More than a decade after she first stepped into the spotlight, Cebuana singer-songwriter Jolianne is seeing one of the most meaningful moments of her career unfold as her song “Palayo sa Mundo”, done in collaboration with Arthur Nery, continues to resonate with listeners.
Jolianne first caught the public’s attention at just 11 years old as a contestant on The Voice Kids Philippines Season 2. Since then, she has steadily carved her own path in music, building a loyal following while developing her sound as a singer-songwriter.
Released in October 2025, “Palayo Sa Mundo” marked the second collaboration between the two artists, following “Lullaby”. Months after its release, the track entered the Billboard Philippines Hot 100 in late January and made a notable jump to No. 48 by late February. As of March, the song has surpassed 25 million streams on Spotify, where Jolianne now has more than 2.5 million monthly listeners.
Speaking exclusively with PUSH ABS-CBN, the singer says it feels especially rewarding to see listeners connect with the music that she created from the heart.
“For me, I release music because I love it and not because of the numbers. But it’s very rewarding to see [the streams]. I’ve never been on the charts before, it’s my first time. I’ve been releasing music since I was 12 years old, so it’s been the first time that I’ve been on the charts. It feels great to know that people can connect with my music as much as I connect with it too.”
For her, the most unforgettable moment came not from streaming milestones but from seeing the song come alive in front of an audience. She recalled the first time she performed the track publicly with Arthur and how the crowd’s reaction left a lasting impression.
“It was not when I saw those numbers, but it was when I saw it in person. The first time I sang it with Arthur in public was on Wish Bus. It blew my mind to see so many people singing those lyrics back to us. Definitely an out of body experience and that was more fulfilling than seeing any of the numbers.”
The emotional reach of the song has also been reflected in how listeners interpret it in their own lives. Jolianne revealed that some fan stories surrounding the track have deeply moved her, especially when it was once used as a wedding song.
“Every time I envision that song, I always think of high school romance, puppy love, but it felt really nice to me that someone used it their wedding, which is a vow that spans forever. I think that was beautiful,” she said.
“There were a lot of comments as well about dedicating that song to their faith in God, which I thought is also really good. A lot of people interpret [a specific line] in the song in the sense that they just leave it to God. They just have faith in his plan. I think that’s also beautiful,” she continued.
Beyond the personal stories shared by listeners, Jolianne also spoke about the message she hoped people would take away from the song, saying that she believes it has a deeper theme centered on unconditional love.
“I wanted them to feel comfort. I know most people think it’s a typical love song. But I also think that the message of it [is that] ‘sometimes, love is surrender’...The message of the song is that ‘Even if we don’t end up together, it’s okay because I love. Not because I expect [to be loved] back.’ The song is about love in its purest form,” she explained.
As her audience continues to grow, the Cebuana artist also shared that she hopes to strengthen her connection with more Filipino listeners by working on more Tagalog songs this year.
While expanding her reach, Jolianne remains proud of where she comes from and hopes to eventually highlight her Bisaya roots more prominently in her music. For now, she wants to build a wider audience before releasing songs in her native language.
“I definitely have plans of releasing Bisaya music in the future but I want to build a foundation first, introduce my name to as many people as possible, and I know that I can do that by releasing more Tagalog music. Once I’ve gotten that down, I would love to release Bisaya music. I still think that there are still so much talent that comes from the Visayas-Mindanao areas and I would love to be a little representation of that too,” she said.
Looking ahead, Jolianne also shared her dream collaborations, including working with a rapper and teaming up with female international artist from Southeast Asia, Niki.
Having spent more than 10 years in the industry, Jolianne reflected on the perseverance that carried her through the ups and downs of her journey.
“I’m also a decade into my career. I’m still holding on to the hope that it’s going to work out for me. I am very glad to see that it’s happening too. I’ll just tell [myself] to be patient and that my timeline is different from other people. That I just have to keep going.”
“Palayo sa Mundo” is released under Sony Music Entertainment and is available on all digital music platforms.