Janine Berdin likes her manga and anime. So much so that she’s written about her favorite anime film “Attack On Titan” and managing to get Arthur Nery on board.
“’Mikasa’ is a track I initially wrote myself and I decided to work on it with my bandmates - Kirk Basilio, Luke Casanova and TJ Castillon. While working on the song, I couldn’t do anything but imagine Arthur Nery on the track. How it’d be fitting since I knew Arthur was also a fan of anime like me. This is actually my first time asking someone to collaborate with me since usually it’s the other end asking me to hop on a track. Arthur’s been nothing but lovely and supportive and we’re honored to have him.”
“Mikasa” as Janine Berdin explains, is “heavily inspired by Attack on Titan character Mikasa Ackerman‘s point of view,” adding that the lyrics “paints the picture of an unhealthy, one-sided love that stems from an irrational desire, causing a lover to do just about anything - regardless of how unreasonable.”
“I was driven to write by the suffering Mikasa endured just for love, because I also know so many people go through the same, and just like Mikasa, we all need to realize that sometimes the truth of the matter is we don’t deserve the people we fall in love with.”
Describing the slow moody track further, Berdin said, “It’s like a movie in a song. You can really feel the journey of pain and longing from the music (to) its dynamics. My personal favorite is the echoes in the bridge that go “I want, I need you” on loop. It’s hauntingly desperate, and that guitar solo by my bandmate TJ.”
As for Arthur’s participation, Berdin goes on to explain that she and the songwriter have been friends for a while now.
“We met and found each other online before the pandemic and have been supporting each other’s music. Bisaya kami pareho so we also connect because of that! I’ve always been a fan of his and forever will be,” expressed the singer.
“(And) I am the BIIIIGGEST fan of (the Arthur Nery song) “Binhi,” Berdin gushed.
“His writing and his voice and the production -- gosh. It always hurts. His knack for writing really is just on another level. I’ve told him this and I got to hear him sing it live too so that’s crazy. I’m such a fan.”
The pair released "Mikasa" last Sunday, January 28.