In his newest single “Sandal,” James Reid grants the request of fans to sing in Tagalog once again, teasing more tracks like such for his upcoming EP
The music of James Reid has been hitting the nostalgic chord lately for the resurgence of “Randomantic” and its mellow pop sound and kilig lyrics. From edits to his actual live renditions lately, he made fans wish for one thing—go back to this music style. So, almost a decade after the release of his 2015 track, the musician is back with his Tagalog swoon-worthy lines through “Sandal.”
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Behind the Track
Cozy to the ears as the track art was for the eyes, James pens a heartwarming message for his girlfriend, Issa Pressman. He shared, “This song means a lot to me personally. I wrote it for my girlfriend when she was having a terrible day. I wanted her to know that no matter what you’re going through, you can always lean on me.”
Reid added, “The idea is that love is strength and vulnerability, and that I will be your sanctuary.”
Besides its Tagalog verses, “Sandal” was also a collaboration of Filipino talents besides Reid. Luke April of Davao-based hip-hop group PLAYERTWO and Tim Marquez worked on the writing and production of the song, respectively. Marquez gave a sonic meaning to April’s comforting lyrics by matching it with a slow dance type of instrumentals.
After Sandal
The single, as it turns out, marks the new-old era of James as a singer-songwriter. ““I just wanted to reconnect with my roots in music, blending my past music with my new sound and writing style,” he shared. “It’s also been a long-time request from my fans. Most of the songs in my new EP are written in Filipino.”
Reid Alert, James’s EP released in 2015, was his last project with most of his songs written in Tagalog, “Randomantic” included.
Besides the Filipino lines that more listeners could relate to and resonate with, the possibility of more collaborations with the country’s artists are something worth watching out for the upcoming release. Who knows? Maybe a collaboration between James and Issa, who has dabbled into music in her career, can happen, too.
In 2022, James Reid released his last album called lovescene: with 10 tracks. He featured The Rose’s WOOSUNG and Destiny Rogers in the songs “hold on tight” and “lie to me,” respectively.
“Sandal” is out now on all digital platforms via Sony Music Entertainment and Careless
Photos: SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, JAMES REID (via Instagram)
