Cesca Performs ‘Lovesick – Pagmahalasakit’ On New Episode Of Billboard Philippines Soundwave
The episode is out now.
By Kara Angan
Rising singer-songwriterSinger-SongwriterA musician who writes and performs their own songs, typically accompanied by guitar or piano. Valued for personal storytelling and authenticity, singer-songwriters form a major part of the Filipino musicGo to Singer-Songwriter Glossary Cesca Mahusay has made her debut on the Billboard Philippines stage in this week’s new episode of Soundwave.
Performing under her mononym, Cesca, the singer sang her viral hitViral HitA song that spreads rapidly through social media, often on short-video platforms, and then climbs charts as listeners seek it out. Viral hits can come from unexpected places and unlikelyGo to Viral Hit Glossary “Lovesick – Pagmahalasakit” on the show. Episodes of Soundwave premiere every Monday on TikTok.
In 2023, Cesca went home with an Awit Award for “Lovesick – Pagmahalasakit,” which won the category for Best Traditional / Contemporary Folk Recording at the 36th iteration of the awards ceremony. In an Instagram post, the singer-songwriterSinger-SongwriterA musician who writes and performs their own songs, typically accompanied by guitar or piano. Valued for personal storytelling and authenticity, singer-songwriters form a major part of the Filipino musicGo to Singer-Songwriter Glossary shared, “Still in awe. ‘Lovesick,’ a song highschool Cesca farted out in her room at 3AM, has just been awarded the Best Traditional / Contemporary Folk Recording in the 36th Awit Awards.” This is her first award in her career.
The song was her debut in the music industry and was released in 2022. Since then, she has released “Pambihirang Harana” (A Rare Harana), her debut EPEPShort for extended play, a collection of songs longer than a single but shorter than a full album, typically containing three to six tracks. Artists use EPs to introduce theirGo to EP Glossary Travel, and her debut album Balse ng Gabi (roughly translated as Waltz of the Night). She recently released the music video of her album’s title track earlier this month, with the video featuring Maki.
In an Instagram post commemorating the release of the music videoMusic VideoA short film that accompanies a song, combining performance, storytelling, and visual style to promote the music. Music videos shape an artist's image, can drive viral success and fan theories,Go to Music Video Glossary, Cesca wrote, “I’ve always felt this longing for the moon. There’s something so ethereal about it. Distance. Glow. How it follows you everywhere, keeping you company. The kind of familiarity you hold on to despite the circumstances. Thank you [Maki] for sharing this moment with me. We are moon lovers you and I, and we both love quite uniquely, don’t you think? We’d do almost anything. Your voice is like moondust. I knew you were the right pick…I want this to be a song of hope and comfort. Thank you for supporting my music. Here is my lullaby for you.”
Last week, fellow Awit Award winner Dwta performed “Padaba Taka” on the show. Dwta is also featured in the recently released Billboard Philippines folk issue, where she opened up about her songwriting process and writing music in her native language.
Watch Cesca perform “Lovesick – Pangmahalasakit” on Billboard Philippines Soundwave here.