Newbie singer-songwriter Jel Rey confesses his longing for a special someone in his debut single “hele pono.”
“‘hele pono’ stands for ‘hinehele sa telepono.’ I started writing this song when my long-distance girlfriend and I were having a video call, remembering our times together before I went to sleep. Suddenly, I said, ‘Alam mo yung labi mo para na siyang lugar na ‘di ko pa napupuntahan,’ and she told me it was a great lyric idea,” he said.
Jel Rey uploads his song covers and songwriting process on TikTok which has already amassed over 400,000 likes. Some of his musical influences include Queen, Rex Orange County, Eraserheads, Joji, Rico Blanco, IV of Spades, Juan Karlos, Gloc9, Loonie, and Flow G.
He revealed that his overflowing ideas and emotions helped him in composing “hele pono” while Star Pop label head Rox Santos led its production.
“Yung kanta na ‘to ang pinaka favorite ko at proud ako na nasulat ko siya. Ito rin yung song na nasulat ko nang mabilis. I wrote the words and melodies ng isang upuan lang siguro inspired talaga ako no’ng time na ‘yon,” shared the new Kapamilya artist.
With his love for music, Jel Rey previously joined numerous singing competitions and began writing his own songs during his college years.
He said, “I love music dahil gusto ko yung nakikita kong reaction ng mga tao when I perform. When I make them happy, sad, or even dance. Nakaka-fulfill [iyon] bilang isang performer.”
Listen to Jel Rey’s first single “hele pono” available on various streaming platforms.