Filipino band Sponge Cola releases another pop-rock anthem inspired by a hit Korean drama.
Their new single “Tatlong Buwan” explores a couple’s journey towards healing and reconnection. It echoes the familiar narrative of everyone’s current favorite series, ‘Queen of Tears,’ which stars Korean superstars Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won.
According to Yael Yuzon, Sponge Cola’s lead vocalist and guitarist, the song serves as “a love letter, epistolary, or even a midnight soliloquy for one person.”
He explains, “Tatlong Buwan is inspired by the love story of the main characters of Queen of Tears. It helps that it’s a series; you really get to know the characters. You see why they’re the way they are. Sociological factors, family ties, trauma. You see how they’re all shaped and the push and pull of every character. Ultimately, there’s just so much clarity in the way the narrative unfolds that it’s so easy to empathize, which makes it easier to feel and easier to write.”
Yael wrote “Tatlong Buwan” immediately after catching the tenth episode of the smash Netflix show. He admits that the song reflects the urgency of the moment, inspiring him to write with newfound vulnerability.
“I don’t think I’ve ever said mamahalin ka lang, mamahalin kita in a song before,” Yuzon reveals.
The following day, he recorded the song over at Love One Another Studio with legendary music producer Angee Rozul, who told him to sing it in a way that is exactly the opposite of the lyrical mood.
“This actually made me sadder, knowing that it’s a love song that could sadly end in death,” said the Gemini hitmaker. “He had no idea, so the burden was all on me.”
After getting approval from his bandmates, including the ever-stoic Gosh, the band’s bassist, Yael Yuzon, sent the track to Joey Santos for mixing and additional instrumentation. The result, as expected, is a beautifully produced paean to a love that was once lost but is now found, growing stronger by the day even after going through so many twists and turns.
The song will also be released with a music video that is set against the backdrop of the key film locations in Queen of Tears. Yael shares that the entire experience was completely magical, a labor of love and an homage to one of the best K-dramas of all time.
“There’s something engulfing about visiting locations where great narrative moments took place. It’s like these places witnessed so much emotion that there’s still some of it left.”
Sponge Cola’s “Tatlong Buwan” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment. The official music video will be released on Friday, April 26 at 7 p.m. via Sponge Cola’s official YouTube channel.