LA Music Review | Art, stories and advice
Refreshing, magnetic, and totally captivating!
Hi TJ, welcome back to LA Music Review! Tell us a little bit about you and your music.
Hi! It’s great to be back here, I’m TJ Juganas, an aspiring singer-songwriter from the Philippines with a dream of sharing my music with the world. I am also interested in covering songs by other artists. I have a YouTube channel called TJ Juganas, where I share my music.
I have been writing lyrics and poems since high school. I bought my first guitar in college to help me compose songs. Over the past few years, I have taken part in several competitions such as Himig Handog, PhilPop, Vehnee Saturno Music, and Viva Entertainment, with the hope of winning and having my music heard in my country. During the Himig Handog 2020 P-Pop Love Songs Songwriting Competition, I managed to enter the Top 818.
Start streaming “Supporting Character” here:
Congrats on the release! What was your inspiration when you were writing this project?
Released on March 15, 2024. I wrote the chorus of this song during, what I thought, a boring class way back in college. Right after the morning class was dismissed, I went straight home and into my bedroom. I picked up my guitar and started writing this song. I can still remember the rush, the excitement, and the fear that I might forget the melody repeatedly playing in my head. And after around 20 minutes, I finished the song.
With complete music, lyrics, and production ideas. This song is one of my proudest moments so far because I exactly know what I want with it. I can see the vision clearly engraved in my mind. I know the color, visuals, and every swirl of this song. Eight years later, since I wrote this song, I can finally share it to the world.
What is your vision for this song?
This song is one of my proudest moments so far because I I have a clear vision for it. I exactly how I want it to look, sound, and feel—the visuals, and every swirl of this song. Even though I wrote it 8 years ago, I am happy to finally able to share it with the world.
I want the listeners to embrace their pain, weaknesses, and demons. Despite the chaos and turmoil inside, I want to show that it’s possible to create something beautiful and positive. This song is a reminder that we can transform negative experiences into something creative and enjoyable.
What is your favorite part of this body of work?
Just like my song, Tayo, my favorite part of this song is the chorus. That is where the catchy melody and lyrics explode. A pleading moment of wanting to be more than a background character. Wanting to be more than a supporting character.
But the second verse and bridge are a close second favorite part of this song. For me, referencing ChardGel, one of Philippines’ most popular loveteams, and a Disney classic character is such a fun process. Listen to the whole song to see what I mean.
Anything else we should know about? Upcoming events?
I have many plans for my second single, Supporting Character. Just like what I did for ‘Tayo”, I want to focus on promoting this single. I’ll try to do a lot of interviews and, hopefully, live performances. Music videos are also part of the plan and schedule. And most importantly, if it’s God’s will, I plan to release a full album or LP this year. So this year will be very busy and chaotic, but in a good way.
Connect with TJ Juganas:
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