Seb Pajarillo channels past heartbreak in sophomore release

MANILA, Philippines — Artists, regardless of their medium of expression, also explore new territory, genre- and theme-wise, to discover and offer something new.

Seb Pajarillo can attest to it with his latest single, Dati Pa, released under GMA Playlist.

“We tried to venture into a new type of music or new genre of music as compared to my first single, which is Want You. (The latter) talks more about being in love and your willingness to sacrifice something,” said the Sparkle GMA Artist talent, who has appeared in TV series like “Shining Inheritance” and will also be seen in the forthcoming action-drama program, “Mga Batang Riles,” of his debut single, in a recent press conference.

For Dati Pa, the sophomore ditty, he added that “we talked to venture into a different emotion this time, a different feeling.”

The theme may be viewed as about picking up the pieces, as a matter of speaking, and finding the path to move on. It’s a hint or hope that one may get from it. An article from GMA Music describes it as “a heartbreak song about reminiscing on a past relationship.”

Every recording begins with the pitching process, where singers like Seb get to hear an array of songs and choose the one that appeals to and resonates with them.

“Ito talaga yung pinaka-dumikit sa akin (it left a lasting impression on me),” shared he about Dati Pa. “Sabi ko nangyari talaga sa akin ang kantang ‘to (I said to myself, ‘Its story happened to me’).”

The good-looking, tall guy had a three-year relationship, and when it reached the sometimes inevitable parting of the ways, he figured out what went wrong and took some time for him to move on.

“When I heard the song, I was like, ‘This is very close to me.’ Parang bumabalik kahit naka-move on na ako (everything came back even if I had moved on already),” recalled Seb. “That’s why the process became OK and easier.”

Yes, he had an experience to use in understanding the song narrative. But looking back on the past, especially when one has put it behind, is a tough act.

“As I’ve said earlier, very close siya sa akin (the story is close to me) and its rhythm is different, very slow,” Seb made a comparison between Dati Pa and Want You. “(With this song), my vocal range was challenged (as you can see) my speaking voice na medyo mababa talaga (it registers a bit low). But we enjoyed the process.”

Part of the creative process for Dati Pa was making the song not only relatable to the listeners but also to the artist.

“Nanduon yung pagiging relatable sa mga experiences namin (there was this consideration that the song should be close to our experiences),” said he. “Kapag ni-re-record na namin siya, nadadagdagan talaga ng more emotions (when we were recording it, the interpretation became more emotional and apt to the story),” said he.

Since some singers have also tried their hand at songwriting, Seb was also inquired about it. He said that he has tried, but he will eventually find his foothold in it.

Prior to his foray into the entertainment world, particularly singing and TV acting, Seb was into sports. “I’ve been a very athletic kid,” said he. “What I can say about my transition from being athletic into (trying my hand at) the music field, is I would say I got inspiration from my family members.”

By the way, Seb is the nephew of Harry Santos, a “Pinoy Pop Superstar” grand finalist.

“Every time we would have (family) gathering, hindi mawawala yung karaoke (karaoke singing is part of it). Nanduon yung hobby ng singing even mas focus ako sa football (there was this interest in singing as a hobby even if I focused more on playing football).”

Eventually, Seb said he has become more comfortable with singing as a form of expression. Like all aspirants, he also had to deal with shyness as a performer. But the pandemic had given him ample time to handle and surpass it.

“I tried to do covers and posted (them) on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube as well. Dun ko nakuha yung confidence na kaya ko palang sumabay sa pagkanta (that’s how I improved my confidence in singing),” concluded he.

From there, Seb has become a GMA Playlist artist who aspires to venture into tunes about new emotions and narratives, set in different music genres.

(The second single of Seb is now available on all digital platforms.)