After the world is so small, what’s next for Paolo Sandejas?

MANILA, Philippines — After releasing the album titled, the world is so small, under the recording label Sony Music Entertainment, singer-songwriter Paolo Sandejas is thrilled about what his next musical endeavor will be like. His following and the local music scene are also on the same page.

“I haven’t really thought about it yet, but probably an EP, I think, is the next goal out, but then I think we have a deluxe version of the album that’s also coming out soon,” said Paolo in a virtual one-on-one with The STAR. “At least in the far future, there’s a new project that I’m already working on, which is, like, composed of songs that I’ve written since I’ve moved to the states.”

Paolo is pursuing his Master of Fine Arts in Music Technology at CalArts and has completed his first semester there. He’s in town for the recent holiday break and the launch of his album, made of such singles such as sirens, all the time, just a song, manila to LA, your favorite song, moonlight, roses, and the world is so small.

“Biglang nag-change yung sound ko (my sound has changed). Sabi ko (and I told myself,) ‘I’m writing a little differently,’” shared Paolo. “I’m kinda put all those new songs from this kind of transitional period of my life into, like, a small EP of songs and we’re working on the next album. So, yun yung parang (nasa) my pipeline as of now (it seems that it’s what’s in my pipeline right now).”

Given his schedules as a graduate student and an artist abroad, one can anticipate that these songs may be released within the year and the album either at the end of 2025 or the early part of 2026.

The creative in him has written four so far and added that at the time of the interview, “it’s all very up in the air.”

What’s clear is, like he said in a previous article, the world is so small is hopefully the first of the many recordings and a start of a new exciting journey for Paolo. There’s the intention to release new compositions.

“Good. It’s been different. It’s been good so far, siyempre, katatapos lang nung first sem ko (I’ve just finished my first semester),” Paolo described his student experience at a graduate school. “My grades are good… I think it’s exciting being in a new environment, a new school. Everyone is so creative and so experimental. So, it’s inspiring to be around so many creative people.”

There’s a lot for Paolo to look forward to because the upcoming semester promises to have classes focused more on music technology.

Regarding his album, the world is so small is one tune that listeners can relate to, narrative- and theme-wise.

In a piece of information from his publicity team, Paolo shared that the album is also “an anthology of moments that mirror the intricate web of human connections. From fleeting romances to enduring heartbreaks and the quiet hope that lingers through it all.”

“I think it’s both in a way. It’s a reality that you know, that you run into people again,” answered he when asked whether the album title is a symbolism or a straight-forward statement about realities in life, “like, you’re always somehow connected to someone else, and like how we’re connected now. It’s a funny thing the way the world works and you’ll never know who you’re gonna run into.”

“This whole album is a string of stories that, like, you’ve experienced so much together that it’s almost inevitable that you run into that person at some point in time,” added he. “So, that’s kinda what the album is all about. It’s about the interconnectedness of us, people. Our stories are all intertwined.”

With that, each song, which may be seen uniquely and created differently, is connected to the other songs. Paolo would like to think the album is somewhat cohesive.

“There are elements that tie everything together,” said he. “It’s definitely not gonna have the same sound throughout… it’s dynamic, and it evolves.”

Give the world is so small, the album, and its eight tracks a listen. They are available on all digital platforms.