Rising singer-songwriter, mrld, just dropped her latest acoustic pop record, ‘Ikaw Pa Rin,’ on Friday, September 2.
Ikaw Pa Rin follows the release of mrld’s hit track, Maligayang Pagkunwari, released last April 2022, and has garnered over 3M streams on streaming platforms.
Ikaw Pa Rin depicts a narrative revolving around unrequited love but highlights that even though one has the other person on the pedestal, there is a chamber for well-founded love and appreciation.
In an exclusive interview with mrld, the artist shared how her latest single was inspired by an aim to tackle a kind of unreciprocated love that is still appreciated, why she opted to explore a different type of sound through this latest release, how her passion for Kpop music influenced the production of the record, and more.
TNH: Talk us through your latest single, Ikaw Pa Rin. What is Ikaw Pa Rin all about? How would you describe the core narrative of this record?
mrld: To simply put it, I would say it is basically just like picking someone even though you know that they'll never pick you anyway. I wanted to write a song where we can still appreciate and love people without the thought or the need from them to like us back.
TNH: You've mentioned that your quest to explore the vast range of music and sound significantly propelled the production of Ikaw Pa Rin. What prompted you to expand your musical horizon and work on a song that is greatly influenced by your love for Kpop tunes?
mrld: As an artist, it's a goal for me to really not just stick with one sound. It would be boring, or the listeners would think, "Oh, this just sounds like her previous releases. There's nothing new," and I don't want that. And especially, Kpop is taking over the music industry all around the world now! I see these idols as an influence on how passionate they are, and sound-wise, I'm trying to write such songs as well.
TNH: Ikaw Pa Rin features a romantic acoustic pop. In terms of the process of crafting the sonic arrangement of this track, how would you describe the journey?
mrld: Recording the song was not easy. I find it hard, especially since the song focuses more on falsettos. The production was fine since I worked with the same producer as Ligaya, and he's very good at it. I even had to look for a vocal coach just to be able to reach what I wanted for the song. In the end, we were able to pull it off, and I'm very grateful that we were able to do so.
TNH: Other creatives behind the track include Jefferson Macasarte, Jade Ricio, and Hazel Pascua. How would you describe your experience working with these artists? What were some of the highlights in the creative production that greatly influenced the overall structure of Ikaw Pa Rin?
mrld: As expected from Sir Jeff, he's very open with changes, and I really appreciate him for that. He's been there since Ligaya, and he really just knows what to do. Miss Jade is my vocal teacher, and it was very new to me since it was my first time, but thankfully she was able to teach me a lot of things for this single. It's the second time that I'm working with Miss Hazel, and I'm always blown away by how creative she is. She tweaked some parts of the song that I never even thought of doing, and it came out great! These people are the reason why we succeeded with the single. They deserve to be recognized and praised more than me as an artist, hahaha.
TNH: It appears that a form of artistic evolution is evident in your latest single. How would you describe such creative development, and what do you think are the highlights along the journey that you wish to take on in your future music endeavors?
mrld: Honestly, a lot of people are saying that my sound did change, and I don't know if I should be happy or sad about it. At the end of the day, I still aim for the listener-artist connection, and there are more people who enjoy what I do, and they keep me going. Just by listening to my previous songs, the growth is insane! I'm very proud of what I've become. I just want to grow as an artist who is willing to learn and take risks. Every song will never be good enough; it's just consistency and aiming to become better along the journey.
TNH: How would you describe the type of artist that your listeners will hear and experience in this latest record?
mrld: It is still very mrld. But also the mrld who is more knowledgeable about what she should do, not only with sound but also as an artist.
While mrld takes on a new artistic approach in terms of musical production, this latest release still speaks of the artist’s distinct stamp. Ikaw Pa Rin features an acoustic pop tune that elicits her great prowess in rendering romantic and mellow energy.
Other creatives who pitched in the record production include producer Jefferson Macasarte, vocal producer Jade Riccio, and Hazel Pascua, who mixed and mastered the track.
You can now stream Ikaw Pa Rin on digital music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
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