlo Mortel does in his latest single titled Bituin. Beyond that and through the song, he aspires for and wishes that listeners will find their own path to inner bliss.

However, there’s the caveat — or the challenge — to it. They need first to come face-to-face with bituing mahiyain, which is roughly translated in English as the shy, elusive star. And Marlo knows that they can.

“Bituin is pertaining to your inner self or your inner being,” said Marlo about the idea behind his song and its title in a recent virtual one-on-one with The STAR. By the way, he co-produced the tune, now available on all streaming platforms, with his label PolyEast Records. “It’s a song that I wrote about finding your peace and happiness. That it all comes from within is what I really learned from this pandemic. Na kahit anuman ang i-bato sa atin (whatever life throws at us), if we are mentally prepared and we have the proper mindset, then we can go through anything.”

The singer-songwriter continued on by saying that “like a star, it (finding peace or happiness) needs darkness for it to shine (through). But it will always be there… our strength and hope and love will always be here. We just have to access it.”

Marlo’s main line bituing mahiyain again represents a person’s positive attributes, which are overlooked and overshadowed by any forms of negativity, as he put it. “One needs to make an effort to (find it within), para finally maging strong ka, maging happy ka, maging at peace ka.”

As they initially navigate its music and lyrics, listeners may get the impression that Bituin is another take on romantic love. But essentially, it’s a ditty about self-love and self-discovery.

“I’ve been advocating for mental health after what happened to me last year,” said Marlo regarding the cause of the song. “I had anxiety. From there, I realized the importance of self-love… It is very essential. Once you’ve learned to love yourself, you’re gonna develop better habits, you’re gonna develop a better lifestyle to treat yourself or everything, (from) emotional to physical health, better. Once you’re (attuned) with yourself, you are ready to extend that love to others and (the song) is very much connected with self-love.”

How long did he finish the gamut of writing Bituin?

“Just one sitting, maybe (it took me) an hour,” recalled Marlo. “That’s how fast I could really write a song. Kapag sinimulan ko na ito, tatapusin ko na agad. Sometimes, it took me 15 minutes to write one, ganun kabilis lang.”

As for the song’s inspiration, he said that it was his Vietnam-based Filipina high school classmate-turned-friend, who pitched the title and was the person he asked what to write next. “Sometimes, life is tough because of problems. But once she looks up (in the night sky) and sees a star, she said, it gives her some sort of comfort and healing,” said Marlo. “Ang sarap tumingala lang, tapos makikita mo (yung bituin) na kahit hindi ganun ka-bright, (you know) it’s a glimmer of hope, love and everything that is good.”

Bituin, his follow-up to Mahina, shows that singing is Marlo’s first love.

“When I was in grade 3, I began to write songs,” said he, who was a Business Administration student at San Beda Alabang. “I was really passionate about (music) back then. Wala akong ibang naging dream kundi maging singer. Even when I was studying a business course, I wanted to become a singer.”

To Marlo, getting into acting was something unplanned. The opportunity just presented itself. He didn’t have any workshops to bank on prior to joining the hit daytime drama Be Careful with My Heart. “Meron din palang konting talent (ako) na natatago sa acting,” said he. “(My singing) was set aside by acting because of my busy schedule. I’m very grateful for the acting experience kasi dun naman ako nakilala as an actor.”

His then newfound visibility also put him in what one may call an artist’s identity dilemma because “they think of me as this actor that can sing,” said Marlo. “Well, in fact, it’s the other way around. I’m an artist-singer-songwriter that can act.”

Good thing is, Marlo has been given opportunities to further clarify his own vision of himself. That is to become a passionate, hands-on, and well-rounded music man.

“I’m also like other artists, who are into producing songs (aside from) singing and songwriting,” said he. “I co-produced Bituin. I’m very happy about it. Ito talaga yung masasabi ko na pinaghirapan ko talaga nang husto. Before, I would write songs, just submit them, record them, tapos bahala na si producer. (This time around), I needed to give my full attention to it… parang kailangan kong maging connected with the song.”

The creative freedom artists like Marlo look for is provided by PolyEast Records, which has the wisdom to steer Marlo’s career and stir (bring out) his potential.

“If you’re (an) independent (artist), you get to have the free will,” shared he, “and get to decide on everything. But the disadvantage is you can’t access everything (like) marketing, which the label can provide. They can really take care of you. It can push you even more which you cannot do as an independent (artist). I’m very happy with PolyEast because they also make me do what I want as an artist, like to co-produce or write. At least parang ganun pa rin naman, but the difference is may nag-aalaga din sa’yo, which is a good thing.”

Reflecting on the music he has produced in this pandemic, Marlo said his genre is pop and defined it as “what is in right now. Ganun yung music ko. I really adapt.” As a singer, who pours his heart and soul into the song for listeners to understand it, Marlo thinks singing as something connected with acting and the latter complementary to the former. “You have to act it out, what the song is all about,” he added.

What can his followers and the public expect from Marlo after Bituin?

“I’m open to it (having an EP),” said he of his next move. “I have a vision of releasing an EP or a set of songs all about mental health. I think what people need the most now are songs that could enlighten them kahit nasa pandemic tayo.”

Following the lead of Bituin and Mahina, about facing one’s weaknesses and knowing what to do about them, Marlo’s songs could be taken as a form of advice to those who go through something in life. He wants to be any listener’s sounding board through his songs. This is a fertile ground for Marlo to explore more his music and peek into what lies ahead.

“I’m very happy and I really found the true meaning of being an artist,” said he. “Art is something that you create that expresses your being and what your soul is craving for. You have to be more in touch with who you are.”

Through Bituin, Marlo, the singer-songwriter lays the musical ground and invites everyone on a journey to self-love and discovery.

(To know more about Marlo Mortel and other PolyEast Records’ artists, follow PolyEast Records’ social media account, facebook.com/polyeastrecordsph on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram @polyeastrecords.)