Lian Dyogi’s Newest Song Is Inspired by Her Own Love Story

Lian Kyla, or now known as Lian Dyogi, is marking another milestone in her career as she dropped her newest song, “Only Have Today.” It was inspired by her relationship with her current partner, whom she got to meet during the peak of the pandemic. “It was difficult but we made it work,” Lian opens in an exclusive interview with Metro.Style. In the song, she also highlighted the value of time and the importance of shooting our best shots in life. 

“‘You have to shoot your shot now. Mamamatay na tayo bukas! What’s going to happen to us?’ That’s what inspired this song,” the Kapamilya artist continues, saying that she intends to write music that revolves around a healthy relationship. “You know how sometimes in love songs, napaka-toxic ng mga relationship na? I’m just like, ‘Why, why?!’ I don’t want it to be dark, depressing.”

Penned by Lian along with Grammy-nominated producer Lugo Gonzales and Grammy-nominated artist Alih Jey, the electro-pop masterpiece features lyrics that relay a positive message. The premise of “Only Have Today,” according to Lian, is thinking about the time that one has in his hands at the moment and what he can do to maximize it. 

Lian wants to evoke realizations through her creation. “If you only had today, what kind of relationship do you want to have? What kind of love do you want to leave in the world?” she asks, leaving a rhetorical question. “Alih and I were mainly working on the lyrics and the melody and then Lugo was working on the beat and the chords. “We wanted it to be about [a] healthy relationship—[a] positive relationship—instead of it being toxic,” she reiterates.

On birthing “Only Have Today”

When Lian first worked with Alih and Lugo, she admits she was a tad bit intimidated upon entering the room where the two Grammy nominees were in. “I didn’t know what to expect, but then, when I was in the room with them, it really didn’t feel intimidating to be around them. Parang we were just trying to get the vibe right and make sure that everything was fit for the song,” Lian narrates, walking me through her encounters with Alih and Lugo.

“What happened here was that may baon akong lyrics sa session,” Lian tells us, revealing that it took only three hours for them three to finish the entire song. “Ang sabi ni Alih sa’kin, ‘Oh, we finished really fast!’ Kasi sometimes, it’s very slow if she does all the writing. It’s a longer process,” she explains. “But for us, I think everything gelled really well and we worked really fast and well together, I’d say.”

As for her favorite line in the song, Lian recalls there is one that particularly stands out. “I kind of like the line ‘holding my hand, I’m finally steady,’ kasi that line is about when you hold your person’s hand, you feel safe with them,” she enthuses. “You feel like they’re going to ground you and it sort of captures the essence of that healthy love na you feel safe with this person.” 

Fascinated by the bittersweet truth of impermanent concepts, Lian expresses her thoughts on love and its being temporary. “It’s not necessarily the idea na ‘love doesn’t last.’ It’s the idea that everybody’s going to die one day—na everything in life is impermanent in some way or form. ’Di ba? Everything is going to disintegrate eventually,” she argues.

“Kunwari, a sunset is impermanent. It comes and then it goes, but it’s beautiful while it’s there,” she muses. “The joy and the happiness can be found kasi in the present moment so it doesn’t have to be ‘I’m going to bungee-jump’ or ‘I’m going to sky-dive into all these amazing things today,’ but it’s really just being here in your life as it is right now.”

On being Direk Lauren Dyogi’s daughter

Growing up in the public eye as the daughter of ABS-CBN TV Production and Star Magic head Laurenti Dyogi, or Direk Lauren, Lian recalls her encounters with seasoned actors like Jolina Magdangal, Marvin Agustin, Diether Ocampo, John Lloyd Cruz, and Bea Alonzo. Most of the time, she would interact with them in dressing rooms and backstage.

“I see them as normal people because I get to see them in their normal habitat,” Lian begins. “Tao rin ’to. They go to the bathroom. They eat. They cry. They laugh,” she adds. 

Despite being exposed to showbiz at such an early age, though, she sees herself as a normal person and didn’t actually make a big deal out of her dad’s position in the industry. In fact, Lian would shy away from talking about her encounters with famous personalities to avoid being called arrogant.

As to how her father figured in her career as an entertainer now, Lian recalls the two mottos from her dad that have stuck with her up to now.

“‘If it’s not meant for you, it’s not meant for you,’” she recites, mentioning that Direk Lauren used to remind her to just focus on excelling in her craft. She was also told by her dad to do her best all the time. She quoted her father: “‘Other people will respect you because of the work that you’ve put into what you’re doing.’”

Apart from being a singer and songwriter, Lian also writes songs for weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries. She uses her background in teaching and advertising, too, whenever concocting tracks that would demand specific details from her clients. She says, “Usually, I start with a concept. I think that’s the common trend, because I want to know what the main takeaway of people will be when they hear the song.”

Meanwhile, as a child, Lian wasn’t really interested in joining the entertainment scene. While she grew up admiring Lea Salonga and took voice lessons from renowned voice coaches, she didn’t have any ambitions to be a recording artist. She shares, “As in zero talaga. I just want to make covers. That’s it!” 

A few years later, though, it was through her dad that she landed an opportunity in the OPM circuit. Lian used to cover songs on YouTube, and when Direk Lauren uploaded one of her covers online, record producer Jonathan Manalo reached out to him. Lian tells us, “He [Jonathan] is always just so supportive talaga—only kind words to say for sir Jo. [He’s] the best talaga. I wouldn’t be the kind of musician I am today if it weren’t because of how he believed in me.”

Prior to jump-starting a career in music, Lian looked up to American singer and songwriter Sara Bairelles, whom she considers her core influence when it comes to songwriting. She is also a fan of Ryan Cayabyab, and even aspires to make a rendition of his song “Araw Gabi” in a “very chill” and “melodious” way.

Lian Dyogi is also slated to release a new single this coming July 28 for an upcoming film. While she is yet to spill other details about her project, she is more than excited to share the good news as the track was a collaboration with another OPM band. Direk Lauren’s daughter is likewise busy brewing songs that she might drop in August, and is preparing to embark on her studies in the U.K. this September.

Lead photos by @annparbamakeups via @lian_dyogi