Gary Valenciano was driving when the song hit him. He had to pull over.
“If I were to revive a song, this must be it,” he said, referring to “Blessings,” the inspirational ballad originally recorded by Laura Story. The lyrics hit him hard. They felt right for the time we’re living in.
“With everything that’s happening now, people need inspiration. People need God. We need our faith,” Gary V told Manila Standard Entertainment. “Whenever we get the chance to say this to others, it’s a privilege. It’s an honor.”
RJ dela Fuente felt the same way. In a separate conversation, he said the song spoke to him on a personal level. “There are times we really can’t explain what’s happening. There’s chaos, problems, and trials. But in the middle of all of that, God is always there with us.”
Together, Gary and RJ have released a new music video for “Blessings.” It is simple, quiet, and powerful. No heavy effects or distractions. Just light, shadows, and a message that slowly builds. The more stripped down it gets, the more it connects.
The video, directed by Jason Maximo, begins in darkness. Light slowly rises. RJ appears first in cool, muted tones. Gary V follows in warmer, golden hues. Two different energies, but both grounded in faith. By the end, the screen is flooded with white. Not just brightness, the director says, but the presence of Jesus.
Everything in the production points back to the message of the song. Even the set and wardrobe are kept minimal. “A play of lights, a plain set, simple attire. It all kept the message crystal clear,” Gary V said.
RJ added, “The lyrics are so powerful, we didn’t want the visuals to distract from that.” For him, this project is more than a cover. It is a full-circle moment. “I get to do it with Tito Gary, who has been an inspiration to me since I was younger.”
Both artists are also part of the latest run of Joseph the Dreamer, a theater production that echoes the same themes. Joseph’s journey in the musical is about betrayal, waiting, and finally, redemption. It is a reminder that not all blessings arrive in obvious ways.
“Joseph’s story didn’t look like a blessing at first,” Gary said. “But that’s how many of God’s blessings arrive. They come during the hardest seasons of life. Only later do we understand what they were for.”
“Blessings” is now out on all digital music platforms through Sony Music Entertainment and Waterwalk Records. The official music video premiered on June 25 on Gary Valenciano’s YouTube channel.
Catch Joseph the Dreamer today and on July 13, 18, 19, and 20 at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati.
