Waltz is back with a new single, “Cold Soup,” released on Oct. 24 across digital streaming platforms. The singer-songwriter described it as a poetic outlet that captures the quiet exhaustion that sets in when love fades into routine and affection lingers not out of passion but out of familiarity.
“This song came from that space where love doesn’t hurt loud anymore. It just gets quiet,” Waltz said in an interview with Manila Standard Entertainment. “It’s for people who are already tired of repeated pain and love quarrels.”
But Waltz explained that “Cold Soup” is not a typical love or heartbreak anthem.
“The song is open for interpretation. So it’s up to the listeners how the lyrics would resonate with them,” he said. “For me, it’s about couples who’ve kind of accepted that their relationship isn’t going anywhere.”
He said that the song was born out of that emotional limbo, “The kind love na paulit-ulit, hindi mo na alam kung totoo pa ba o comfort zone na lang.”
Unlike his earlier hits “Paano” and “100 Dahilan,” which revolved around longing and questions, “Cold Soup” leans into acceptance.
“It’s the stage when you no longer ask the question why, tinatanggap mo na lang,” Waltz said. The track unfolds as a slow, sad song carried by his smooth vocals and relatable lyrics.
The inspiration for the song’s title came during a vacation in Phuket, Thailand.
“‘Cold Soup’ is not part of the lyrics, but it’s the inspiration for the whole song,” he said. “I wrote and composed it without a musical instrument. I was in Thailand, writing in my notes, and I was hearing it in my mind like how it should be. It was like the universe whispered it to me through vibration. It rarely happens, and my inspiration was very different at that time.”
“The melody and lyrics just came to me sobrang bilis, as in naririnig ko na siya sa isip ko habang sinusulat ko. Parang binulong lang sakin ng universe yung kanta,” he recalled, noting that his creative process for the track was organic and unfiltered.
Describing his artistic direction, Waltz expressed that “Cold Soup” certifies his unique artistry, showing his ability to dive into the silent ache of love that lingers even after passion fades.
“It’s the genre that I wanted to present and return to—the ‘70s feels,” he said. “While I was writing the song, I already knew what its genre was going to be, including the time signature, the melody, and the chord progression at that moment.”
