Milky Day (left) and Denise Julia

A singer who goes by the name Milky Day is reaching out to an audience in the Philippines. And he’s starting by adding some local color. First though, who is Milky Day and why should we care? Well, Pinoys love a good singer and Milky Day certainly checks that box. And while he’s a Korean-New Zealander (currently) based in Sydney, him being from ‘out of town’ never was a problem for us innately hospitable Pinoys. That and our appreciation for somebody who’s really putting themselves into the music. “I was always surrounded by music growing up! I’ve been playing piano since I was 8,” Milky Day shares. Years later, like every musician worth their salt, he was tinkering with computer music and started down the path of writing and producing his own music and at the same time never stopping to improve his know-how in music, studying jazz and taking singing lessons.  “As I released more songs, I was surprised to see my songs gaining traction and my fanbase expanding. Then in 2022, I quit my job and decided to fully focus my time and energy on creating music.”

Denise Julia (Facebook)

Milky Day has since collected a string of releases that includes the Vibe-y and pop R&B-esque “You’ll Be Alright” and the equally grooving and lo-fi tinged “Fool.” Just between those two songs, Milky Day has already amassed more than 28 million listens of his almost 50 million streams in Spotify alone. Pinoys can also relate to Milky Day’s ‘hugot’ themes of heartbreak, love, hope and regret. One of those songs would be “Listen to the Rain.'' “I was going through a rough patch. Laid off from my day job, recovering from a breakup and adjusting to my new life as a full-time musician in a new country. I was under a lot of stress, worrying about my future, struggling to come to terms with negative emotions I was feeling. Then one day, it was raining lightly outside and for the first time in a long time, I felt a huge sense of relief from the weight I had been bearing. It felt like all of my worries weren’t as bad as they had seemed in my head.  I wrote “Listen to the Rain” inspired by this feeling, so I hope that the song provides comfort to the listener the same way the rain had for me.”

Milky Day

Which leads to his latest single “Let Me.”  In true ‘hugot’ fashion, Milky Day made “Let Me” –a lo-fi tinged R&B ballad--while “reminiscing about the summer night drives and adventures I had shared with my loved one back in L.A.” And here’s where local act Denise Julia comes in. “Halfway through, I thought it would be nice to have another singer tell the story from another perspective. I was looking for a female with soothing vocals, so I had my management reach out to Denise!” Milky Day then shared how the young Filipina indie rap and R&B artist “killed it with her verse and how he loved her sound and how she interpreted the song and accurately captured the mood that I had intended. It was a really great experience we got to work together.” Milky Day believes that “music is a universal language, so I use it to convey some of my own personal experiences, hoping to convey my story and reassure listeners they’re not the only ones feeling the things they do. I want my music to provide comfort and be a reminder that you’re not alone when you’re going through the ups and downs of life.” Amen, brother.