Marking her very first self-written track in Filipino, the song celebrates the raw beauty of being vulnerable, embracing the unknown, and finding the strength to start fresh.
The theme of exploration is deeply embedded within the song’s sonic evolution. Fresh off the massive success of her chart-topping hit “Palayo sa Mundo,” which recently blew past 70 million streams on Spotify alone, Filipina singer-songwriter Jolianne has officially kicked off her next musical chapter. Her latest single, “Daanan,” was released earlier this month via Sony Music Entertainment.
Written by Jolianne herself, “Daanan” is all about finding comfort in someone when you least look for it. Instead of painting romance as an instant, flawless fairy tale, the track frames love as a gradual journey shaped by tiny moments of vulnerability, shared familiarity, and perfect timing.
The Cebu-born pop artist shares that the track captures the patience of a budding romance. “Daanan is about falling in love for the first time and about having someone gently guide you through your firsts and learning, little by little, to let someone into your life,” Jolianne explains. “It’s about choosing to grow into love instead of rushing toward it and discovering yourself through the eyes of someone who sees you completely.”
At its core, the guitar-pop ballad highlights the idea of treating romance as an ongoing dedication. Jolianne reflects that love is something “you slowly nurture and choose every day,” continuing, “Sometimes, you don’t know exactly where the road will lead—you just know that you want to keep walking, hand in hand with someone, until you find out together.”
Crafting this track in Filipino meant intentionally stepping out of her usual creative bubble. Jolianne opens up about the experience: “My comfort languages as a writer are English and Bisaya, so writing in Filipino felt like entering an entirely new space. It made me feel like a beginner all over again. Daanan challenged me to stretch beyond what I already knew, and I’m happy that I allowed myself to be a beginner again.” ventionally for Jolianne, the songwriting began with a raw melody captured as a standalone voice note, completely devoid of underlying chords or rhythm. Produced by Luke April, the arrangement masterfully swells from a minimalist, intimate introduction into a grand orchestral peak, sonic storytelling that mirrors a psychological shift from hesitation to emotional release.
Directed by Raliug in collaboration with Lunchbox, the accompanying music video visualizes the song’s thematic core through contemporary dance. Jolianne portrays a student who develops an affection for her instructor, utilizing moments of physical hesitation and awkwardness to symbolize the psychological vulnerability of emotional intimacy.
“I really liked the idea of using dance because there’s something inherently vulnerable about letting another person teach you,” reveals Jolianne. “You have to be willing to look a little silly, make mistakes, and trust that they’ll catch you when you get the steps wrong. That became a visual metaphor for the love I’m talking about in the song: you don’t know what you’re doing at first, but you slowly become more comfortable with each other and learn the rhythm together.”
Distributed globally by Sony Music Entertainment, “Daanan” is currently available on all major digital streaming platforms. The accompanying music video is also available for viewing on Jolianne’s official YouTube channel, following its mid-August release.
