A HIDDEN video of him singing started it all, and now yaJ is breaking through with his debut single “Pbrto.” The US-born talent is part of Warner Music Philippines’ (WMP) new generation of songwriters that are more than prepared to conquer the music scene. With this track, one where he bares his musings, he shows that his earnest songwriting is the perfect ammunition.
Incredibly, yaJ’s first attempt at music sounds like a radio-ready hit, but his road to success was never easy. yaJ shared that bullying was one of the main driving forces that got him into songwriting. “As a dual citizen (of USA and the Philippines), I was able to live and study in Baguio. Since then, I considered Baguio my hometown where I spent the majority of my adult life. When I was studying, there was a time I got bullied. As an outcast, you have no one to talk to but you’ll have everyone talking about you. I naturally put on my headphones/earbuds to block out the noise. I then fell in love with just listening to music in general. I began to compose my own songs, as a kind of escape from the situation. From that, it became a pastime, then a hobby, then a habit, then a passion, and… now… it’s my purpose. I’ve been writing continuously since 2018; I now have 150+ songs across my several notebooks.”
Baguio, for yaJ, is a home and an escape.
“I envisioned this whole EP to express my deep love for the Creative City, Baguio. Baguio is the “coffee in times of struggle”—with acads and mga away. Baguio may be the coldest place in the Philippines, but it is, to me, the one with the warmest community. Baguio hugs you. Baguio feeds you Korean samgyupsal and Middle Eastern Shawarma. Baguio is, when you look at it, a beautiful song. Dito po ako nagsulat ng mga kanta ko. Dito po ako nag-umpisa. Dito po nagmula ang aking OPM. Baguio OPM. Baguio po ang aking Pbrto,” he said, elaborating on his love for his hometown.
On top of his bullying experience, another thing that pushed him to share his music was when the pandemic hit and yaJ lost his job in the US. “I saw that as the “it’s now or never” moment. So, I flew to the Philippines to do what I felt the need to.” Sharing more about his humble beginnings, he said, “I always planned to return to the Philippines to make OPM. I felt that OPM could be so much more… not that it isn’t great now, but that it could evolve into something as successful as K-pop. My aim is to bring OPM to all genres I can. I want OPM to take the best of itself from each of its eras and genres… sum that and take it to the world. That’s the kind of music I’m making, or at least I’m trying to.”
yaJ went from writing songs in his notebook to being pulled under the spotlight by WMP. “The biggest shocker is that I was taken in without any music career highlights or achievements; I had no background, history, portfolio, press clippings or any form of social media presence. Yet, they still took me in. I consider that my first achievement; the music I made was enough.” On what sets him apart from the rest of the new guys, yaJ said, “Besides the support for which I am eternally grateful, what I consider as a key point that sets me apart is the fact that I actually do real genre-bending. But it is not your typical genre-bending. I bend myself across genres. I make songs in the genres of rock, hip-hop, pop rap, R&B, trap, pop, and many more. I also blend genres—two or more—into tracks that attempt to leave the listener wondering what they just listened to,” he added.
Finally, as a result of long walks and improvisations, “Pbrto” was molded into shape by yaJ together with his producer Shadiel Chan, and mastering engineer Jan Aries Fuertez. The debut track finds itself perfectly balanced to soundtrack love across all generations. Harmoniously mixing thoughtful lyrics and additional flair from his session musicians and guest artist Ab1, yaJ shared, ““Pbrto ko siya. Pbrto ko yun. Pbrto ko doon. Pbrto ko dito. ‘Pbrto’ is about someone or something or somewhere that is your absolute favorite. It explores the feeling of knowing that someone is your favorite person in the world and that the space beside them is your favorite place in the world. For me, romantic love is made special by exclusivity. Pag siya lang, yun na yun. Pag walang ibang pwesto sa buong mundo na mas masaya, kungdi sa tabi niya, yun na yun. ‘Pbrto’ is exclusivity. Irreplaceable siya. Siya na talaga.”
With “Pbrto,” yaJ presents us with a love song that sounds just right. On the surface, it may sound like a simple pop track, but beyond the familiar tune lies a well-told story. That kind of honesty can sometimes turn into a cheesy listen, but yaJ never made it feel awkward at any point. No dramatic surprises, just yaJ’s musical formula being already effective as it is. He decided to use a tried-and-tested recipe that still felt fresh all throughout. yaJ expressed, “I learned that I had it in me, the capability to present something very personal to an audience—in this case the whole population of people who will listen to my music. I believe that the amazing things we create within or just by ourselves, these very personal things, sometimes deserve to be shared to the world. Nalaman ko na, para sa aking pagmamahal sa OPM at sa musika, nagagawa ko ang mga bagay na inakala kong hindi ko po kayang gawin. I learned that I am actually what I wanted to become: a singer/songwriter.” On the topic that he explores through his music, he added, “I explore situations in love. My songs serve as sponges for people who are in or were in certain situations concerning their love. Gusto kong magawa ng musika ko yung mag-branch out siya at mag-mature.”
His launch may not be ideal, but yaJ and his music can cut through anything, even if it’s borne from trauma and let out into a pandemic-hostage world. On developing his creativity in quarantine, he said, “I deleted my social media and unplugged from everything except YouTube, for sanity purposes, haha. I would walk around Baguio before the curfew and right after the curfew ended; I’d have my guitar with me and walk around playing it—making random chord progressions and melodies. I departed from what some would call time-wasters and attention-eaters… and I arrived at a point where I could only hear myself and the music, I think would resonate with myself and possibly others. Gumawa po ako ng musikang, sa tingin ko, ay raw na raw, sa pamamagitan ng taos-pusong pagsusulat.”
If there were any advice that he followed, it’s “Just send it.” “I prepared a demo for Warner and I sent it. I just chose to send it. That worked out well, obviously, haha. It doesn’t matter; the set of conditions or parameters, the status quo, the de jure stuff, they all do not truly alter the fact that what you created is at the quality you created it. And, now… I’m just sending ‘Pbrto’ to the Filipino people and to the world.”
“Pbrto” is out now on your favorite digital platforms. For the latest updates on your favorite musicians, follow Warner Music Philippines on their social media pages.
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