‘OA is the key’: The story behind ‘Tatlong Buwan,’ Sponge Cola’s song inspired by ‘Queen of Tears’
Can’t stop thinking about the K-drama Queen of Tears? Neither can Yael Yuzon, Sponge Cola’s lead vocalist and guitarist.
Late last month, the band released their new single Tatlong Buwan, which explores a couple’s journey toward healing and reconnection. It echoes the love story at the center of the viral Netflix series.
In a quick chat with Young STAR, he said he watched each episode five to six times; after an episode airs over the weekend, he watches it again and again until the next one arrives. “Nananadya ‘yung writers eh. Pipigain talaga ‘yung emotions mo,” he quipped.
Sponge Cola frontman Yael Yuzon was watching the 10th episode of hit K-drama ‘Queen of Tears’ one night. By morning, the band already had a new song.
Yael added that so much of Queen of Tears is driven by things left unsaid, so Tatlong Buwan is his cathartic release after bearing witness to so much repressed emotion. Frankly, he’s also a huge fan of the show—he even flew to Seoul to shoot a music video in the show’s key film locations.
We caught up with Sponge Cola to discuss Queen of Tears, writing songs about other people’s stories, and how being OA is a crucial songwriting skill.
YOUNG STAR: What was the moment from Queen of Tears that moved you to write Tatlong Buwan?
YAEL YUZON: Sa episode 10 sumabog ‘yung emotions. Pakiramdam mo it will go one way pero it does the opposite. Napatayo ako (habang nanonood) eh. Tapos ‘yung epilogue after the episode, papaupuin ka naman niya. Sobrang bigat ng emotion.
At that point, nasa episode 10 ka na, nakilala mo na ‘yung buong pamilya (ng characters), mga kaibigan nila, kahit mga kapitbahay. Immersed ka na talaga doon sa kwento. Feeling mo nandoon ka sa moment na ‘yon.
(Writing the song) took me 10 minutes. Hindi ko na hinanap ‘yung notebook ko; kung ano yung pinakamalapit na papel, mga Post-its, doon ko na nilagay ‘yung lyrics.
I heard you immediately recorded the song the following day. What was the recording process like?
I think maganda naman ‘yung nasulat ko so dinaan ko agad kay Gosh (Sponge Cola’s bassist). Ang feedback niya noon ay ‘yung lyrics, dire-diretso lang, para siyang letter. Parang walang structure kasi nilabas mo lang lahat ng emotions mo, which reflects kung anong nangyari doon sa episode—actually it reflects kung ano ‘yung hindi nangyari sa episode kasi sinabi lang (ng character ‘yung nararamdaman niya) sa pinto, hindi sa person. Feeling ko, throughout the show, kung nag-uusap lang sana kayo, mas konti problema niyo.
During the recording, our sound engineer, the legendary Angee Rozul, sabi niya, “Pwede mo bang kantahin ‘yung latter chorus na mas masaya? Kasi masaya na ‘yung lyrics sa dulo eh.” Hindi naman niya alam na may taning na ‘yung buhay ng isang character, so mas nakakalungkot pa. At ang hirap pala mag-hold ng notes in place kapag naiiyak ‘yung boses mo. It was very raw, the singing.
In your experience, what’s the difference between writing music inspired by your life and music inspired by fiction, especially since songwriting can be seen as diaristic or autobiographical?
I’ve written songs about other K-dramas: Siguro Nga for Start-Up and Hometown for Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. Even sa earlier albums namin, we have a song called Movie, inspired by Just Friends ni Ryan Reynolds at Anna Faris.
I guess I’m an empath and may tendency talaga ‘ko na gumawa ng kanta after reading or watching something. Tsaka at this point kasi, if I were to write a song about (me and my wife Karylle) right now, it would be about mga paghuhugas ng pinggan. Hindi ko alam if it’s as dramatic.
In your writing process, how do you create an emotionally evocative work out of something you didn’t experience firsthand?
Ako kasi, parang naiiimagine ko agad ‘yung sarili ko when I see a story. Nilalagay ko ‘yung sarili ko in multiple characters kasi I feel what people feel. Nafefeel ko ‘yung physical pain ng pagiging malungkot.
Maraming times nga, naaasar sa’kin si K kasi ang OA ko manood. Nakakatulong siguro sa songwriting ‘yung pagiging OA ko, kasi ilalabas ko na lang sa kanta. At may baon pa ‘ko kasi the feeling dies down but the song lives on. OA is the key.
Kaya rin ako napalipad ng Korea (for Tatlong Buwan’s music video). Meron akong visa, meron akong spare time. Naghihintay na lang talaga ‘ko ng sign. Biglang nag-message ‘yung wife ni Teddy of Rocksteddy na, “Uy, lumipad ka na ng Seoul. I-shoot mo na ‘yung video.” Tapos two dys later (sagot ko sa kanya), “Uy andito na ‘ko sa Korea!”
Did visiting the film locations and writing the song change your relationship with Queen of Tears?
Pagdating ko doon, (nakita ko agad na) dito siya nakaupo, dito sila hindi nag-usap. Dahil ang intense ng mga scenes doon, parang may naiwan pa. Parang may aura—I guess this is all psychological, I’m just being a fan—but I’m guessing, kung gawin man ‘to ng any other fan, they would feel the same thing. Nakaka-involve siya.
What is the role of other people’s stories in your creative process and your life as an artist?
Hindi lang naman ako, a lot of the songwriters na nakausap ko (are the same way). I think it’s part of the package na may gift ka of listening to stories and coming up with art from what you hear. Si Rico Blanco came up with Kung Ayaw Mo, Huwag Mo habang nasa barber shop siya; sinabi lang siya ng isang barbero. May sensitivity ka sa mga narratives, and you respond, you’re absorbing everything. Makes sense that we’re called Sponge Cola.
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Sponge Cola’s Tatlong Buwan is out now on all digital music platforms via Sony Music Entertainment.
