Jayda turns love lesson into song

There is no particular time of day for Jayda Avanzado to best translate her thoughts and ideas into potential lyrics and melodies.

The unica hija of Jessa Zaragoza and Dingdong Avanzado said that she starts working on a song whenever and wherever she is struck by an idea or inspiration.

“Honestly, it’s just when an idea comes along,” Jayda told The STAR on her songwriting process during the virtual mediacon for her formal launch as one of the newest artists of Rise Artists Studio and Star Magic, and the release of her new single titled M.U. which she co-produced with ABS-CBN Music creative director Jonathan Manalo.

“But it’s also possible to have a specific time kasi napansin ko madalas pag mga madaling araw dun ako nagmumuni-muni. I encounter a lot of ideas during those hours. And inspiration can take you in the weirdest places and the weirdest of times.”

Jayda said her new song M.U., which expresses her thoughts on no-label relationships, is based on her personal experience. “Yes, I admit it happened to me but I’m not here to throw anyone under the bus. I mean, I don’t want to talk about anyone in a bad light. It happened to me and I just considered it as a lesson in life.”

The young artist, who will be turning 18 on June 1, would also like to make it clear that M.U. is a colloquial acronym for Malabong Usapan and it’s about asserting security in a romantic relationship. A line from the lyrics goes: “Ayoko ng umasa sa paasa na walang pag-asa.”

In the same virtual meeting, the five-minute music video of M.U. featuring Francine Diaz was shown. Jayda co-directed it with Edrex Clyde Sanchez.

One writer observed that the sound of M.U. is different from the classic Pinoy ballad.

“I think pop music has always been in my blood. It has always been a part of me, especially I guess Western pop in particular. My offering to OPM music is a mixture of my Western influence and the essence of OPM. That’s really my inspiration behind that,” explained Jayda.

“As a producer, it was so very clear in my mind what I knew and how it sounded. I knew it had to be an upbeat pop and it felt like going back to my roots and the music that I listened to growing up that I’ve always appreciated,” she added.

The pop-infused track, released under Star Music, is a new writing collaboration with her dad whom she also worked with for her single titled Paano Kung Naging Tayo? released last February.

“M.U. is about knowing what you want, what you deserve, knowing your worth and what you don’t want in a relationship. It’s all about wanting clarity,” she stressed.

When it comes to matters of the heart, Jayda often confides to her mom “and we do a lot of girl talk sessions. We are also bestfriends and my mom is like a big sister to me because we can talk about anything. But I can say though, my dad really gives good advice in life in general but with love advice, magaling din s’ya at minsan may mga hinala s’ya on certain things na nagkaka-totoo talaga.”

Jayda said that she truly takes to heart the pieces of advice of her parents concerning life, love and career.

“When it comes to Top 3 advice that my parents have given me, No. 1 would be, there’s no substitute for hard work because there are just so many talented people in this industry. It’s very competitive, it’s relentless, it’s brutal and there’s no substitute for not just being good but being great as well. What sets talented people apart from others is the amount of hard work they are willing to give to achieve their dreams.

“No. 2, to be authentic. My mom especially, s’yempre galing ‘yun (advice) talaga sa kanya. She’s one of the most distinct voices I’ve heard and that’s biased aside I really do think so.

“And No. 3 would be, mag-bigay pugay ka sa mga nauna sa ‘yo — that’s so important. My dad would always say to me na importanteng marunong ka makisama sa mga kapwa mo sa industriya not just artists of your age and the veteran artists who came before you but also to the people you are working with whether that be your handler or the camera crew treat them with the same level of respect that you give to your co-artists.”

Apart from singing, Jayda is set to showcase her acting talent in a Kapamilya TV series. She’s been attending acting workshops with other Rise artists. She expressed her willingness to take on whatever role is given to her. “Loveteam? Yes, I am open to that,” she laughed.

Asked if she’s also willing to try directorial work for film and TV, having had successful stints in helming music videos, Jayda replied, “If I will be given the opportunity and the trust, I would love to delve into it. I’m not just sure if I have time for it now since I’ve been really focusing on my career. But I’ll definitely see it if it’s in the cards for me in the future. Plus, I also want to hone my talent more so when the time comes for that project, I’ll be ready.”

For now, Jayda is prepping up for her first-ever concert on June 26 that will have a rerun on June 27 via KTX.ph, IWantTFC and TFC IPTV. Tickets are priced at 499. “Let’s see if I will also be singing songs of my mom in the concert,” she quipped.