This year’s Valentine season is over but there is still no stopping our songwriters from coming out with love songs. This week’s harvest turned out to be a great one with today’s hottest young acts releasing their best takes on how they feel about love. I am happy to say that I enjoyed listening to these new singles and that I have since gone back for more listens to these beautiful songs.
Nakangiti by Wilbert Ross. This is a huge surprise. This guy has gone from trying out his luck as a singer, he did not make it, to boy band member, he also did not make it, and then he finally found success as Boy Bastos and Vivamax actor. All the while though, somewhere inside him was a mean songwriter just waiting to come out.
And finally, it has. Wilbert’s first big hit was Langga. That means short for Palangga. Nice. But his follow-up release is even nicer. It is a gem. Nakangiti is Wilbert’s tribute to love eternal and he expresses it so beautifully. “Araw gabi nakangiti dahil sa ‘yo/ pagkagising sa umaga, ikaw agad ang naiisip ko/ Sa tanghali, sa pagkain, ikaw ang gustong kaharap/ pati pagtulog sa gabi/ hanggang sa panaginip.” Simple, but heartfelt. Expect this one to become a standard that will be the theme of many wedding anniversaries.
Kalangitan by Nobita. The band had last year’s most streamed track with Ikaw Lang. That sweet love song sent even the foreign biggies cascading down the hit charts and it stayed up there for a really long time. Now after over a year of enjoying fame with the phenomenal Ikaw Lang, Nobita has released a follow-up tune and it shows every promise of becoming another winner.
Kalangitan is also simple. It is a promise of simply being there for somebody in need. “…Sasamahan kitang ihahatid sa/ kalangitang puno ng mga bituin/ tutumbasan ang iyong panalangin/ nakarapatang lumayang umawit/ paglaya ang tangi mong nais/ sa karagatang di ayon ang alon/ kapayapaan sigaw ng iyong puso/ Iyong tandaan sa bawat hakbang/ kasama mo ako at hindi ka hahayaang mag-isa.”
Love the poetic Tagalog lyrics. Those are words that so many lonely souls around us are longing to hear. Helping the single up the hit charts is the video which along with the love story also effectively addresses the problem of bullying. It stars social media stars Joao Constancia and Queenay Mercado, which doubles the reason for fans to watch and watch.
And Pag-ibig by Rob Deniel. Has this 19-year-old found love? Looks like it. His latest single is a happy note to romance. “Isang pikit ko lang kapiling na kita/ umiindak sa dilim/ at isang halik no lang at kulay bulaklak na ang aking daigdig/ oh walang hanggang palaisipan…”
As usual, Rob sets his lyrics on a melody with a pronounced ‘60s vibe. This was the kind of melody that lovers once danced the slow drag to in the old days and Rob has effortlessly brought it up to date for kids his age to enjoy. I am sure they would more so after watching tall and good-looking Rob in the video with Karina Bautista in the video.
Tadhana by Ace Banzuelo. The guy behind the No. 1 selling Muli also has love as the theme of his latest but he tells his tale with a bounce. With this one, romance can be energetic. Tadhana combines disco and rock in this well-produced track. It is the sort of tune that would be very effective on TikTok. But mind you, Ace also has his emotions hanging out as his combines the contrast between the joy of finding love on one side and being heartbroken in the other. “Halina, maniwala, sumama ka sa akin,” Ace enjoins as the trendy love team KaoMiah tells his tale.
I have now stopped worrying about the future of Filipino songwriting. These guys all show promise of being described as great one day. Enjoy these songs.