After dropping solo tracks that kept us on our toes, SB19’s Justin De Dios is back with another song, “Kaibigan,” proving once again that he’s got more hits than a piñata at a party. But will this track be the anthem of the season or just another tune in the playlist?
From writing the lyrics to creating the music video concept, the P-pop star did it all. The song tells the story of someone confessing their true feelings to a friend, filled with pain and frustration, and then hits us with a surprising twist. But is this twist a game-changer or just another curveball?
“To be honest, there’s no actual or specific inspiration behind the song,” Justin reveals. “I wrote this tune from the perspective of an observer and wanderer: a person who enjoys movies with a coming-of-age slant.”
With his new song, Justin gets to experiment with his music like never before. Thanks to SB19’s Pablo and his brother Josue, aka Radkidz, who helped Justin level up the arrangement of “Kaibigan,” it’s clear the track highlights his evolving artistry freshly and excitingly.
“Similar to surreal, I let them hear my demo in its ukulele version. At first, it was more of a solemn and calm song, but as we navigated deeper through the collaboration and explored the material and its story, we came up with something that ripped out the emotional layers in the latter part,” 1Z Entertainment act shares the production process in an interview.
Man’s Got Vision
Justin expressed his admiration for Radkidz for guiding him again to sharpen his musical instincts while staying true to the vision. Justin reveals that he pulled off something in the MV he never thought he could—a thing he didn’t even think he could.
He shares, “They added some interesting builds on the bridge, and made me even scream towards the end. I personally don’t see myself doing that, but there’s always total payoff in accepting the challenge without giving in to your sense of inhibition. I’m actually thrilled with the final output.”
The multi-talented P-pop star not only conceptualized the visual narrative for the music video but also worked with his team on the storyboard and shot list. As a true visionary, he goes beyond being just a singer-songwriter, expressing deep emotions with a clarity that the lyrics alone might miss—through Justin’s unique lens.
He then adds, “For the direction of the MV, other than the rough storyboard, we make sure the producer knows the story behind it and what feeling we want to convey. I even sent movies and not just music video pegs for them to really understand what we wanted to achieve.”
The stars in the music video of Kaibigan are the band member of The Juans, RJ Cruz, together with the theater actress Nicole Omillio, known for her recent role as Basha in the play based on the popular movie “One More Chance.”
“Speak your mind,” they say, but “Kaibigan” reveals that sometimes, silence can be more powerful. Listen to Justin’s “Kaibigan” to gain true clarity on how to handle those confusing feelings with a friend.
Written by| NRLustre
