How do you carve a niche in today’s music scene?
The easiest way probably is to ride ongoing trend.
But Kyle Raphael would have none of that.
He’d rather march to his own beat.
The Davao-native reasoned, “I’ve always been a fan of artists who did it their way their whole career. I wanna be like them. I don’t want to force the issue and try to fit in according to what’s popular. I’d rather take it slow and let myself grow.”
He added, “Born a competitive person, I’m used to challenging myself and use it as motivation to write songs and make music — maybe challenging myself to write songs with topics that are rarely written about or sometimes challenging myself to write about a certain experience, no matter how short or long, how painful or how happy, or significant or how minor it is. That’s what motivates me.”
So far, so good.
Kyle eked some notice not long ago with “Paraluman.”
Prior to that, he won the grand prize at the 2018 Himig Handog tilt for “Sa Mga Bituin Na Lang Ibubulong” as sung by JM De Guzman.
He is apt to gain more fans with his most recent single, “Hanggang Tingin.”
Kyle is proud of the tune, deeming it something truly contemplative.
He said, “I think ‘Hanggang Tingin’ is a reflection of what I feel now and who I am as a songwriter.”
The song is about a guy who has to hide his true feelings for a girl for fear of losing her.
“So ‘Hanggang Tingin’ na lang ako because I don’t want to risk it all for the sake of having a romantic relation with her,” said Kyle.
“It’s me sharing my feelings, but stylized. I hope listeners will like it,” he added.
So what’s his biggest dream at this point?
“For me, it’s not about being a big star but I do hope that people can connect with my songs,” Kyle said.
“I want to be known as someone who made music that he loves and enjoys.”
“Hanggang Tingin” is now available in music streaming platforms.
