“…let that rhythm get into you… don’t try to fight it, there’s nothing you can’t do…”
This is the very essence that music puts into people. It’s a language that just seeps into people’s souls. Sending that distinct message, even with the absence of words, its tone portrays a certain mood to people.
Think of Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, and Freddie Mercury. Somehow, in their craft, they were able to show how great of story tellers they are as much as skillful musicians.
Paolo Sandejas’ songs very much fit into a playlist that just oozes laid back and sentimental, a song that just speaks of different things all at once, somehow allowing us to take ourselves back to different phases in our lives.
True to those, just at the start of 2019, he chose to revive the Michael Jackson’s classic song, “Rock with You.”
Among Filipino artists of his age, he is one who pioneers the delivery of variation from mainstream music produced by big artists.
Backing up to his eccentric but chill musical taste are some of his musical inspirations. “I feel like Tom Misch, Phum Viphurit, Bruno Major, and Rex Orange County have definitely been the artists that I really admire the most,” he said.
Some of his other original singles are “Sway”, “My Girl” and “After Hours.” Shortly after his career debut in this industry, he immediately reached 2 million listeners with his MJ revival. His monthly streams go up to some 30,000.
“I usually write about the things that I experience. Music has always been my way of coping and internalizing things that are going on in my life, and I’m just so happy that people enjoy it as much as I do.”
When asked about why he chose his current musical genre, he candidly answered that his musicality and lyrics just come out at a time when they are most needed. He added that, perhaps, there is just an unconscious effort to make them flow considering the songs that he listens to.
Aside from his musical journey, Candle Pen surely didn’t want to leave his fans hanging, we decided to ask him trivia questions as well.
First, he is also known to come from a celebrity family, Christine Sotto Jacob-Sandejas. We asked about how it treats him to have a life always in the periphery of the spotlight.
“I feel like it’s a double-edged sword. It’s definitely a good because I've been blessed with a lot of opportunities, but it’s also so hard because people are always gonna [going to] say stuff like ‘oh he's only there because he's the son of so and so.’ So, you have to work twice as hard to prove you truly deserve the chances you're given.”
He is currently taking up Computer Science at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. Paulo eyes to become a data science engineer after finishing his tertiary education. While having a career in music, he also has a career in varsity football.
The finale treat for all the ladies out there, be prepared. We asked about what he looks for in “his girl.” He made a short but statement-worthy line, “someone who is as weird as me.”
Story by Patrick Gabriel Lo, Jazlyn Grace Ong and Hannah Moriah L. Tayzon
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