On January 19, artist-singer Alexa Ilacad recalled how she wrote her newest single, Paano, in 2016 because of her heartbreak.
During the media conference for her newest single, Ilacad revealed that she wrote the song while on a car ride in the middle of the rain.
“I wrote this 2016, so it’s a long, long, long time ago, fresh from [a] heartbreak, and I didn’t really know–I wasn’t into writing songs back then. I didn’t know how I could channel my emotions. I had so many questions in my head at that time so, I was like–I was on a car ride, and it was raining.
“And, you know how we can get really ‘senti’ with that perfect car ride and the rain. So sabi ko, ‘You know what, I’m just [going to] get my notes in my phone and type whatever I’m feeling.'”
She then sought out the help of her best friend Eunice Jorge of Gracenote to create the song Paano.
“So I asked, ‘Paano, Paano’ and then sabi ko parang, ‘uy, parang pwedeng kanta ‘to ah.’ And then I changed the lyrics and all. And then I told my best friend na si Eunice (Jorge) na maybe we can add some melody or you can make an instrumental for this. You can help me out. Because I really want to make a song out of this pain I’m feeling, para naman may silbe ‘yung sakit.”
Ilacad’s past love interest was her Goin’ Bulilit co-star and love team partner Nash Aguas. However, they never became a couple, but she admitted that they had a ‘mutual understanding.’
Ilacad said that music is in her blood while citing her musical influences, such as My Chemical Romance.
“Music is in my blood, obviously. My uncle and family, it’s really in my blood. Ever since I was young, I [was] obsessed with music. I used to collect CDs. I had my emo phase, and the first song I ever liked was ‘I don’t love you’ by My Chemical Romance, and up to now, I’m still a huge, [huge] fan of the band.”
She also shared details about her friendship with Jorge, who worked on Ilacad’s album in 2016.
“I think we’ve been friends na rin for six or seven years na rin. Long time na din. We met through my Dad and her manager si Kuya Darwin of Soupstar Entertainment. She wrote my first album back in 2016. So, of course, we got really close.
“And then, we just really clicked after our first meeting. We really had this awesome connection, and we [both] love music. So sobrang smooth nung friendship namin.”
Ilacad noted that Jorge taught her to be more collaborative and open to working with producers when creating music.
“And then she really taught me na, ‘that’s why you have a producer, ’cause you have to collaborate, you have to be open to criticism and comments about it,’ which I am naman. I know naman na I’m not the best songwriter out there, but it’s just when I make something, I feel like it’s my child, and I don’t want anyone to change anything about my child.”
“And then ‘yun nga, she really opened my eyes, [be]cause she’s a producer. And she’s produced for so many artists. So sabi ko, ‘Fine, okay.’ So it’s /important/ to have trust din sa producer because when I first heard her version of Paano, it was really new to me. And it was really different from how it sounded in 2016.”
As for her latest single, Paano, Ilacad detailed how her musical style changed from her previous songs.
“When I wrote Paano before, the first draft was really just an acoustic from me, and Eunice, she’s also my producer. We wanted a sound similar to Love at First Sight and Stay Right Here, which is more on Pop–it’s not naman Indie, but it’s Electro Pop.”
Ilacad’s Heartbreak song, ‘Paano,’ drops on Spotify, Apple Music, and all digital streaming platforms this Friday, January 21, 2022.
