“Kumakabog na naman ang dibdib / sa pagkabahala na dala ng daigdig / Sa dami ng nangyayari, san ba ko lalapit?  So goes the lyrics to a song that seems so apt for the times. In a world that just makes a lot of effin’ noise for all the wrong reasons, where do we go to get a break from it all?

Family, yes! Loved ones, definitely! Friends? We need them more than ever. Pets? That’s what they’re there for. All of these are viable sources of much-needed peace of mind, and God knows everybody could use it in these troubled times.

We could also opt for soothing music to calm our frayed nerves. Amiel Sol is dispensing solace.  

This column recently wrote about Amiel making significant headway into the Pinoy pop music scene with his latest single “Sa Bawat Sandali.” And what a difference a few weeks make when you’re sitting on a hot song like Amiel does. From a surging eight million stream surprise in its first month of release, “Sa Bawat Sandali” has ballooned to over 29.8 million listens in just eleven weeks.

The minimalist arrangements of Amiel’s songs, which usually have his sparse guitar accompaniment and soothing vocal delivery at the center, are connecting with an audience who wants something relaxing to latch onto. And this yearning ballad is a salve that helps alleviate some of the induced stress this world imposes on us all. And while Amiel's themes usually revolve around relationships, his message of finding in someone, a proverbial shelter from the storm, resonates beyond the simplistic purpose of just being a love song. It’s now a reminder that no matter how crazy things around us get, we can pause to look and realize that peace and love are around us. And that sentiment is definitely on Amiel's mind when he wrote: “Kapag magulo na ang mundo / ikaw ang payapang hinahanap-hanap ko / Sa dami ng nangyayari san ba ko lalapit / kung di sayo lang ako kakapit.”  

So far, the positive messaging and the relaxed sonics of Amiel's tune is connecting as “Sa Bawat Sandali” finally hit No. 1. The song is “dominating atop Spotify’s Daily Top Songs PH chart” as “Amiel’s most successful track-to-date has also been at the top of the Daily Viral Songs PH chart for 48 consecutive days” according to the singer’s record label.

Amiel himself is mind-boggled with his songs’ quick ascent. Upon realizing that tens of millions of listeners are now keyed onto his music, the singer was quoted to have said “hindi ko akalain na mangyayari ‘to sa buhay ko.” We could say the same of “Sa Bawat Sandali” as we didn’t think a Pinoy song could succinctly describe our feelings. Amidst the turmoil of social media and upended world politics, a song reminds us that we can rest our weary heads and that there’s shelter from the storm.

If you know where to look.

Additional “Sa Bawat Sandali” notes. The tune is the official soundtrack of Viva One’s “Ang Mutya ng Section E,” which stars Andres Muhlach and Ashtine Olviga. Andres, of course, comes from a showbiz pedigree as the son of Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales and sister to TV host and singer Atasha Muhlach. Ashtine is now finding fame as an actress after her lengthy stint as a pop singer for pop U Go Girls. Both are featured on Amiel's music video.