by Punch Liwanag, MB
Singer-actress-host Jean Kiley is out with a delightfully catchy and body-moving new song.
Titled “Te Amo,” the song is a Latin pop-tinged number written by the former Pop Girl member herself.
Note the song also features actress Ella Cruz and singer Krissha Viaje.
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According to Jean, she is simply going to her first love, which is dancing, with “Te Amo.”
She added, “I am a big fan of dance music. Hearing Latino style sounds, reggaeton and the like makes people groove a little and dance. That’s the quality that attracted me to it rather than the usual solemn, mellow songs that we listen to now.”
She also added that she went for her gut feeling when it came to choosing what style of music to do next. “Dance music has always been a passion project that I always wanted to do.”
As to what led her to collaborate with Ella and Krissha, Jean said, “I love K pop and it was my dream to do a collaboration with people who share the same enthusiasm for K pop. I happen to know that Ella and Krissha are big K pop fans themselves. So we clicked on our common interests.”
Jean wrote “Te Amo” in the early days of the Pandemic. “My demo was only an acoustic version. I reached out to a producer friend to collaborate. We arranged the song together and finally got the version we wanted.”
Jean also wrote the rap verse for the song and on the spot, while she was already in the studio to record the tune.
As for the theme of “Te Amo,” Jean is doubling down on his K pop influence. “I was inspired by a character in a K-drama I watched on Netflix. After watching, I wrote down the lyrics about the characters feelings, then got my guitar, found the right chords to back up my melody. After about an hour or so, I finished the song while I snacked on some dark chocolates.”
Jean revealed that it was a scene from the hit drama “Itaewon Class.”
“The song is all about Kim Da Mi’s character Jo Yi Seo’s feelings,” Jean shared. “You know when you love someone, you get butterflies, you want to say it, confess, you want them to like you back, you’re kinikilig and all that, I just translated those feelings into words.”
“Te Amo” is now available in digital music platforms.
