The Wonggoy’s Kyle Wong finds his muse

For Kyle Wong of The Wonggoys, inspiration comes naturally when he’s been in love with a woman of substance for nearly six years. That woman is Gabriella Mai Ceniza Carballo, Cebu City’s contender for Miss Universe Philippines 2025.

“As a musician, dating a beauty queen definitely has its perks,” he told The FREEMAN via Messenger chat. “It’s a lot easier to write love songs when you get to spend time with the most beautiful woman in the world almost every day.”

The couple got engaged in August 2024, months before Carballo clinched the main title of Miss Universe Philippines Cebu in December. They began dating when Carballo was Miss Mandaue 2018.

“She’s honestly the easiest person to fall in love with,” said Wong. “She’s smart, caring, incredibly understanding, and on top of that, she’s very, very beautiful. I can totally see myself as a happy old man just living life with her.”

As with any supportive boyfriend, he was in Manila to see his fiancée in action at the Miss Universe Philippines runway. The coronation is finally happening tomorrow, May 2, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

“You could really see how competitive it was – not just the queens but also their fans,” he said of the atmosphere during the April 28 preliminaries at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. “The energy during the prelims gave me goosebumps. Everyone was cheering so loudly for their candidates!”

“She was confident, radiant, and very sexy!” he remarked of Carballo during the preliminary swimsuit round.

A few weeks ago, Wong released his sophomore single “Never Lonely,” with Carballo as his featured artist. Released just in time for Holy Week, the song was inspired by their churchgoing experience and the feeling that their spirituality had expanded, not only individually but also as a couple.

“We started going to Crossroads Church in 2022, and that’s where our journey with God deepened. We got so drawn into worship that it just felt like we couldn’t get enough,” he explained. “As a songwriter, I thought, what better song to write than about our savior? We love singing at home, so I wrote a worship song for us to sing together.”

“It tells my story of how I went from living like a rock star to becoming a follower of Jesus, no longer alone while facing my giants,” he added.

Also in time for Valentine’s was the release of his debut single “Foreverman,” which he wrote two years into their relationship. “I didn’t want it to be a typical cheesy love ballad for a proposal. I wanted it to feel fun and unique,” he explained.

The single’s visuals took inspiration from a Superman-like concept, as the song’s title could easily be the name of a superhero who has a Clark Kent–Lois Lane love story

“I imagined this Foreverman as a superhero saving the woman of his dreams, so I reached out to Cebu-based artist Jon Amens, who does classic comic-style illustrations, and we were able to bring Foreverman to life together,” he said.

After being with his brothers in the band The Wonggoys for decades, W   ong finds it cathartic to tell his own story.

“Honestly, it’s been easier for me to write songs more freely when I am on my own. I can do it anytime, anywhere, without needing to sync with anyone,” he said.

Of all the components of creating a song, melodies are usually the first ones that come to mind. “Once I have the melody, I record a quick voice memo on my phone just to capture the idea while it’s fresh. Then I bring it to the studio and work on it with my producers to bring it to life,” he shared.

Wong says he is focusing on singles for now and will see if these eventually end up in a full project like an album or an EP. As for The Wonggoys, they are currently working on new material, which includes ideas that are not strictly music-related.

“We bounce ideas off each other, and the songs we come up with are always this cool mix of different sounds and inspirations from each of us,” he said.