Writing song for Enrique Gil film opens doors for rising singer Joem

After the unexpected success of his song “Pangako,” the up-and-coming singer-songwriter Joem hopes to sustain the momentum he has built by creating more music and taking on projects that will help him reach a wider audience.

Joem’s latest release “Nakaraan,” for instance, was chosen as the theme song of the sex comedy movie “I Am Not Big Bird,” which stars Enrique Gil film. “It’s a dream come true. And to think that I was able to work with my favorite actor, Enrique! It was mind-blowing!” he told the Inquirer in an interview.

“Nakaraan,” a guitar-driven pop ballad about fading love and regret, provides a contrast and helps ground the wacky nature of the said film. “I have become prouder of the song because it opened a lot of doors for me,” pointed out Joem, who got to perform the song around the metro as part of the film’s promotional tour.

Hailing from Davao, the 18-year-old musician entered the music scene after winning the GoJam On Stage Talent Search in 2022, where he and his original composition “Gustong-Gusto Kita” bested nine other hopefuls. His talent and work piqued the interest of music producer Brian Lotho, who coproduced “Pangako.”

“It’s really great. It’s because of that song that I became known in school. It also boosted my presence on social media. I loved working on that project with Kuya Brian,” Joem said of “Pangako.”

While his recent songs are a mix of acoustic, R&B and pop music, Joem is still in the process of finding his own sound.

“My music is usually upbeat with heartbreaking lyrics. I make music in any genre because I know that each one has its own special feel to it. I’m still in the process of finding my own sound, but I have a lot of aspects in my music that make people go, ‘Oh … Joem” when they hear them—my harmonies, guitar riffs, stuff like that,” he said.

Dreams

Joem is the first musician in his family, and as such, had to teach himself how to play instruments, like the guitar. “I got influenced by lots of artists like Keshi, Juan Karlos, IV of Spades and Jacob Collier at the moment … and maybe even J-pop,” he said.

“[Being a self-taught musician] wasn’t difficult for me because I love what I do. I find the process of learning something fun and not forced—not like school, you know?” he said, laughing.

Moving forward, Joem hopes to do more shows and, if luck would have it, collaborate with some of his favorite artists. “I just want to continue doing what I love doing. I would love to perform for bigger crowds. I want to be well-known,” he said.

“My dream project would be producing a good album. I want to collaborate with Juan Karlos, Unique and Zack Tabudlo. For international artists, I would like to collaborate with Jacob, Keshi or Jesse Barrera. I dream big!” he added.