Newbie singer-songwriter Jel Rey confesses his longing for a special someone in his debut single “hele pono.”
“‘hele pono’ stands for ‘hinehele sa telepono.’ I started writing this song when my long-distance girlfriend and I were having a video call, remembering our times together before I went to sleep. Suddenly, I said, ‘Alam mo yung labi mo para na siyang lugar na ‘di ko pa napupuntahan,’ and she told me it was a great lyric idea,” he explains.
Jel Rey uploads his song covers and songwriting process on TikTok which has already amassed over 400,000 likes. Some of his musical influences include Queen, Rex Orange County, Eraserheads, Joji, Rico Blanco, IV of Spades, Juan Karlos, Gloc9, Loonie, and Flow G.
He revealed that his overflowing ideas and emotions helped him in composing “hele pono” while Star Pop label head Rox Santos led its production.
“This song is my absolute favorite, and I’m proud that I wrote it. It’s also the song I wrote the fastest. I wrote the words and melodies in just one sitting. I was probably really inspired during that time,” shared the new Kapamilya artist.
With his love for music, Jel Rey previously joined numerous singing competitions and began writing his own songs during his college years.
“I love music because I enjoy seeing the reactions of people when I perform. When I make them happy, sad, or even dance. It’s fulfilling as a performer,” he ends.