Angelina Cruz veers away from acoustic in her latest single ‘Ayoko Lang’

Angelina Cruz

Angelina Cruz has nothing but support for her mother, Sunshine Cruz’s, romantic relationship with businessman and public servant Macky Mathay.

“Siyempre po, botong-boto! And they have been together for five years now, so we have also grown close to him,” the 20-year-old singer-actress said in a recent virtual conference for “Ayoko Lang,” her latest single under Universal Records.

Asked what she likes about Macky, Angelina said she appreciates the fact that he takes good care of her mom. “I really love that he’s caring for her. I love that for her and I’m so happy for them,” she said.

At 44, Sunshine remains one of the most beautiful and sought after faces in the biz. And Angelina isn’t really surprised. “Lots of people still have admiration for my mother and find her attractive. But I’m not surprised at all, because she still looks radiant and fresh. She’s really beautiful. ‘Yan ang goal ko!” she said, laughing.

Good terms

Meanwhile, asked about her relationship with her father, Cesar Montano, Angelina said she and her siblings are “in good terms with him.” Cesar and Sunshine got married in 2000 and parted ways in 2013. Their annulment was finalized in 2018. They have two other daughters, Samantha and Chesca.

“Last December, he asked us out, because he wanted to celebrate our little sister, Chesca’s, birthday. And so we did,” Angelina related. “We had a dinner celebration and were able to catch up.”

Written and produced by August Rigo, “Ayoko Lang” is an indie-pop ballad about the emptiness or sadness one feels in the seemingly endless nights that follow a breakup.

“Most of us have been in relationships, or have experienced the need to heal and move on from something or someone. And it doesn’t have to be about romantic relationships only. But the struggle to heal from other things, too. That’s why I was able to really resonate with the song,” she said.

“The draft was emailed to me with the lyrics and melody and I really loved it. I made my family listen to it,” she added. “I really took the time to take in the song and its lyrics. I enjoyed recording it.”

If there’s a specific verse that hits close to home, Angelina said it would be, “Kayang-kaya humanap ng iba / Ayoko lang, ayoko lang / Kayang-kayang kalimutan ka /Ayoko lang ayoko lang.” “I can relate my past experiences to it … the crushes, the MUs (mutual understandings) and having to move on from them,” she said.

She’s no stranger to rejection, too. “Everyone has experienced it. That’s reality and life. You just have to take things day by day, and try not to stress too much about it. You have to learn to love yourself more and be open to learning from these experiences,” she said. Angelina’s earlier releases were acoustic and mellow. But while “Ayoko Lang” isn’t too far off sound-wise, the addition of a soft backbeat gives it an indie-pop flavor. “I’m excited for people to hear it. I have been doing the acoustic sound for many years, so I wanted to try other sounds and genres. And I feel like this song is one step closer to what I want,” she said. “Acoustic will always be my first love, though.”

Next goal

The recording artist plays the ukulele and is currently learning the ropes of the keyboards. Her next goal is to start writing her own songs, and then put out an EP or an album. “I didn’t compose my singles but I’m now starting to experiment and write more,” she related. “I already have some, and hopefully, I can come up with a collection of songs I have written.”

For the song’s music video, Angelina teamed up with Jeremiah Lisbo, whom she worked with in the 2021 film “Love is Color Blind.”

“We’re really close and comfortable with each other. I didn’t actually know he was going to be in my music video until he told me about it. We had fun shooting so it didn’t feel like we were working,” she said. “He also helped me in our intense or heavy scenes.”

Angelina is currently juggling music, acting and her studies. While it was challenging at first, she eventually got the hang of it. “I asked my mom for advice and she told me that I just have to manage my time better and know my priorities,” she said. “And I really put my heart into things I’m passionate about.”

“I was also timid and shy. And I used to feel pressure because I come from a family of singers. But when I signed with Universal Records when I was 15, I started to really open up and got inspired to pursue my passions and commit to them,” she added.