For many singer-songwriters, the act of songwriting serves as a lifeline to cling to—something that keeps them sane during tough times or a means of escape during moments of dread. It becomes a type of platform to lay out their thoughts and emotions, with each note and lyric carrying a profound invocation that they may usually find difficult to express directly.
While it takes both talent and skill to harness one’s ability to convey their truest emotions through a song, some bear the natural affinity for easily crafting one that satisfyingly captures their musings.
Such an ability is something that R&B singer-songwriter Jikamarie typically utilizes in her songs. Born to a family with both a talent and a love for music, Jikamarie has long been enamored with the act of songwriting and performing.
At the backstage of Brooklyn Warehouse following her performance at the Rakuten Viber Backstage Pass Live 2024 last Nov. 15, Jikamarie told Manila Standard Entertainment how her journey towards pursuing her dreams of becoming a singer-songwriter began.
“I’ve written a lot of songs during all the stages of my life. I got into it a lot more during the pandemic when I had a lot of time to myself, which was also when my pining to fully pursue music began,” said Jikamarie.
In 2021, Jikamarie released her debut single “Lutang,” which was produced by her brother Ken Ponce, who shared her desire to pursue music as both of them were inspired by their musically-inclined parents that met each other through their college band.
“Every moment of our childhood was filled with music so when the lockdown came about and we were forced to stay inside, that was when we finally made our music,” said Jikamarie.
Since then, Jikamarie has released several singles like “Kailangan ko ng…,” “aking buwan,” “KISLAP,” “the sun is you,” “HALIMAW,” “Balang Araw,” “Bulong,” “HINAHANAP-HANAP,” and “lito,” which eventually led to the release of her “LOVER G!RL” EP last Jan. 12. As of writing, Jikamarie has around 242,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, with “Lutang” reaching up to nearly 27 million total listens.
Drawing inspiration from her own experiences for every song she writes, Jikamarie makes it a point to stay true to herself and utilize the medium to express how she truly feels. This especially rings true in her upcoming single “Pangalan,” which is about being unable to forget a person long after they left your life and is set to be released on Nov. 29.
While taking only one night to write about 70% of the song, Jikamarie shared that it was one of the most emotional pieces she has ever written to date.
“After I wrote that song, I said I was never gonna release it because it’s too vulnerable and personal. But then I thought it would be a waste because someone might come across it and find comfort in it,” she said.
While Jikamarie continued to hone her craft as a talented singer-songwriter for the past three years, she admitted to still being surprised to see how much she has evolved from the shy person she once was. From her first gig during the album launch of Filipino rock supergroup Party Pace in 2022 to opening for Coldplay during their concert earlier this year, Jikamarie has grown so much as an artist.
As she passionately pursues her journey within the local music scene, Jikamarie urges those who dream of pursuing their passions to push forward no matter what adversity, be it internal or external, may come their way.
“Don’t stop. You have forever in front of you. If you stop, how are you gonna see the end of it? If you think you’re not good enough, you’re eventually gonna get better if you keep on going so why stop now?” she said.
Rakuten Viber Backstage Pass Live 2024 also featured performances from One Click Straight, KAIA, The Juans, and SB19’s Josh Cullen.
