On March 1, KZ Tandingan shook the local industry announcing that she is now an independent artist. The recent Instagram post comes weeks after her and her husband singer-songwriter TJ Monterde’s four-night concert, In Between,at Araneta Coliseum.
In the Instagram post, Tandingan admitted to feeling both excitement and fear as she began navigating the industry on her own. Tandingan is a major Filipino artist who is reassessing her career trajectory, signaling a broader shift in how success and sustainability are being defined in the local music industry. She also shared that her performance of “Sinong Magmamahal Sa ’Kin?” during the concert was officially her first release as an independent artist.
“I wrote it for my sister — and for anyone who’s always been the strong one,” she says. “The one who holds everything together, even when they’re quietly breaking. It’s for the people who rarely get asked if they’re okay. The ones who carry so much but still show up with love. Deep down, they’re just hoping someone will see them too.”
Tandingan is widely known for her powerful, soul-driven vocals. She rose to national prominence after winning the inaugural season of The X Factor Philippines in 2012 and has since built a reputation for her inventive covers and genre-fluid approach. Her reach extended beyond the country when she competed on China’s Singer 2018.
Frequently Asked Questions
KZ Tandingan officially announced her transition to becoming an independent music artist on March 1 via an Instagram post, following her four-night In Between concert series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with husband TJ Monterde.
Her track “Sinong Magmamahal Sa ‘Kin?” serves as her first official single release as an independent recording artist. She debuted the song live during the final night of her In Between concert.
KZ Tandingan wrote “Sinong Magmamahal Sa ‘Kin?” for her sister—and for individuals who act as caretakers and providers while quietly dealing with their own emotional burdens.
Prior to going independent, KZ Tandingan was long signed with Star Music under ABS-CBN, which served as her primary record label following her win on The X Factor Philippines in 2012.
KZ Tandingan gained international recognition in 2018 when she competed as a contestant on China’s reality singing show Singer 2018, performing alongside global artists such as Jessie J.
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