‘Daanan’ finds Jolianne on her way back home
The rumors are true: Jolianne is as sweet as they come.
She compliments my outfit the moment I arrive. We hit it off, exchanging ukay tips while I set up the mics for our Young STAR interview. The oversized cardigan she’s wearing, a thrifted piece from her recent Japan trip, matches the warmth she exudes.
But Jolianne contains multitudes. "I was a nerd," she reveals. "I used to do math competitively. I've retired. I've passed my prime."
What has never wavered, though, is her passion for music. She’s devoted nearly half her life to this career, auditioning for The Voice Philippines Kids at 11 and being signed at 17. Her latest single, Daanan, marks a new juncture in her artistic evolution.
“I am such a perfectionist. I hate when I'm not immediately good at something.” She chalks it up to being a Virgo before bringing up Palayo Sa Mundo, her breakout hit and second collaboration with Arthur Nery.
For the past decade, Jolianne has released music in English. “Palayo Sa Mundo was my first Tagalog song,” the trilingualist shares. “That got me so much attention.”
Along with the attention came pressure, specifically to come up with a Tagalog song she could call her own. “Palayo Sa Mundo was written by Arthur. Amazing song, but I take so much pride in being a songwriter. I'm a songwriter first before I'm a singer.”
Her initial attempts to sustain that momentum, however, came at the expense of her creative spark. “I was making horrible songs (that were) metric-focused. That's not what I came into this (industry) as. I was never number-based. You can’t put numbers and artistry on the same plane; they're two entirely different things.”
After months of “trying to write ‘a hit,’” Jolianne stopped chasing commercial success. “I'm just gonna try and write,” she realized. “For me, it was less about making ‘a hit’ and more about making something that feels like me.”
Daanan, which began as a voice note, soon made its way to Luke April, the producer behind Palayo Sa Mundo and fellow Visayan. “I remember bringing it into the studio, and he would (correct my) grammar. So, shout-out, Luke.”
The two worked on the ballad until the last second. “When I write, the goal is to finish it regardless. I just run the tap ‘til it's clear.” When I ask how she knew the song was done, she giggles sheepishly. “Deadlines. Limits are so important for creatives. I don't think a song ever reaches its final form until you set the limit.”
“Even if the song is not perfect or on Arthur's level of songwriting, at least (Daanan) documents my growth as a songwriter.”
She considers the single “a good start”—an apt description of her year so far. Back in July, she flew to China for her first-ever headlining tour. Having been “raised in a bubble,” the opportunities to perform abroad is a privilege she doesn’t take for granted. “I guess that's my favorite thing about my job,” says the 23-year-old.
Each country taps into new wells of inspiration for Jolianne’s songwriting. She recounts her visits to Tower Records during her two-week stay in Japan (for a project she can’t elaborate on just yet). “They have this thing where you can put a CD on a player and listen. I didn't buy anything —sorry, Tower Records—but that introduced me to (Japan’s) sound.”
While international travel has broadened her worldview, the Philippines stays top of mind for the Cebuana. “I eventually want to branch out regionally, but I want to hit home first. There's a different level of fulfillment that comes with making it at home.”
Jolianne has matured alongside her discography, but perhaps humanity’s most perennial subject remains her favorite muse. “I’ve been writing about love since forever,” she notes. If her debut EP Plain Girl was about “never having been in love,” Daanan captures the tenderness of finally falling in love. “(My songs) follow my story—not only as an artist, but also as a little girl growing up.”
In the chorus of Daanan, Jolianne voices her uncertainty: “'Di ko pa alam / Ang naramdaman / Gabayan mo lang kamay ko / Hangga't maging sigurado / Ikaw ang tanging daanan / At ikaw lang ang pupuntahan.”
After our interview, Jolianne looks at my outfit once more. “I want to be you,” she tells me before asking if we can thrift together sometime. Yet in the 15 minutes I’ve spent with her, grace and poise anchor her bubbly exterior.
There will always be new places to discover, new things to experience, and hopefully, new stories for Jolianne to transform into songs.
“I want people to grow up with me. Be it love or heartbreak, I want them to feel all of the feelings I have from then up until now.”
Jolianne’s newest single, Daanan, is available to stream on all major music platforms via Sony Music Entertainment. Follow @joliannesalvado on social media for more updates.
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