Jennylyn Mercado distills personal journey into music, short film

August 27 ------ Jennylyn Mercado is turning some of the most personal chapters of her life into music and film with the release of “Jen Deluxe,” an eight-track album accompanied by a short film starring her husband, Dennis Trillo. The project, released under Star Music, expands on Mercado’s “Jen” EP, which came out in May 2025 and marked her return to music after a nine-year hiatus.

The deluxe album adds two new tracks, “Tutuloy Pa Ba?” and “Hindi Man Masabi,” to the original six-song lineup: “Paulit Ulit Kang Pipiliin,” “Sa Gitna,” “Hihintayin Kita,” “Kung Nandito Ka Pa,” “Ayaw Pang Umuwi” and “Hindi Pa Rin Sapat.”

For Mercado, however, “Jen Deluxe” is a story about the different forms of love that have shaped her life and career. “This is a story of different kinds of love — love for yourself, love for your craft, love for other people and love for your partner,” Mercado said at the album launch.

The project moves across genres and moods, from dance-oriented material intended for younger listeners to the emotional love songs that have long been part of Mercado’s musical identity. “We have something that’s more dance-oriented, for Gen Z. We have love songs, and I came from hugot love songs, so we didn’t take that away. There are painful songs, there are happy ones. We made sure that we had every genre so everyone could enjoy it,” she said.

Taking an active role

Mercado said she also had a more active role in shaping the album, from its concept to the selection and development of its material. “From the beginning to creating the album and its concept, this is the first time I’ve experienced being included in the creative process,” she said. She also took part in listening sessions during the album’s development, which allowed her to connect with the songs before they were finalized. “I had listening sessions, and I got to hear the songs while the album was being created. I wanted to feel that I was really part of the album while it was being put together,” Mercado said.

‘It takes a village’

The singer-actress credited the team behind the project, including its writers and Star Music, for helping bring her vision to life. “There were so many writers involved. It took a village to bring it to life,” she said.

Although Mercado’s return to music comes after years where acting was her primary focus, she said singing had never truly disappeared from her life. “Ever since I was young, music has really been something I’ve always had,” she said, adding that she even performed in jazz bars before establishing herself as an actress. Several tracks on “Jen Deluxe” also carry personal stories for Mercado. Among them is “Kung Nandito Ka Pa,” which she described as a gift for her late mother. “It is a very meaningful song for me, and recording it was emotional,” Mercado said.

The process of recording the album also required her to approach each song according to its own emotional character. “It’s different because there are different emotions, different grooves and different genres. So it really depends on where the song is going and what kind of emotion the song needs,” Mercado said. That personal approach continues in the short accompanying film which translates the album’s themes into a cinematic narrative based on Mercado’s own experiences. “This is my life — how I started, the struggles I went through and the emotions I experienced,” she said.

Source: manilatimes.net