IN the early years of her career, KZ Tandingan rarely ventured into writing happy love songs, fearing that it would compromise her “edgy persona.”
Furthermore, during the initial decade of her career as a musician, she hadn’t experienced the profound love that surpasses all others.
The song “Dito Ka Lang” marks a significant shift for her as an artist, embracing her current emotions and revealing her true self. KZ firmly believes that staying true to who you are doesn’t mean sacrificing your authenticity and uniqueness.
She believes that personal style and demeanor naturally shine through in your music and expressions.
“I’ve never felt that loving someone more than anybody else in the world. So, this song is the first song that embraces me and the kind of emotions I have at the moment. Being who you are doesn’t have to suffer because ayaw mong mawala ang pagiging astig mo. Your swag is who you are, whatever you talk about or sing about will just naturally come out,” KZ said during the single’s launch and listening party.
The brand new soulful love song was written when her husband TJ Monterde went overseas for a concert tour while she remained in the country.
“Dito Ka Lang” beautifully portrays the overwhelming love that she has unexpectedly received. KZ expresses her gratitude and humility, wondering, “What have I done to deserve this kind of love?” She hopes that everyone gets to experience such deep affection.
Blending soul, R&B, and rap elements, the song underwent mixing by Grammy winner Jackie Boom in the United States and mastering by another Grammy winner, Jett Galindo of The Bakery LA. The arrangement was skillfully handled by Theo Martel, with production by ABS-CBN Music’s creative director, Jonathan Manalo.
The music video for “Dito Ka Lang,” now available on the ABS-CBN Star Music YouTube channel, features performances by Kobie Brown and Andi Abaya. KZ Tandingan’s reinvention as the ‘Soul Supreme’ shines through this soulful and heartfelt composition.
“Dito Ka Lang,” which consistently trended online after it was announced, will be the first track featured in KZ’s upcoming full-length album called Soul Supremacy II. It follows her hit Soul Supremacy album released under Star Music in 2017.
The project also comes after the X Factor Philippines first season grand winner released two songs for the global audience, “11:59” and “Winning.”
She likewise graced the cover of a New York Times Square billboard in 2021 for Spotify’s EQUAL playlist. Recently, she served as one of the coaches for The Voice Kids Philippines season 5.