ABS-CBN’s Star Pop music label and Singapore-based creative production house AOR Global have released the extended play (EP) called “My Safe Place,” a cross-cultural collaboration that seeks to promote mental well-being through music.
“My Safe Place” features six tracks from Filipino acts Trisha Denise and LU.ME. and Singaporean artists KIRI, kotoji, and Marian Carmel. The project was co-produced by ABS-CBN Music creative director Jonathan Manalo and Star Pop label head Rox Santos.
Singer-songwriter Trisha Denise wrote and performed the song “Cracks,” which talks about embracing one’s imperfections. “We think that our pain and hardship make us undeserving of love but those things brought us to a better version of ourselves. Kahit na may ‘cracks’ tayo, let’s just enjoy the journey,” encouraged Trisha.
Up-and-coming soul-pop artist and kumu streamer LU.ME sang the song “Surrender” for the timely EP. “Sometimes we feel na mag-isa lang tayo sa mundo but hindi ganun yun. We are all loved,” LU.ME said. “Surrendering is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.”
KIRI, an independent singer and advocate for destigmatizing mental illnesses and trauma, performed the soothing track “Get Well Soon.” “I was excited to sing the song because it’s all the things I need. It’s like a reminder to yourself that things will get better,” she said.
A multi-instrumentalist who composes, writes, and co-produces her works, kotoji penned and sang the song “Survive,” an ambient dream-pop track inspired by the experiences of her friends. She narrated, “When I was working on this song, I was thinking about my friends who were struggling. I wanted to send a word of encouragement to them despite all of the bad things that are going on.”
Singer-songwriter Marian Carmel, who was born in the Philippines and raised in Singapore, relayed her personal struggles that led her to welcome the chance to sing the track “Wish That I Could Tell Me.” She shared, “In essence, these are the things that I want to tell myself. It’s a letter to my 19-year-old self who just found out that she is suffering from panic disorder.”
Aside from the solo tracks, the EP also features the uplifting pop rock track “My Safe Place,” which was performed by all five artists. The song is about finding a space that gives comfort and allows oneself to feel safe.
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