Seeking romantic partners via a dating app could surely be risky to the heart of the emotional artist. But singer Arnoldg found a way to channel his experience into a fun song that may probably take him deeper into the hearts of the listening public.
The song “Hi! Hello” is the latest single of Arnoldg who has been putting out records since 2019. By how current it sounds and with its lyrics conveyed in a tongue-in-cheek way, the song appears as a perfect fit for the singer’s take on his generation’s way of finding romance.
“Not everyone is para sa dating app. You end up repeating the process 100 times, swipe left, swipe right, Hi, hello, unless you meet the one kaagad. Kaya nga ako may kantang ganito kasi di ako kasali sa mga nakahanap agad,” mused the rising act whose previous releases, especially his EP Asan Ka Na, Sinta? and two-song single “Grey” (both distributed last year), have helped him establish quite a following.
The words to the first chorus alone explain the nature of a kind of app that digitalized the old-style getting-to-know-each-other stage that phone or pen pals then were accustomed to: “Pumalo pakaliwa pag di gusto/ Pumalo pakanan kay ganda mo/ Inabot akong magdamag paulit-ulit lang na Hi! Hello!/Pare hindi ito ang hanap ko/ Di ata pwede sakin tong pangmabilisan na atrasan/ Walang pinanghahawakan”
“Hi Hello” was released on digital stores on Feb. 9, produced by May Manuel and Andrew Mendoza of Adlib Music House. Interestingly, they previously arranged my composition “Kay Sarap,” which my band The Pub Forties recorded and released in 2022. Their keen understanding of current market trends stems from their broad musical knowledge, distinguishing between what’s outdated and what’s on-trend.
Arnoldg’s natural hold for what is viewed as the music of Gen Z complemented his producer’s mentality, along with that of the mix and master specialist Chi Capulong.
Safe to say Arnoldg is a hopeless romantic and equally a picture of cool in his own right. He shared, “I am trying much newer stuff and reaching more audiences. I wish to put out an EP of songs for my great crush.”
He added, as he sees the value of talking straight to his listeners, “I’ll try to be your soundtrack and make songs about you. I’d be relatable to you.”
A fan is said to have quipped that Arnoldg, pun intended, had her at “Hi! Hello!” The bridge lyrics laid down his pure intention: “Isang klaseng pagibig/ Yung hindi pinipilit/ At ipahihiwatig/ Na hindi ka hahayaan na maging isang panandali.”
Arnoldg started singing at age four after he thought karaoke was a toy. He fell in love with singing and joined a choir the moment he could. He got interested in melody and lyrics and would sit in front during music class.
“I love making melodic rhythms. What was a hobby became a passion and I now have a hundred or more compositions,” he said.
The singer-songwriter debuted with “Lucky Star” and then “Goodnight” in early 2020 just before lockdown. The lull resulted in a full album “Amethyst” being released the following year.
Some of his tunefully notable singles include the alluringly ambient “Grey” and the pretty pop rock “Umasa.”
Apart from music, Arnoldg also dabbles in other art forms like designing, as he spends quality time cooking and reading novels, and engages in boxing and muay thai.
Seems like this talented romance-seeker has plenty of stuff to distract himself from if and when his online dating hits the wall.