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Issa Pressman Talks About Her New Song, "Cinnamon Treasure"

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<div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751937298259batch_IMG_3738.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>“You can’t resist a <em>morena</em>“—<strong>ISSA</strong> vocalized as she introduced her latest single, “<strong>Cinnamon Treasure</strong>.” The song is about loving yourself, embracing your colors, and feeling the sweetness of cinnamon.</p><p>Recently, ISSA invited her friends and the media to an exclusive sneak peek of her latest music. She grooved to its feel-good melody, performed it live, and jammed with her partner, <strong>James Reid</strong>, who also helped and supported her in composing the music. </p><p>In an exclusive interview with <strong>Metro.Style</strong>,<strong></strong> ISSA talked about the creative process behind the song, how James contributed to it, and the meaning and symbolism behind the track&#x27;s title.</p><p>Calming and uplifting, “Cinnamon Treasure” could easily be included in anyone&#x27;s morning playlist, with ISSA’s soulful voice setting the mood for a feel-good day. The song was written and composed by ISSA, James, and <strong>Luke Isnani</strong>,<strong></strong> produced by <strong>Luke
April</strong>,<strong></strong> and mixed and mastered by <strong>JGREG</strong>.</p><p>“This was from the songwriting camp of Careless,“ ISSA revealed. “It was really James&#x27; and Luke&#x27;s, and the producer&#x27;s session. And I just jumped in. And then we were like, &#x27;If I were to make a song, I would want to make it something sexy and something that you would want to dance to.&#x27;” </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751937830779batch_IMG_3733.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><p>As the song’s soothing beat pulled us towards a calming dimension, ISSA elaborated on the process of crafting the song with a blissful sound.</p><p>She detailed, “So, we started with the beat. We nailed down the emotion, and then we started adding melodies to it. And then I kept landing on the ‘You can’t resist a <em>morena</em>, sweet like a cinnamon treasure.’ So I was like, ’Oh, I want to write about cinnamon.’ Because every morning, I put cinnamon. So, I was able to put two together, and then we ended up with this whole song.”</p><p>ISSA recalled the effort of Luke and James in making the piece, guiding her into a bright musical world she’s glad to dip her toes into, “I&#x27;d say it&#x27;s a good split of me, Luke, and James. We had fun just throwing out the lines and the melodies one after the other.” </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751938354367batch_IMG_3774.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><p>When asked about James’ reaction after the song was completed, ISSA joyfully talked about it like a love letter: </p><p>“He loved it. I like it when you get challenged with stuff. Because James would always question you to know that you&#x27;re sure about things. So, he was like, ‘I can be your cinnamon all day.’ How does that make sense? And then, I was like, because I love cinnamon, and if I can have my cinnamon all day, that&#x27;s, like, feeling love every day, right? So what I mean by ‘I can be your cinnamon all day’ is you can have me all day, I can give you love all day.”</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751938538410batch_IMG_3721 (1).jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>A song for <em>morenas</em> by a <em>morena, </em>“Cinnamon Treasure” is a soft yet empowering anthem about embracing your unique energy and feeling amazing in your own skin. With her song resonating with her on a deeper level, ISSA opened up about how she boosts her confidence in her daily life, detailing her routine from the beginning of her day until the end.</p><p>“It&#x27;s very important to really have a good routine. Because you also get bombarded with the fast-track life here. But you need really good breaks. So, to be honest, to feel confident, to feel healthy, you need a lot of your own time. And then maybe having, or getting good sun in the morning, or having a nice morning routine. I think that makes you feel confident.”</p><p>ISSA also revealed James’ advice so she could have a well-balanced lifestyle, saying, “This is something that James taught me because I became a workaholic. It&#x27;s the 8-8-8 rule: So, 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours of work, and then 8 hours for yourself—that&#x27;s four hours in the morning, four hours at night. If you have to wake up earlier, like, if you have to wake up at 9:00 am, then I will wake up earlier, 5:00 am or 6:00 am so that I make sure that I get to do my walks, I write my journal, I read my book first thing in the morning, get to workout or do yoga. And then at night, I finish working at, like, 6:00 pm or 7:00 pm so that I can cook and then clean up and then watch a movie or hang out with a friend.” </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751938906153batch_IMG_3741.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>Sticking to that balanced lifestyle means being more mindful and intentional about health and wellness. This is where she appreciates cinnamon for what it is—how it&#x27;s “the sweetest spice“ with health benefits. “It&#x27;s so good for you. And I just really want to push and promote, like, healthy living,” ISSA said, touching on another aspect she&#x27;s also passionate about. </p><p>A track rich in inspiration, meaning, and symbolism, “Cinnamon Treasure“ means several things to ISSA. Aside from representing the collaboration between her and James and her journey to being confident, it’s a manifestation of her artistic inclinations as a creative director and the kind, radiant, and unapologetically authentic woman she has become. </p><p>ISSA’s preparation for the song came with hurdles. She recently underwent a vocal operation—an experience that tested her passion for contributing to the local music scene. Despite that challenge, Issa remained determined to create a meaningful track that not only reflects her glowing features but also speaks for many Filipinas.</p><p>“A lot of cinnamon chia water, a lot of cinnamon tea, a lot of cinnamon cacao. A lot of cinnamon paintings,“ ISSA began. “But, yeah, a lot of vocal exercises also because I came from a vocal operation. But aside from that, not much. I didn&#x27;t want to put too much pressure on creating this. I was nitpicking all the small details in creating the video and the shoot just because I am a creative director. But then, in releasing it, I was just like, &#x27;I just want to have fun with it.&#x27; The lesser pressure, the better.” </p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751940363125batch_IMG_3757.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>For Issa, releasing “Cinnamon Treasure“ paints <em>morena</em> as more than just a skin color but an attribute of bravery, personality, and confidence. Issa&#x27;s message for her fellow <em>morenas</em> is short and sweet. She emphasized, “Love. Yourself. Deeply,” ultimately giving us a glimpse into the artist she is and hopes to be: introspective, purposeful, and someone who isn&#x27;t afraid to be vulnerable in her craft.    </p><div><br/></div><p style="text-align:left">Photos courtesy of <strong>Issa Pressman</strong></p>

<p>In this exclusive, ISSA talked about her new song, "Cinnamon Treasure," and the rich inspiration, meaning, and symbolism behind it. </p>

In this exclusive, ISSA talked about her new song, "Cinnamon Treasure," and the rich inspiration, meaning, and symbolism behind it.

What ISSA's 'Cinnamon Treasure' Means and How James Reid Helped Her See the Track Through

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What ISSA's 'Cinnamon Treasure' Means and How James Reid Helped Her See the Track Through

Arci Claveria

Published July 08, 2025 10:25 AM PHT

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Updated July 09, 2025 01:52 PM PHT

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