Show Highlights: Belle Mariano's "The Solemn Album Launch"

Belle Mariano’s newest album And Solemn follows the emotional exploration of life's ups and downs, building on the foundation laid by its predecessor, Somber.

The next chapter

And Solemn weaves a narrative through five new tracks. While Somber explores the challenges of loss, this new installment encourages listeners to make peace with broken pieces and discover their purpose anew. Each track resonates with relatable themes. 

In an exclusive interview with Metro.Style, Belle said the album can be summed up as "Being Enlightened in Life and Love Everyday," using the letters B-E-L-L-E.

The Solemn album launch

Last January 27, at SM City North EDSA Skydome, Belle officially launched And Solemn.  The actress-singer serenaded the crowd with a live performance of all the songs from her newest album plus treated the crowd by singing fan favorites, “Sigurado” and “Bugambilya.”

It was also attended by Can’t Buy Me Love cast members Gello Marquez and Vivoree (who went onstage with Brent Manalo) as guest performers.

In one program segment, as Belle was thanking her fans, ABS-CBN Music presented her the Lullaby Artist Award by Spotify, and ABS-CBN Music head Roxy Liquigan hinted at the possibility of a birthday concert for Belle. "Abangan niyo ngayong birthday niya, mayroon tayong concert," Liquigan announced. Belle’s birth month on June. Five months away from now. 

Belle’s on-screen partner Donny Pangilinan also joined her on stage to express gratitude to the fans. "Congratulations, and thank you very much for supporting [Belle]. So, may concert ka raw sa June... basta lagi akong proud sa'yo," Pangilinan said.

Messages in the melodies 

Belle's songs provide constant inspiration. "Walang Pake" encourages independence, "Shot Me Right Through" speaks of hope in relationships, "Nobody Else" (which was written by singer KZ Tandingan) delves into loyalty and love, "I Choose Me" focuses on self-love during healing, which Belle admitted was her most favorite track, saying, “When it comes to choosing yourself, no one would choose you if you don't choose yourself and choosing yourself is gonna be a necessity, it should be a priority. Araw-araw nating piliin ang sarili natin,” and "Autumn" (which is her collaboration with indie folk-pop band Ben&Ben) reassures that vibrant seasons await despite uncertainties.

For the Bubblies

Belle also expressed her gratitude to fans for their continuous support in her music journey, highlighting how it enables her to convey her thoughts and emotions. 

 “I saw music—creating music—as a way for me to express myself. I saw it as art, ang ganda niyang boses, thank you so much sa lahat ng nagmamahal at sa lahat ng nagtatangkilik ng Filipino music, maraming-maraming salamat po." 

Photos by CJ Reyes