​From pop to rock: Music artist Adjeng wants to keep listeners guessing

Adjeng  and “More Than a Little” cover art

Pop music is “comfortable.” It easily “resonates with listeners.” But it doesn’t always have to be “predictable,” music artist Adjeng said.

Over the past year, she has released more than 10 songs that cover various genres or sub-genres of pop—sentimental pop, nostalgic, 1980s-inspired ditties, gospel-flavored tunes and songs with rock and alternative elements. Her latest single, “More Than a Little,” on the other hand, has a 1990s R&B vibe.

“What I realized from cataloging my past songs is that it helped me get an idea about what to pursue … My heart is very much into pop but there are other subgenres. And I realized that I want to keep my listeners guessing,” Adjeng said in a Zoom conference.

“People I don’t even know would message me on my Facebook page and tell me that my songs are worlds apart but they love it,” she said. “I can’t box myself right now … I like it when I keep people on their toes.”

‘Sweet ride’

In writing “More Than a Little,” Adjeng, who used to front the bands Sipol and Wink under GMA Records, hoped to bring back the 1990s pop-R&B sensibilities that she so loved growing up.

“Life is a rollercoaster. But like love, it can be a sweet ride if you know you didn’t hold back in living it,” Adjeng said of the single. “In anything that involves love, there are expectations and realities. I think we always have to recognize what we want and need. Be honest. If you think about it, true love really is in the details, the small, seemingly insignificant and humble moments.”

Hoping to create something that sounds “current, but timeless,” she tapped singer-songwriter Thyro Alfaro for the arrangement.

“My previous single, ‘Rollercoaster,’ shows off my funky, alternative side, and came from a place influenced by acid jazz. But with ‘More Than a Little,’ I wanted to bring back ‘90s R&B. I worked with Thyro because he has a pulse on the current sound. I want something people can resonate with now, but will also sound timeless,” she related.

Her vision, Adjeng said, is to put out a piece of music that will compel listeners to play and listen to it over and over. “I wanted to create something that would transport me to a good place. I wanted it to sound modern and fresh.”

‘Hits differently’

A finalist in various songwriting competitions like the Mang Levi Celerio Songwriting Contest and Philpop Songwriting Festival, Adjeng said there’s no better feeling than recording and interpreting your own compositions. This she realized after her decision to focus on her solo career last year.

“Singing your own songs hits differently. I love it when other people interpret my songs, but when I sing it, I receive comments or messages saying that the songs sound different. And I think it’s because it’s your own words and experiences,” she pointed out.

“In 2021, when I started releasing songs to catalog my songwriting, it was a way to flex my creative muscles. But I felt it wasn’t me yet. But with ‘Rollercoaster’ and ‘More Than a Little,’ writing the lyrics and melodies together, I felt that this is it, that it’s finally representative of who I am as an artist,” she added. ​

What was the most challenging aspect of writing songs and pursuing a solo career amid a pandemic?

“It takes a lot of self-awareness to cope with the upheaval of being isolated. And creating music in a bubble made me resilient. It requires discipline because you’re not following anyone’s time table,” she said. “I also felt that digital platforms have made the playing field even. That’s a challenge … but I like challenges.” INQ