Draft:Puhon
| "Puhon" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by TJ Monterde | ||||
| Language | Cebuano | |||
| English title | Someday | |||
| Released | May 14, 2020 | |||
| Genre | Visayan pop | |||
| Length | 4:00 | |||
| Label | PolyEast Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | TJ Monterde | |||
| Producer(s) | TJ Monterde | |||
| TJ Monterde singles chronology | ||||
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| Lyric video | ||||
| "Puhon" on YouTube | ||||
"Puhon" (transl. Someday) is a song recorded by the Filipino singer TJ Monterde.
Background and release
[edit]Monterde wrote the chorus of "Puhon" three years prior to the song's release.[1][2] He finished writing the song while staring at a "beautiful" sunset.[1] The song's entire recording process was completed in two weeks during the Philippines' enhanced community quarantine. In an interview with ABS-CBN Showbiz, he shared that he and his collaborators considered "Puhon" to be an "experiment song", asking themselves, "Is it possible to actually release a song that is Spotify quality but recorded from home?"[3]
Due to his lack of a "proper studio", Monterde recorded the song in his bedroom, under a blanket, to prevent capturing outside noise.[1] "Puhon" was recorded with a USB microphone that he described as "cheap" and "DIY". He also surrounded his microphone with multiple pillows to further enhance the acoustics.[3]
He added that "Puhon" promoted his advocacy of bringing Visayan pop (Vispop) songs to a national scale. In an interview with The Philippine Star, Monterde shared that it was a "habit" and a part of his "vision" to release songs in his native language, Cebuano (Bisaya), every so often.[4]
Composition and lyrics
[edit]"Puhon" is four minutes long.[5] Its lyrics are written in Cebuano.[4] Julienne Loreto of Positively Filipino, an American magazine, observed that the language used in "Puhon" is "fairly deep".[6] The Cebuano word "puhon" roughly translates to "someday", "God-willing", or "in God's time". He explained, "I'm very fascinated with the word 'puhon' because it's just one word. When someone asks you in Bisaya, 'Are you two married?' The answer is, 'Not yet, but puhon.' [...] Your outlook automatically becomes positive when you say 'puhon'. I'm very fascinated with that term because it really is a beautiful word and very unique. That's what I revolved [the song] around."[2]
It is a Vispop song[7][6] about a man who longs to be with the woman he has loved for a long time. In an article published by the Manila Standard, Monterde is quoted as saying, "No matter how much he tries to forget the person, his heart still belongs to the girl. It's a song about waiting for the perfect time. Thus, I called the song Puhon."[1] He related to the word on a personal level, because the COVID-19 pandemic delayed his wedding with his then-fiancée KZ Tandingan.[2]
Reception
[edit]Jerry Donato of The Philippine Star described "Puhon" as "another contribution to the thriving Vispop that deserves mainstream playing and appreciation". He commended the song for being "catchy" and "easy on the ear", also praising Monterde's "soothing" voice. Donato added that the song is "essentially a poem", writing that the song's use of Cebuano lyrics "makes listening more pleasurable".[4] The Filipino Times' Kristine Erika Agustin said that the song is "heartfelt" and "conveys a sense of hope and optimism". She included it in the newspaper's list of "OPM hits beyond Tagalog", which "help in preserving and promoting the country's rich multicultural and multilingual heritage".[8]
Loreto noted that the song "quickly" garnered more than one million views on YouTube when it was first released. They believed that this indicated an "appetite" for Vispop.[6] "Puhon" was nominated for Pop Performance of the Year at the 6th Wish 107.5 Music Awards.[9] In 2024, Isulat et al. included "Puhon" in a research paper that examines how Vispop songs reflect Filipino culture. They explained that "Puhon" shows the value of hope.[10]
Personnel
[edit]Credits are adapted from Apple Music[5] and a Manila Standard article.[1]
- TJ Monterde – lead vocals, lyrics, production
- Chino David of Hale – musical arrangement
- Arnie Mendaros – back-up vocals
- Albert Tamayo – mixing and mastering
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Award | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Wish 107.5 Music Awards | 2020 | Pop Performance of the Year | "Puhon" | Nominated | [9] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Wang, Nickie (July 6, 2020). "A song TJ Monterde composed while watching the sunset". Manila Standard. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c Tuazon, Nikko (July 8, 2020). "After 3 years, TJ Monterde finally finishes song, thanks to K-drama and quarantine". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025.
- ^ a b Santos, Rhea Manila (July 4, 2020). "EXCLUSIVE: TJ Monterde reveals plans to study music in the US with KZ Tandingan". ABS-CBN Showbiz. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c Donato, Jerry (June 27, 2020). "Look on the bright side of love, life with TJ's Puhon". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025.
- ^ a b "Puhon — Song by TJ Monterde". Apple Music. May 14, 2020. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c Loreto, Julienne (March 19, 2025). "Visayan Pop Music's Rise and Stall". Positively Filipino. Archived from the original on April 30, 2025.
- ^ Deala, Joanna (February 3, 2025). "Different types of love felt on Day 2 of Tj Monterde's 'Sarili Nating Mundo' concert". Republic Asia. Archived from the original on February 4, 2025.
This is the message Monterde wants to convey through his Visayan pop track 'Puhon,' which he performed with Colet Vergara of the Nation's Girl Group BINI during the concert.
- ^ Agustin, Kristine Erika (August 12, 2024). "OPM hits beyond Tagalog? Listen to these songs in various Philippine languages". The Filipino Times. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025.
- ^ a b Idris, A. Azim (January 18, 2021). "Gloc-9, Zild Benitez, Ben&Ben, SB19 win big at sixth Wish Music Awards". NME. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025.
- ^ Isulat, Mitzi Riva M.; Orcullo, Catherine B. (September 30, 2024). "Awiting Bisaya sa Musika ng Pilipinas (Vispop): Isang Mapanghamon na Paglalakbay sa Larangan ng Komunikasyon at Pananaliksik sa Wika at Kulturang Pilipino" [Visayan Songs in Philippine Music (Vispop): a Challenging Journey in the Field of Communication and Study of the (Cebuano) Language and Filipino Culture]. Advancing Filipino Research Journal (in Tagalog). 2 (1). University of Bohol: 82–94. doi:10.15631/ubafrj.v2i1.210. Archived from the original on June 5, 2025.