After her first single under MCA Music made a splash, singer-songwriter huhsmile is back with a follow-up, titled “Walang Aminan.”
This charming pop-acoustic tune is about having a crush on someone yet not wanting to let them know how you really feel. Its buoyant melody and ukulele-driven arrangement makes it different from “Kung Pwede Lang,” which had a pop-rock feel, not to mention a Parental Advisory label due to some very honest lyrics.
According to huhsmile, it was a conscious decision on her part to ensure her new single would be a departure from her first. She wanted to come up with a song that would reflect where she’s at as an artist and person. Like any singer-songwriter worth their salt, she doesn’t want to release anything that doesn’t feel right to her.
“I’d say ‘Kung Pwede Lang’ is what I was comfortable with, while ‘Walang Aminan’ is what I’m growing into. This song is where I’m currently at, at least in terms of how I generally feel about people and relationships. Out with the teen angst, in with the kilig,” she explains.
While “Walang Aminan” is slightly more mellow and sweeter compared to her previous single, huhsmile’s trademark sass and unique vocals can still be heard on it. It’s different, but it’s still her, in all the ways that count.
huhsmile—whose real name is Eunice Gatdula—wrote and composed the song herself. She then linked up with Gabriel Tagadtad of Unit 406, who arranged it. Gab worked alongside MCA Music’s Tiny Corpuz to produce it, after which he took over the mixing and mastering.
“Gab is always great to work with,” huhsmile enthuses. “He immediately understood the assignment, and because of that, he was able to execute it flawlessly. I’m still quite a noob when it comes to ‘making timpla’ sounds and making decisions in the studio. Especially when it’s time to decide on the direction of a song. Thankfully, Gab really made the vision of ‘Walang Aminan’ more realistic with his work on the song.”
One of the key lines in the song goes, “Pag may nagtanong, aba ewan ko, basta sagot ko wala akong gusto sa ‘yo. Pero walang aminan, paninindigan. Gusto kita pero walang aminan.” When asked about that line, she explains that the song was inspired by friendships.
“We all have friendships we don’t want to ruin, and we’re completely fine with that line we’ll never cross. Tip-toeing around being friends and being lovers, having double meanings to ‘ingat ka,’ enjoying someone’s company but not being sure if that’s all it really is. Well, that and an anime I loved called Kaguya-sama: Love Is War.”
Does she think it’s a good idea to be open with the person you like?
“Depende. Ika-nga nila: results may vary. Please do so at your own risk,” she smirks.
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