What Nico Crisostomo, Kyle Daniell, Brence Chavez want for their future albums
(From left) Nico Crisostomo, Kyle Daniell, and Brence Chavez. Image: Hannah Mallorca/INQUIRER.net
Rising artists Nico Crisostomo, Kyle Daniell, and Brence Chavez might be new in the OPM scene, but they have already mapped out the plans for their respective future albums, should the opportunity arise.
Before Crisostomo, Daniell, and Chavez made their entry into the local music scene, they were presented with the challenge to write their own music. They initially didn’t consider themselves to be songwriters and composers, but putting their creative juices into their respective tracks allowed them to be more open about the genres they wanted to pursue in the future.
“Para sa’kin, magfo-focus po ako sa kung saan may advantage ang boses ko, which is R&B,” Chavez said when asked by INQUIRER.net to “manifest (or practice the act of positive thinking to make their dreams come true)” the genre of their first solo albums.
“R&B is soulful. Nae-enjoy ko po siyang kantahin and pakinggan. Gusto ko pong maging R&B talaga if ever magkakaroon po ako ng album, pwede rin ang soul music,” he continued.
(For me, I want to focus on where my voice has an advantage, which is R&B. It is a soulful genre. I enjoy singing and listening to it. I want to focus on the R&B genre if I ever have an album. I’m open to soul music too.)
Meanwhile, Daniell wanted to channel his inner popstar through the pop and dance genres, noting his admiration for Gary Valenciano, Sarah Geronimo, and Maymay Entrata.
“It’s something na [different] because now, ballad ang una kong song (It’s something different. My first song was a ballad),” he said, referring to his debut single “Hindi Minahal.”
“Gusto kong mag-release naman ng something danceable para pasayawin ang mga tao, and maenjoy nila at the same time (I want to release something danceable, so people can groove to it. They can enjoy it at the same time),” he further explained.
Crisostomo, on the other hand, is a former “Idol PH” contestant. He said he wants to develop his knack for indie pop before shifting into R&B and rock.
“Once matapos ang [indie pop] phase na ‘yun, gusto kong mag-R&B rock. Gusto ko namang magwala sa stage. Ang indie pop kasi, medyo acoustics. Maiba naman (Once my indie pop phase ends, I want to try R&B rock. I want to go crazy onstage. Indie pop focuses on acoustics, so I want to switch things up a bit),” he said.
Songwriting as a challenge
Touching on the challenge of writing their own songs, Crisostomo admitted that the three of them initially hesitated to dabble into songwriting. After discovering the beauty of putting his thoughts and creative juices into paper, he realized that it can be used to inspire listeners and aspiring artists.
“Gusto ko ring maappreciate ng mga tao ang songs ko. Gusto naming makainspire ng iba. Hindi naman kami songwriters, singers talaga kami (I want people to appreciate my songs. I want to inspire others. We are not songwriters. We are singers),” he said while touching on his debut single “Dahan-Dahan.”
“With the opportunity, sinubukan po namin [ang songwriting] and kaya po pala talaga, so gusto naming [ipakita] ang gan’ung message na wag mong i-hold back ang sarili mo. Subukan mo muna and d’un mo makikita ang result kung maganda,” he continued.
(With this opportunity, we had the chance to try songwriting. We discovered that we can do it. We want to share that as a message to not allow yourself to be held back. Don’t be scared to try new things. That’s when you’ll see good results.)
Chavez also looked back at how he wrote “Gabay,” saying he referred to his past experiences in love.
“Kailangan ko pong magkaroon ng inspirasyon so isa sa ginawa ko — since need namin ng paghuhugutan — nag-imagine lang din ako and nag-base rin ako sa experiences ko,” he said.
“[Sa song na ‘to], gusto ko ipakita na pwedeng maniwala sa love, and pinapakita ng song ko na [initially], hindi kayang umibig. But since may dumating na tao sa kanya, ito ang naging gabay sa kanya para maniwala ulit sa pag-ibig,” Chavez further explained.
(I had to be on the lookout for inspiration, which is a huge part of songwriting. I had to base it on my own imagination and experiences. With “Gabay,” I want to show that you can still believe in love. The song initially portrays the hesitation to fall in love. But when the right person came, they became the reason for the persona to believe in love again.)
For his part, Daniell had an amused expression as he revealed that “Hindi Minahal” was a reference to being cheated on, although he opted not to give further details about his experience.
“It is a reminder to everyone lalo na sa mga niloko… naisip ko ‘yun based on experience. Lahat naman tayo niloloko, diba? Gusto ko ng something na hindi maging masakit, pero maging way na iremind ang mga tao na hindi natin sila kailangan balikan. Kailangan natin mahalin ang sarili natin,” he said.
(It is a reminder to everyone, especially to those who were cheated on. We have all been cheated on at some point in our lives, right? I want it not to be painful. I want it to be a reminder to listeners that you don’t have to go back to the person who hurt you. You have to love yourselves first.)
Crisostomo, Daniell, and Chavez were launched as the latest roster of Star Music artists in collaboration with Roly Halagao Training, Production, and Casting Studio.