From the depths of remorse to the dizzying heights of first love, LILY’s discography has taken a striking turn. After a string of ‘hugot’ anthems steeped in regret and second chances, LILY’s new release ‘Kinakabahan’ arrived last April 4, a burst of pure ‘kilig.’
The band’s frontman elaborated on this intentional shift, stating, “We deliberately decided to try something new. We realized our comfort zone was rooted in heartbreak, and we aimed to diversify our live performances, adding a layer of ‘kilig’ for everyone to enjoy.”
Everyone’s been asking about the love story behind ‘Kinakabahan’! LILY frontman, Joshua Bulot recalls, ‘It wasn’t anyone in the band’s story. It was more like, during the pandemic, every household got hooked on K-Dramas. We wanted to write about that feeling when you see your crush.’ He also said the song is about, ‘That moment when a strong guy gets all nervous and loses his cool around someone he likes.”
Departing from our familiar pop-rock sound, with its heavy instrumentation, ‘Kinakabahan’ pushed us into uncharted territory,” Alden reveals. “This ‘kilig’-themed track required a nuanced approach, a conscious effort to hold back,” Nathan Reyes, LILY’s rhythm guitarist, explains. “The challenge was to break our creative habits and deliver a light, airy arrangement that perfectly complemented the song’s emotional core. We had to trust the
song’s needs and resist our usual inclination for powerful instrumentation.
While LILY’s ‘Higa’ was remembered by its unique collaboration with content creator, Malupiton, ‘Kinakabahan’ ventures into a completely different thematic territory, raising the question of how the band would further challenge their creative boundaries.
Alden Acosta, LILY’s lead guitarist, reveals, ‘One of the highlights in making “Kinakabahan” was that the group went to Baguio for a dose Baguio-vibes, young love, and light-hearted inspiration. We worked with Shad in his awesome Baguio studio.” 
Aaron Ricafrente, LILY’s bassist, explained the song’s intended emotional impact, stating, ‘The goal was to bring back that first-crush feeling. That moment you’re in a daze and just feel the butterflies in the stomach”.
Joshua emphasized the novelty of this release, highlighting LILY’s unexpected departure from their rock roots: “This is a first for LILY. Who would have thought we could go from hard-hitting rock to butterflies in your stomach. From rock to Barbie.”
LILY members have each experienced significant individual growth within the band, particularly in areas such as instrumental proficiency, arranging sensibilities, and lyrical craftsmanship, as they’ve navigated their evolving sound. These changes were shared by LILY’s drummer, Lem Belaro: “There are aspects where I noticed our growth as a band.
Back then, we were straight heartbreak music, now we are more open to trying different sounds and one of which is kilig.”
Nathan compares his shift from LILY’s previous music to the demands of “Kinakabahan”.
“On the guitar side, our usual is guitar-driven music, but for this song, mas piano-driven and bass-driven na. It reminds me of my college band days, where we played chill music. I miss this music, so I’m glad we can incorporate it into our latest release.”
“I used weird chords like Major 9 chords and broken chords. I pushed myself in this song. I give my 100% to the band all the time”, adds Alden.
Beyond personal development, the band functions as a powerful learning ecosystem where each member actively contributes to the growth of their bandmates, fostering a culture of mutual support and collaborative learning.
“Kinakabahan’s resident keyboardist, Ezra Decinal, adds, “My contribution for this song is the cute sound leading to the bridge and chorus. I give love to the songs like how I show my love and support to LILY.”
Though evolution is essential, LILY’s members maintain a deep respect for each other’s talents. ‘For songwriting, we trust Joshua’s vision completely,’ Lem explained. ‘His initial drafts are consistently strong, requiring no revisions.”
This dynamic exchange of skills, feedback, and creative exploration has not only shaped their individual artistic journeys but also strengthened the collective sound and vision of LILY.
Re-experience the flutters of first love! Listen to LILY’s latest release “Kinakabahan” across streaming platforms!
