Since her standout music scene debut in 2017 with her version of “Can’t Help Falling In Love”, Angelina Cruz has established her ability to capture her listeners’ hearts with her soulful vocals. Her stripped-back cover of “Hanggang Kailan” by Orange and Lemons back in 2018 also became a standout hit, now with over 10 million streams on Spotify and counting. Now armed with an original song, “Ayoko Lang”, Angelina uses her newfound range to talk about struggling to heal and move on.
A smoky, sultry yet melancholic number written by August Rigo, Angelina describes “Ayoko Lang” as extremely different from her previous works both sonically and thematically. She also shared that the song was “one step closer to the sound that I’ve been wanting,” sharing that she took inspiration from the music she usually listened to like indie pop.
“My previous releases were really different. They were acoustic and really mellow compared to this. I’ve been doing that type of sound for so many years, kaya ngayon I’ve really decided to explore different sounds and different genres and I feel that this single is one step closer to that.”
Although the song speaks of moving on in terms of a romantic relationship, Angelina shares that she resonated more in terms of healing from past experiences instead of relationships.
“I feel like most of us, if not everyone, has experienced past relationships, past experiences where we have to heal or move on from something or someone, so I was able to really resonate with it. Nakaka-relate ako sa song na ito with my past experiences. Basta healing, and the song is really about struggling to heal,” she confessed.
Another key feature of the song is the rustic-sounding guitar that blended perfectly with Angelina’s vocals, provided by the ever-talented Filipino-Canadian Ricky Tillo, who rose to fame as the tour guitarist of Lady Gaga.
“I’m really grateful to work with them. I’m so happy na parang this is one step closer to doing what I really want to do, to explore new things and different artists. It’s really nice and it’s super fulfilling.”
With this release now out, Angelina now feels more emboldened to try out new things with her music.
“I’ve been learning the keyboard and posting my covers on my Instagram, but I’m still really trying to master the keyboard,” she further shared.
From trying out new genres and subjects to learning a new instrument, Angelina’s future as a musician looks to be a very interesting ride.
“Ayoko Lang” by Angelina Cruz is now available on all digital streaming platforms under Universal Records.
