Kiana Valenciano following dad Gary V’s footsteps with Tagalog songwriting

MANILA, Philippines — Kiana Valenciano revealed that her musical genre is now more “pop-leaning,” just like her dad Gary Valenciano’s.

At the recent launch of Kenzo’s spring-summer 2024 collection in Greenbelt 3, Makati City, the singer revealed to Philstar.com that she is now recording “a good mix” of songs, including dance hits and Tagalog songs, for which her dad is also known for.

“I’m actually very excited because I started writing, and some of my favorite songs are in Tagalog, I’m really, really excited!” Kiana said with a giggle, “It’s different to express ourselves in our native tongue. It’s really moving, a different experience.”

Kiana shared that she has been exposed to Original Pilipino Music (OPM) since young, and she listens to different OPM songs “depending on the mood for the day.”

Her goal, for now, is to finish her album and target to release it by late this year or early next year.

“I don’t want to talk too much about it, I’m having too much fun. It’s kind of two years in the making,” she said.

“So you’ll hear a lot of my growth through my storytelling, and also sonic, the sound of the music, the genre, has been changing as well. It’s different from what I’ve released in the past but a good kind of different.”

When asked if she is pursuing the international music scene, she said, “I’m just pursuing my music in general. Wherever that takes me, I’m happy to do it.”

— Photo, videos by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo; video editing by Martin Ramos