RAMONA On Her Sound And Being Unapologetically Raw With “Manloloko”

Artistic beginnings aren’t always easy, especially when faced with the countless choices and directions involved in creating an artistic identity. Oftentimes, rather than liberating us, freedom can keep us paralyzed in this paradox of choice.

For RAMONA, however, the choice was always simple: being one’s unadulterated self in a world that constantly tries to put you down. With her music, 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 embraces life and her identity with all its messiness.

Fittingly, she finds comfort in pop punk, with its heavy guitar riffs, unfiltered lyrics, and raw vocals providing the perfect means for confronting life’s challenges. With its 90s alternative rock and riot grrrl-esque sensibilities, her recent single, “Manloloko,” comes as her latest foray into the genre.

With the premise of discovering her partner is a cheater, RAMONA confronts unsettling emotions like betrayal, jealousy, and anger. Rather than remain in this negative state, however, she finds a way to turn heartbreak into an opportunity for self-realization.

“I wrote that song as an anthem for myself or for anyone who has ever loved and been betrayed, and hopefully to uplift or inspire people so now they can break free from that toxic cycle,” the singer shared with Billboard Philippines.

Ultimately, the song offers a hopeful message to her and her listeners. “Kapag nagmahal naman tayo, hindi natin maiiwasan na masaktan tayo (When we fall in love, we can’t avoid getting hurt),” she said. “Di din natin maiiwasan na mabiktima tayo ng isang manloloko. Pero doesn’t mean na hayaan lang natin ng maloko tayo paulit-ulit o masaktan nila tayo na paulit-ulit (We can’t avoid falling victim to a cheater. But that doesn’t mean we should let them fool or hurt us over and over again). We can break free from that. We can choose ourselves, we can free ourselves, and find someone better or even be that better person for ourselves.”

The track is the latest of gritty pop punk releases the singer has been cooking up this past year. Her other releases, “GAGA” and “Laguna,” showcase similar sounds and unhinged scenarios where the singer presents herself as this very riled-up person.

“I’ve always been drawn to music that allows you to express emotions that aren’t always pretty,” she said. “For me, mas comfortable akong (I’m more comfortable) with pop punk to express my anger, my sarcasm, my humor, and I think that’s the kind of artist that I want RAMONA to be, ‘yung (just) very raw and unapologetic and very my humor lang, very fun.”

Despite pop punk being her defining characteristic so far, the singer admits she is still a newcomer and that her sound is still evolving, drawing inspiration from artists like Yeng Constantino, Parokya Ni Edgar, Olivia Rodrigo, and Chappell Roan.

“Mag-one year pa lang ako, so bago pa lang po ako sa music scene (I will have only been here for a year, so I’m still new to the music scene),” she said. “I’m just really starting to discover my sound. I don’t want to limit myself to just one genre. Baka mag-explore akong ibang genres (Maybe I’ll explore other genres).”

As she continues releasing more tracks – eventually leading up to her 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 – RAMONA finds solace in setting small goals for herself: more writing, more performances, and even teaching herself to play the piano and guitar. Amid all this, she doesn’t rush herself, saying: “Ang importante lang talaga (the only important thing) is I enjoy the journey.”