HAVE you ever experienced being the second lead in someone else’s love story at some point of your life? Or that person whose love was not reciprocated?
How about getting the feeling of being stabbed in the heart when your significant other suddenly tells you that they no longer love you?
Perhaps you are one of those who has finally been blessed by the universe with the love of your life.
But how about experiencing all these heartbreaking and heart-fluttering emotions in one day?
It might sound impossible but fans of Original Pinoy Music (OPM) singer-songwriter TJ Monterde hopped on this emotional roller coaster ride on the second day of his three-day “Sarili Nating Mundo” concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, February 2.
Days before Valentine’s Day, Monterde showcased different kinds of love and explored its complexities with his discography which hit the audience right in the feels.
Love at first sight
The coliseum was illuminated with vibrant colors from bracelets given to attendees as soon as Monterde graced the stage to kick off his sold-out solo concert.
Loud cheers also erupted in the venue when he began serenading the crowd with his hits including “Tulad Mo,” a 2014 single that reminded his fans of their love at first sight.
Love at first sight is the feeling of being instantly attracted to a person you randomly encounter for the first time.
They could be someone you bumped into on the street, met in an event of a common friend, or sat next to on a plane ride. In the song’s music video, the singer’s meet-cute scenario happened in a coffee shop with a barista whose beauty caught his attention.
Monterde not only expressed the exhilarating feeling of falling in love but also shared what he was willing to do in the name of love.
A patient love
Some probably could not help but react, “Sana all!” to these meet-cute moments. We mean, who does not feel the ~magic~ when you unexpectedly meet the person who will bring warmth to your life?
But remember, each person has a unique love story plot. Maybe it is not love at first sight but love in God’s perfect time.
This is the message Monterde wants to convey through his Visayan pop track “Puhon,” which he performed with Colet Vergara of the Nation’s Girl Group BINI during the concert.
“Puhon” reminds everyone that they just have to patiently wait for the right person to come at the right moment rather than chasing or forcing someone to love them.
It also tells people to hold onto hope because God curated a perfect plan and timing for them.
A familial love
Speaking of perfect timing, Monterde revealed that he and his wife, singer-songwriter KZ Tandingan, are waiting for something.
He shared this for the first time with the Day 2 attendees when he performed an exclusive track called “Aurora,” a song he dedicated to his future daughter.
Sitting in front of a piano, Monterde shared how he refused to see the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, in Canada because he wanted to see it for the first time with Tandingan. The couple made this plan happen during their Canada tour in 2024.
Monterde said the song was initially about the northern lights, but as it progressed, he realized that it was more than just a track to add in his discography.
“It was actually a prayer. A prayer of longing, or a prayer of waiting. This is the first time that I’m ever gonna share this,” said Monterde.
“A prayer of waiting that somehow, hindi muna ngayon pero in God’s time, I’m not just gonna see the northern lights but I’m gonna be able to see a little girl,” he continued. “When that time comes, we’re gonna call her Aurora.”
The couple first tied the knot in 2020 and had their second wedding in 2023.
An unrequited love
Love, as we know it, is not just about sunshine and magic. Of course, challenges and heartbreaks come along the way, and one of the worst types of pain is letting go of the person you truly love.
The audience went emotional when Monterde performed another Bisaya song, “Kung Siya Man,” which talks about unrequited love or one-sided love. This happens when you love someone but that person does not reciprocate your feelings for them.
The song expresses how a person values his beloved by giving them the freedom to choose whatever or whoever makes them happy and respecting their decision.
The lyrics cut deeply to the heart because the singer was not only giving his farewell message to his beloved but also to the person whom she chose to love.
“Kung Siya Man” ended with the singer addressing the male lead to his beloved’s love story:
“Sa imo man, sya maganahan / Mu palayo na ko ninyo / Ug hatagan tamog respeto / Hangyo lang ay syag pasakiti / Ug ayaw gyud sya byae / Kayg imo syang sayangan, buhaton ko ang tanan / Wala na kay ay balikan (Kung sayo man siya mapunta / Lalayo na ko sa inyo / At bibigyan ko kayong respeto / ‘Wag na ‘wag mo siyang sasaktan / At ‘wag na ‘wag mong iiwanan / ‘Pag sinayang mo, gagawin ko ang lahat / Wala ka nang babalikan)…”
A reassuring love
Monterde made sure that love was felt in the air inside the coliseum when he brought his wife to the stage to sing the duet version of his hit song, “Palagi.”
It is a track that Monterde wrote for Tandingan to assure her that he will always be there for her, regardless if they enjoy the sunshine or brave the storms together.
“Palagi” is also Monterde’s way of telling his wife that he will choose to be her beloved over and over again no matter how much time has passed.
But “Palagi” has now evolved from being a song between Monterde and Tandingan to an anthem for other people and their loved ones, whether they be a family member or a special someone.
And so, the OPM singers’ “Palagi” performance highlighted other couples at the venue on Sunday, with some surprising and thrilling the crowd with subsequent marriage proposals.
Will there be another proposal or surprise at Monterde’s concert? That’s what fans would have to find out on the third and last day of the “Sarili Nating Mundo” concert today, February 3!
