Vilmark sings about acceptance and moving on in ‘sequel’ single
GMA Music artist Vilmark carries on his passion to sing and touch the listener’s heart by releasing another song INOWY. The acronym title stands for “I’m Not OK Without You.” It’s his third single following the debut Paraya and the follow-up Lisan.
“This (INOWY) is the sequel to my previous single, Lisan. If the latter is about grief and sadness. This time, it (INOWY) is about accepting the fact that you’re not OK and allowing yourself to be vulnerable,” said the singersongwriter in a recent virtual press conference.
The theme emerged from his own realization to move on or start anew after surpassing and understanding a challenging time, like having lost a loved one or experiencing pain.
“In order for you to move forward, you need to accept the fact that you’re not OK. Most of the time, we try to hide our emotions. Sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking that we’re OK, but it’s OK not to be OK in order for you to move forward,” shared he, describing the writing process as never easy.
“Just like in my previous singles, I tried to be personal, and I would draw inspiration from my personal experiences,” added he.
If his fans have noticed, the artist is using his given name for this latest recording.
“Initially, we were using Vilmark Viray, and I’m still using it on my socials. After we released Lisan, we decided to use Vilmark as a rebranding,” he said.
The GMA Music creative and his team will use Vilmark for promotion, and as he put it, “It’s easier to remember… mas maikli at least para mas madaling ma-recognize ng mga Kapuso and listeners.”
During the group interview, Vilmark looked back on the fact that prior to joining the music label, he wasn’t into writing songs. It was his handler who broached the idea of giving it a try. This was set against the time in his life when he had COVID and needed to stay home for 14 days.
“I didn’t know any instruments to play, and my idea about songwriting was not that wide,” said he, whose entry into the mainstream entertainment industry was via the fourth season of “The Clash,” in which he became the singing competition’s runner-up. So, the pandemic allowed him to learn to play the guitar by surfing the Internet and checking out YouTube videos. The unexpected break, on the other hand, inspired him to venture out into writing his first song, and GMA Music liked it.
“From there, I started to like writing songs… I wasn’t born with it. Parang I worked hard to become a composer,” said he. And the singer-songwriter has become his brand as an artist.
“If I were to release a song, I wanted to be the one who wrote it.
So, I really challenged myself to try and to have an outcome for my first single,” shared he. So far, the music Vilmark has done is “very hugot.” It evokes deep emotions, as some may define it.
“They (the songs) are more on pop and ballad when it comes to approach,” said he. “My purpose is always to make (the song) relatable to the listeners. When you listen to it, it’s something very catchy, similar to the songs we hear on digital platforms.”
Asked if coming up with an album is in the pipeline, Vilmark answered, “That’s the plan — to release an album soon. I have three singles under GMA Music. Of course, I have to continue to release new songs. Hopefully, I’m still the composer, but I’m open to the idea of working with other composers who have songs that they can allow me (to use) or share with me. I’ll be happy to see how it will work.”
Aside from singing and writing his own songs, Vilmark makes guest appearances in “All-Out Sundays” and graces various events.
Again, as far as his being a singer-songwriter is concerned, he had this to say: “I feel I’m loving it. Minamahal ko na talaga yung pagsusulat.”
(Please give Vilmark’s INOWY a listen on digital platforms worldwide.)