With a song in her Heart

A song that Heart Evangelista has kept for 15 years will finally regale the world when it is launched tomorrow, Oct. 27, a pre-recorded single called Breathe You.

Heart shared that it was in 2005 that she first embraced her freedom and described the feeling through a song. For sure, the song will warm the cockles of the “heart” of her husband, former Sen./Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero.

Under a distribution deal with GMA Music, Breathe You might not be the only song Heart is sharing with the world. Take a deep breath, Heart, and keep them coming!

She opened her heart some more in an exclusive interview with Funfare.

Who wrote the song and what is it all about?

“It’s a composition of Jude Thaddeus Gitamondoc (Cebu-based songwriter and VisPop proponent). The song is chill. The song reminds me of that time I just turned 21. I just found my independence. That was a really good chapter of my life.”

Kanino mo dedicated yung song?

“I would dedicate this to Chiz. During this pandemic, he has taken care of me and he’s really been there for me. This song is also for everyone. It’s very timely and it sends the message of the total freedom of loving someone and just enjoying the moment.”

At 21, what were your thoughts, your feelings and expectations?

“I had no expectations of life at that time. I just remembered being free from all of my inhibitions and I felt like the world was mine to conquer.”

Why did it take you so long to have it released?

“I just had to set it aside before. But during this quarantine while I was fixing my stuff, my treasure boxes, I saw this CD and I listened to it. I remember that this is still one of my favorite songs and I never got to release it.”

Did you make any improvements on the song?

“No, I didn’t. It’s still the same as how it was recorded in 2005.”

If you were to write a song for Chiz, how would it sound?

“I guess it would sound just the same. I have a very chill personality. I’m very energetic but when I listen to music, I like the chill kind. I like to paint while listening to music. I like talking to Chiz while listening to music. It would be more or less the same breezy, peaceful kind of song. There’s some sense of contentment you feel with the song and that’s how I feel with Chiz.”

Heart Evangelista-Escudero visits Sorsogon as often as possible. During one of her visits, she helps promote the province’s cottage industry.

Photos courtesy of Heart Evanglista and GMA 7

By the way, do you and Chiz have a theme song, something that you love to sing together at bedtime?

“Not at bedtime because we’re both so tired whenever we go to sleep but it would really be Love Will Keep Us Alive. We like listening to that song. Actually, every time we go to Sorsogon, we always play that song.”

How has life been during this pandemic? How often do you go to Sorsogon and how is life there?

“Life in Sorsogon is amazing. It’s very laid back and it’s really a break from the pressure of work that we all do online. It’s really such a refreshing trip every time I go there. I probably stay for a month before I come back here in Manila but I stay here longer in Manila because I have a lot of work. I also take time to isolate myself before I go back. I try to visit Sorsogon as often as possible but lately, because of work, I decided to just stay here.”

What keeps you busy these days?

“I’m blessed with my work. Thank you, God! Now is also the time I discover new things about myself. Just being creative and talking to different people. It’s pretty interesting that we haven’t traveled and gone to Paris Fashion Week. But because of what happened, you kind of have a more intimate relationship with brands and designers abroad and you get to talk to them through Zoom. That keeps me busy these days.”

Do you have time to look back at Heart Evangelista when she was 21?

“I remember at 21, I didn’t know what to do with my life. I just knew that I was extremely happy and free and I’m seeing the world slowly. I remember recording that song because I really had good people around me during the time. I just listen to the song and I remember myself as a 21-year-old girl who is very naïve about the world, who thought everything was a fairy tale. It’s really refreshing to remember how I was back then.”

(Note: Breathe You will be available for streaming starting tomorrow, Oct. 27, on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and across other digital platforms worldwide.)

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)