Three years ago, singer-songwriter TJ Monterde started writing a romantic song about a guy who longs to be with a girl that he has been loving for quite a while. He couldn’t finish writing the song until one day while watching the sunset, an idea flowed naturally and he was able to complete his mission.
In an online interview with Manila Standard, the 30-year-old musician shared that the song, released via PolyEast Records, talks about a guy who falls in love with a girl who is totally out of his league.
“But no matter how much he tries to forget the person, his heart still belongs to the girl. It’s a song about waiting for the perfect time. Thus, I called the song Puhon,” TJ shared.
“I didn’t know that I would still be able to finish this song because I started writing the chorus three years ago. Then one day, while I was staring at the sunset, a beautiful sunset that is, I suddenly got inspired to continue writing the song as if it was a fresh experience. It happened during the first week of quarantine and all I was hoping for was better days,” he added.
“Puhon,” which translates to “someday” or “God’s time” in Bisaya is a word that means something positive and a word that’s very special to Cebuano speaking individuals according to the singer.
“It somehow feels so easy to listen to. The kind that you would want to hear while doing nothing, or just stare at the sky and just want to feel good. That’s actually the whole idea of the arrangement especially during these difficult times,” TJ said.
While the new digital hit single was written as a love story, TJ said that the song also brings positivity as we begin to cope with the ‘new normal’.
Part of the challenge for TJ was recording the song while quarantined at home. But with all digital technology available, “Puhon” was created with the help of Chino David of Hale as musical arranger, Arnie Mendaros as back-up vocals and vocal coach, and Albert Tamayo for mixing and mastering.
“It was a memorable experience. I don’t have a proper studio so you can only imagine how I recorded the song in my room under a blanket so no outside noise would be recorded,” TJ shared.
TJ looks forward to the coming days with so much optimism. Although he misses the energy of the crowd during live gigs, he’s content with online gigs that allow him to interact with his fans for the time being.
To date, TJ has released three albums and a handful of hit songs since his debut in 2014 which includes “Ikaw At Ako”, “Tulad Mo”, “Dating Tayo” and “Karera.”
Currently, the lyric video for “Puhon” has already reached one million views on YouTube after its debut in May. Listeners may stream the song on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and other digital platforms.