Filipino singer-songwriter Kai Del Rio, formerly known as Kai Honasan, has returned to the music scene with her non-consecutive double single release.
The first single “Ang Nag-iisa”, a bluesy pop-rock anthem, marks Kai’s comeback, smashing her way out of artistic confines with unapologetic rage and grit. Kai is also the former vocalist and keyboardist of Autotelic.
The new single via Underdog Music and Gabi Na Naman Productions offers a brash and sobering exploration of a woman confronting her pain and disappointments put together into a music. It is now available for streaming on all digital platforms.
“Ang Nag-iisa was written from a need to find a place to put down my anger,” Kai said.
Kai reflected on her recent struggles with writer’s block and a lost sense of self as a singer, which inspired her creative work.
“One day, I just asked myself, ‘What is the biggest emotion I am feeling right now,’ and the answer was rage. It was pain. It was disappointment. It was sadness. Then just like that, the words flowed.”
Kai admitted that completing the song took several weeks but she believes genuine emotion “creates best art.”
“Whether it’s pure, shameless joy or the isolation of heartbreak, what is real will always feel the most authentic,” she said.
The track was written and performed by Kai and produced by Karel Honasan, which features contributions from an all-star band including Ira Cruz on guitar, Nikko Rivera on keys and Rickson Ruiz on drums and Tower Doom sound engineer Macoy Manuel.
“I don’t know how many times I cried in that session, but I could not have imagined a more amazing group of musicians to take hold of this song, and I will be forever grateful,” the Liwanag act said.
This week, Kai is set to release piano ballad “Storm Like Me” as part of her double single rollout.
The stripped-down track contrasts the intense energy of “Ang Nag-iisa,” showcasing Kai’s confessional vulnerability, a theme she has skillfully explored in her previous work.
“As a way to balance out the fire of Ang Nag-iisa, I wanted the other side, a calm energy. A classic ballad. But still the same heart. I gathered the same team again to do lay on the drama for this song and they effortlessly killed it,” the former “The Voice of the Philippines” Season 2 semi-finalist revealed.
