TJ Monterde’s brand new single “Puhon” spreads good vibes as we begin to cope with the ‘new normal’

While the new digital hit single “Puhon” was written as a love story, singer/songwriter TJ Monterde says the song also brings positivity as we begin to cope with the ‘new normal’. TJ releases a brand new song titled “Puhon” via PolyEast Records.

‘Puhon’ translates to “someday” or “God’s time” in Bisaya. It’s a word that means something positive and a word that’s very special to Cebuano speaking individuals. “With its mid beat tempo, clean guitars and marimba accent in the chorus, it somehow feels so easy to listen to. The kind that you would want to hear while doing nothing, or just stare at the sky and just want to feel good. That’s actually the whole idea of the arrangement especially during these difficult times,” TJ added.

“Puhon” was written TJ and talks about a guy who longs to be with a girl that he has loved for quite a while already, but the thing is, she’s out of his league. But no matter how much he tries to forget; his heart still belongs to the girl—hence, waiting for the perfect ‘puhon’.

Born and raised in Cagayan de Oro, “Puhon” is TJ’s second Bisaya single after “Kung Siya Man” which was released four years ago. “Surprisingly, even though it’s in Bisaya, a lot of people listen to it because of the total feel of the song. I wrote this song some 3 years back, started with a chorus because that’s my basic writing process. I finished it during this pandemic while just looking at the sunset and hoping for better days,” TJ also added.

During the lockdown, part of the challenge for TJ was recording the song while quarantined at home. But with all digital technology available, Puhon was created with the help of Chino David of Hale as musical arranger; Arnie Mendaros as back-up vocals and vocal coach; and mix and mastered by Albert Tamayo.

As we look forward to the coming days, TJ shared, “I miss doing gigs! I just miss the energy of the crowd so so so much. I mean, I’m thankful to do online gigs now, but the energy that an actual crowd throws you is just incomparable.”

“It is not easy; we must all admit that. If you feel like you are having a hard time, you are not alone. We are all new to this, and it’s a tough road ahead. But, we will all get through this together. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, that’s for sure.” To date, TJ has released three albums and a handful of hit songs since his debut in 2014 which includes “Ikaw At Ako”, “Tulad Mo”, “Dating Tayo” and “Karera.”

Currently, Puhon’s lyric video has already reached 1 million views on YouTube after its debut in May 2020. Listeners may listen to the song on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and other digital platforms.